Super Bowl LVI grades

The Bengals (13-8) kept winning in spite of their offensive line, carrying one of the worst blocking quintets into a Super Bowl. Sins of the 2021 offseason caught up to the AFC champions, who would be celebrating had they brought even an average O-line to Los Angeles. Although Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase torched Jalen Ramsey and combined for 189 yards, Joe Burrow taking a Super Bowl-record-tying seven sacks overshadowed that success. Burrow broke a playoff record (by five) by taking 19 sacks and went down 70 times this season (third all-time). Somehow leading this team this far illustrates Burrow's potential, but it is time for a full-scale overhaul upfront, a la the 2021 Chiefs.

BENGALS OFFENSE GRADE: C-minus

With Van Jefferson a nonfactor and Ben Skowronek an aerial zero replacing Odell Beckham Jr., the Bengals still could not contain Matthew Stafford's only reliable weapon when it mattered. Saving a lifeless Rams run game with a fourth-down jet sweep further highlights Kupp's value, as does catching a game-winner after a "Jacked Up"-caliber hit. The MVP's 92-yard, two-touchdown night gave him this season line: 178 catches, 2,425 yards, 22 TDs. Second place in single-season yardage: Larry Fitzgerald, with 1,977. It has never been easier to accumulate receiving yards, but Kupp either dropped the NFL's greatest wide receiver season or is this era's unquestioned representative in that conversation.

RAMS OFFENSE GRADE: B

Believe it or not, the Rams' 43 rushing yards are not the fewest by a Super Bowl champion. The 1999 Rams finished with 29. But the Bengals both stonewalled the Rams' ground game and minimized the unofficial hosts' aerial attack for most of the second half. The AFC champions did not have enough talent at cornerback to reward its strong front-seven showing, with Kupp and Beckham making enough plays to compensate for the Rams' lengthy stretch of nothingness. Eli Apple's bounce-back season ended with two TD catches allowed. Cincinnati intercepted Stafford twice and notched nine tackles for loss, but its batch of free agency corner additions could not close the show.

BENGALS DEFENSE GRADE: B-minus

Sudden Donald retirement rumors should scare Rams fans; the relentless defensive tackle widened the gap between himself and this era's other defensive greats Sunday night. Donald finished with seven pressures and two sacks, with he and Von Miller following Super Bowl 50's Miller-DeMarcus Ware duo as the only teammates with two Super Bowl sacks apiece. This protected a scuffling Rams offense. The Bengals' final five drives featured punts or a Donald-driven turnover on downs. Although Ramsey's rough night kept the Bengals in it, the Rams' deep D-line won the matchup it needed to with an all-time performance. A list of the top 15 players in NFL history now seems incomplete without Donald.

RAMS DEFENSE GRADE: A-minus

This can be looked at from multiple angles. The Rams boasted a better roster, yet the Bengals nearly stole a victory. However, Cincinnati's inability to move the chains for most of the second half and its two red-zone field goals let the Rams off the hook. The Bengals totaled 121 of their 305 yards on a Chase one-handed catch and Higgins' 75-yard TD that doubled as a rough officiating miss, and they went away from Joe Mixon (4.8 yards per carry) too often on third- or fourth-and-short. Samaje Perine should not be taking a third-and-1 carry on a do-or-die drive. Cincinnati's offense did not need to be too much better to escape, given the defense's second-half performance, but this still slipped away.

BENGALS COACHING GRADE: C

The Rams (16-5) losing with Kupp on this level and GM Les Snead forming the pass-rush armada he did would have been an ugly blot on Sean McVay's resume. He avoided that outcome, becoming the youngest Super Bowl-winning head coach. Not usually aggressive on fourth down, McVay dialing up the Kupp jet sweep on fourth-and-1 gave his shorthanded offense a late jolt. Winning without Beckham, Tyler Higbee, and Robert Woods also looks good for the play-calling wizard, who redeemed himself after a bad Super Bowl LIII night. And, in doing what predecessors Brandon Staley and Wade Phillips (with the Rams) could not, defensive coordinator Raheem Morris should land a second HC opportunity in 2023. 

