Getty Travin Howard of the Rams snatches the game clinching interception in front of the 49ers' JaMycal Hasty on Sunday, January 30.
The Los Angeles Rams face numerous advantages heading into Sunday, February 13 at SoFi Stadium against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Or are they at a disadvantage heading into the Super Bowl?
Here’s what’s working for the Rams: They’re led by a rejuvenated veteran quarterback with Pro Bowl accolades, a healthy backfield featuring a previous Super Bowl winner, the league’s triple crown winner at wide receiver, another receiving option who’s been an impact as a No. 2, the league’s most decorated defensive lineman, a past Super Bowl Most Valuable Player at linebacker and the face of shutdown cornerbacks for this game.
The Bengals? None of that representation on their roster. But, they’re flooded with future stars who aren’t even 26 years old.
And, according to one Pro Football Focus analyst on Monday, January 31, the Rams do face two disadvantages heading into Super Bowl 56. While PFF writer Seth Galina believes that the Rams’ front line pressure “might well represent the most lopsided contest of the 2021 NFL season,” he still has the belief that this game presents the perfect matchup for one particular group on the field for the Bengals in his article.
What are those elements that puts the Rams at a disadvantage?
The ‘One Read & Done’ Approach
The Bengals went from surrendering a whopping nine sacks against the Tennessee Titans to cutting that number down to one in the AFC championship game versus the Kansas City Chiefs.
Here’s the secret: They went with a “one read and done” approach as noted by Galina.
“During the second half and overtime of the AFC Championship Game, Burrow averaged just 4.3 yards per pass attempt on 15 non-play action, non-screen, non-RPO drop backs — and this was when the team was driving to win the game,” Galina wrote.
Here are two examples from the 24-21 win over K.C. to clinch the AFC crown. On this one, Burrow doesn’t hesitate to feed the ball to Ja’Marr Chase, who draws the solo matchup:
BURROW TO CHASE. TOUCHDOWN. #RuleTheJungle #NFLPlayoffs
📺: #CINvsKC on CBS
📱: t.co/dKNUFkxkbU
Subsequently, Burrow went with one read and done to tie things up:
“The team simply cannot protect Burrow on straight drop backs, and he knows it. So, he’s resorted to getting the ball out quickly, even when he’s not feeling the pocket collapse around him,” Galina added.
The Bengals offense are most dangerous when Burrow gets the ball out quick. Meanwhile the Rams, who operate with five down linemen, are most deadly up front when the opposing quarterback doesn’t go to his first option and holds onto the ball for more than two seconds. However, they have surrendered touchdowns that involved a quick read and strike, as seen below:
IS DEEBO A CREATE-A-PLAYER?! #FTTB #NFLPlayoffs
📺: #SFvsLAR on FOX
📱: t.co/vywGt5Kgfz
Plus on this red zone touchdown, San Francisco 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo locks in on George Kittle the whole way and doesn’t look elsewhere:
JIMMY G -> KITTLE COMBO. #FTTB #NFLPlayoffs
📺: #SFvsLAR on FOX
📱: t.co/vywGt5Kgfz
So “one read and done” benefits the Bengals. But there’s another player on the Rams roster who swings the advantage toward the AFC champs, as noted by Galina.
The Ram the Bengals Want on the Field
Of all the Rams who holds the key for the Bengals per Galina…A’Shawn Robinson?
Yes, the interior defender who put together a career year in combined tackles according to Pro Football Reference. But here’s why as noted by Galina: He makes the Rams a five-man front — which bodes well for an offense that wants to get the ball out quick.
“Robinson is a solid player. He’s put up a 78.2 grade in the playoffs so far, but the Bengals will need him on the field. He’s played 85 of the Rams’ 179 snaps this postseason, and 57 of their 79 first-down snaps,” Galina writes. “Playing with five defensive linemen creates space in the second level of their defense. On plays where they do rush all five players, there are holes on either side of their linebacker.
“This is perfect for the Bengals’ quick game concepts and routes,” Galina continued. “Over the regular season, Burrow finished fourth in the league on quick-game passing concepts, so it is part of Cincinnati’s repertoire.”
This could mean one or two things for the Rams: Limit Robinson’s snaps in their base look or drop two edge defenders into coverage when he’s on the field to crowd the middle. That way, it forces Burrow to look for his second or third read, which swings the advantage to Donald, Miller, Leonard Floyd, emerging trench pass rusher Greg Gaines and company.
So the Bengals have those two advantages working for them leading up to the Super Bowl. But tweaks and pressure from the Rams can turn those opposing advantages into disadvantages.