Los Angeles Rams Defeat The Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20, To Win Super Bowl LVI

The Los Angeles Rams are world champs.

In their second appearance on the championship stage in three years, the Rams finished the job and defeated the resilient Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20, to win Super Bowl 56.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 26-of-40 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns and two interceptions.

For a large portion of the game, Stafford's turnovers hinted at a demise for the Rams, bent on the QB's past sins.

But he overcame them: leading a game-winning drive to put the Rams up over the Bengals in the final minutes of the game. The team trailed for the second, third and majority of the fourth quarter.

Rams head coach Sean McVay chose to ride the Cooper Kupp formula in the second half, and it paid off.

Kupp finished with eight receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns.

Bengal quarterback Joe Burrow did his best, throwing for 263 yards and a touchdown on 22-of-33 passing.

Cincinnati running back Joe Mixon rushed for 72 yards on 15 carries. He also threw a touchdown to Tee Higgins in the second quarter to put Cincinnati up, 13-10.

Higgins caught four receptions for 100 yards and two touchdowns. Higgins got away with an egregious no-call facemask on Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey but still pulled off a 75-yard touchdown reception to put the Bengals up 17-13.

Cincinnati was fairly mistake-free until some fourth quarter penalties hindered their chances of running away from the contest.

Rams wideout Odell Beckham Jr. left the game early in the second quarter after going down on a non-contact injury. He recorded the first score of the game: a 17-yard touchdown reception to put the Rams up, 7-0.

Audiences were on pins and needles in the second half as QBs on both squads were slow to get up after apparent knee injuries. Both Stafford and Burrow were awkwardly caught underneath a sack, but the primetime players were willing to stay in.

Bengals cornerback Eli Apple, while talking a big game before the contest, was culpable of the game-costing penalty when he was called for PI — setting up Los Angeles at the goal-line to set up the winning score.

Kupp was the recipient of the game-winning score: giving the Rams their first Super Bowl victory since 2000.

This marks their second championship win in franchise history. Rams owner Stan Kroenke and general manager Les Snead went all in. It paid off.

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