Super Bowl LVI | When the Bengals have the ball: If protection holds…

Led by Joe Burrow, the Bengals’ offense is full of talent. The question is whether she will have time to run her games Sunday night. Behind an offensive line that inspires no one, Burrow will have to ensure that Aaron Donald and the fearsome defensive front of the Rams do not take control of the game.

Miguel Bujold
The Press

Let’s say it straight away: if the Los Angeles Rams are able to dominate the Cincinnati Bengals offensive line with only four or five of their players, their chances of winning will decrease significantly. And it will take a particularly good offensive game plan on the part of the Bengals to prevent Aaron Donald and company from taking control of the game.

How to get there ? In a few different ways.

First, running back Joe Mixon will absolutely have to know a good game and his reserves, Samaje Perine and Chris Evans, will have to contribute, too.

The best way to slow down a bloodthirsty defensive front like the Rams is with success on the ground and with short passes.

Then the Bengals will almost always have two players against Aaron Donald to make sure they contain him, and often with two offensive linemen. The other three members of the Bengals offensive front will have to win their individual battles, which will not be easy to do for a group that has been struggling for two years. If the Rams use the blitz to further complicate the Bengals’ pass protection job, running backs and tight ends will need to stay alert by not missing their blocks.

The third way to calm the heat of a defensive front like the Rams is to get rid of the ball quickly. Joe Burrow will have to throw the ball two seconds after receiving it from his center player as often as possible. Since it is doubted that he will have much opportunity to do so, Burrow will have to succeed in his passes which will cover a good distance when he throws them.

Burrow is a better athlete than one might think at first glance and is able to make the opponent pay with runs when there are too big openings in front of him. He will most likely have to win a few important first games with his legs on Sunday night.

Burrow’s runs could prove to be a deciding factor in this game.

On the Rams side, Jalen Ramsey will likely watch Ja’Marr Chase or Tee Higgins without getting help from a safety. In doing so, the other main cornerback of the Rams, Darious Williams, can count on a boost from one of the safety backs to contain Chase or Higgins.

Note, however, that Williams is 5’9″ while Higgins’ height is 6’4″. It could be a problem…

But if Ramsey (6’1″) covers Higgins, will Williams or David Long Jr. be able to keep up with Chase step by step? It is far from certain.

And the Bengals have another good wide end the Rams will need to keep an eye on. Discreet since the start of the tournament (10 catches and 62 yards in 3 games), Tyler Boyd has totaled 312 catches over the past four seasons. Chase’s arrival pushed him into the background, but we’re still talking about a receiver who is at his peak at 28 and has caught 7 or more passes in a game on 15 occasions since 2018…

The Rams defense is known to be built to stop the pass. However, if Donald and their defensive front fail to get to Burrow, their secondary could have their hands full against the Bengals’ trio of wide-spaced wingers. That said, Mixon and the ground game will also have to play a big part.