It is tonight that the 56 will be disputedand Super Bowl as the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals face off at SoFi Stadium, home of the Rams. And to be successful in this grand final, the defense of the Tigrés will have to find a way to neutralize the passing game of the Rams.
Posted at 9:00 a.m.
One of the adjustments the Bengals defense made coming back from intermission in the American Conference Championship game two weeks ago in Kansas City was to pit Mike Hilton against Tyreek Hill. The cornerback covered the wide end for the first 10 or 15 yards of his passing path, then a safety took over in the deep areas. Result: Hill caught 7 passes for 78 yards and a touchdown in the first half before being completely shut out in the second half and overtime.
PHOTO JOHN AMIS, ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
Mike Hilton makes an interception against the Tennessee Titans in Nashville on January 22.
The Bengals should use the same game plan at the expense of Cooper Kupp. Hilton is a reliable, shrewd and combative player. By doubling Kupp with him and Jessie Bates III, their chances of neutralizing the excellent receiver of the Rams would be relatively good.
If the Bengals do choose to eliminate Kupp from the equation as much as they can, Odell Beckham Jr. and Van Jefferson will have to produce by winning their one-on-one meetings with cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and Eli Apple. The latter has the size to cover Jefferson, while Awuzie is the club’s best cornerback in coverage and is therefore probably the one who will have to cover Beckham Jr. without getting much help from the safety backs.
Covering tight end Tyler Higbee, who should be in place after suffering a knee injury two weeks ago, should fall to safety Von Bell or linebacker Logan Wilson most of the time.
That obviously doesn’t mean that’s how the Bengals will choose to defend against the Rams offense and strategies will of course vary from game to game and series to series. But if I was the defensive coordinator for the Bengals, that’s how I would try to stop the Rams’ aerial play.
Failing to be able to count on star players, the secondary of the Bengals does not really have a weak link and the defense of coordinator Lou Anarumo already has five interceptions to his credit since the start of the playoffs. If the Bengals are able to do the work-against-the-pass game with five or six players, it will seriously complicate things for Los Angeles.
PHOTO TOMMY GILLIGAN, USA TODAY SPORTS ARCHIVE
Sony Michel
But if the Bengals invest a little too much manpower to stop the passing game, you can bet Sean McVay and the Rams will take advantage of it to find success on the ground. With Cam Akers, but also with Sony Michel.
The former New England Patriots running back is used to playing big games and is a power running ball carrier. The kind of running back who could be successful against the Bengals defense.
The key player for the Bengals against the run is former Houston Texans DJ Reader, who is having a great playoff run. Reader and BJ Hill make a respectable pair of tackles, while defensive ends Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard often make their best plays at key moments. They will, however, be up against an experienced blocking duo who are rarely beaten in Andrew Whitworth and Rob Havenstein.
The Rams will surely want to establish their ground game early in the game, in order to force the Bengals to position more players near the line of scrimmage. This would have the effect of giving Kupp and Beckham Jr. more room to manoeuvre.
Matthew Stafford is a good quarterback, but his recklessness with the ball has often hurt him throughout his career. He tied for last in the NFL with rookie Trevor Lawrence with 17 interceptions this season.
In return, each time the Rams have found themselves in the cables over the past month, Stafford has taken their game up a notch. He can throw the ball to two very talented receivers, so sooner or later the Rams’ aerial game will make impact plays. The goal for the Bengals will be to limit their numbers.