RAMS COACHING GRADE: B-plus

Higgins deserves some credit for his craftsmanship, managing to slither past one of the NFL's most physical cornerbacks with an atypical illegal technique. But Ron Torbert's crew missing Higgins' offensive pass interference on Ramsey is obviously a bad look. The officials letting the teams play (four flags before the Rams' final drive) and then whistling Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson for an iffy third-down holding call -- based on the game's prior flow -- was also a bit strange. The Wilson flag can be interpreted as an appropriate makeup call; the Bengals winning would have made for a bad look considering how they obtained their lead.

Beckham's importance to the Rams interestingly crystallized after his second-quarter knee injury. The formerly disgruntled Browns receiver exploded for an early touchdown and a big gain on a crosser, and his absence crushed the Rams. The injury to the same knee Beckham hurt against the Bengals in 2020 will likely limit him in his first true free agency opportunity and perhaps final chance at big money. Replacing Robert Woods and proving essential for this Rams championship, OBJ will collect his coveted ring. But a 29-year-old wideout with a recent history of knee maladies will generate uncertainty when teams prepare free agency offers.

Risk-taking GM Les Snead trading his top three 2022 draft choices and his top 2023 pick for Stafford and Miller pushed a stalled contender over the top, justifying the 10th-year GM's moves after some failed contract extensions. Stafford going from Lions disappointment to the trigger man on a Super Bowl game-winning drive punctuated one of the NFL's defining career-changing seasons, and Miller re-emerging after five straight playoff absences (and a severe September 2020 ankle injury) to notch another two-sack Super Bowl locks him into first-ballot Hall of Fame status. Even if it was only for a half-season, the Donald-Miller pass-rushing duo will be remembered as one of the best ever.

Stafford's 79-yard final drive not being especially dissimilar to Joe Montana's 92-yard march 33 years ago should sting Gen-X-and-older Bengals fans. The franchise is now 0-3 in Super Bowls. But this was still a premier underdog story. Pegged by some oddsmakers at plus-15,000 to win Super Bowl LVI entering the season, the Bengals joined the 1999 Rams as the biggest longshot to reach this stage. Lou Anarumo's defense, after two bad seasons, frustrated Pro Bowl QBs and intercepted eight passes in the playoffs. And, while the Joe Burrow-Tom Brady comparisons do not include a Super Bowl win over the Rams, the Bengals' second-year QB is far ahead of where the all-timer was after his win over St. Louis. 

St. Louis fans got off easy by seeing the Cardinals largely continue to struggle after leaving eastern Missouri in 1988, but Sunday proved unfortunate for a scorned NFL city. However, by winning their first title in Los Angeles since 1951, the Rams also completed an NFL first. They now have championships in three cities, winning two in L.A., one in St. Louis, and one in Cleveland. The Rams left Cleveland weeks after winning the 1945 championship. The franchise's fourth title separated it from the Colts, Chiefs and Raiders, who claimed championships in two cities. Perhaps this is not something to celebrate, but it is certainly notable for the time zone-hopping team. 

The aftermath of the Rams' first Super Bowl win in 22 years feels a little strange. Their best player is 30 and rocketing toward the Lawrence Taylor-Reggie White tier in NFL defender lore, but he did not confirm a 2022 return. In addition to Aaron Donald (could money be an issue here?), Sean McVay is already discussing his post-NFL life. This uncertainty cuts into the Rams dynasty hopes. Andrew Whitworth became the NFL's first 40-something lineman to start a Super Bowl and said going out on top like Peyton Manning or Jerome Bettis would be appropriate. Eric Weddle is re-retiring. Some major questions will need answering, and this Rams title contrasts with the Buccaneers' run-it-back approach. 

Super Bowl participants generally are not in great salary cap shape, but the Bengals are projected to hold nearly $60 million in space -- third-most in the NFL. With safety Jessie Bates and defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi the only key starters due for free agency, the AFC champions can continue to build around Burrow's rookie contract. The Bengals deviated from their free agency stinginess in 2020, adding several veterans (mostly on defense) around their QB prize over the past two years. Burrow cannot be extended until 2023, giving Cincinnati another year to load up. If there was ever a time for a team to pay offensive linemen.

Other teams have paid dearly for trading two first-round picks -- the Bears, Seahawks, and Texans come to mind -- but the Rams managed to trade four years' worth of first-rounders for Ramsey and Stafford, yet a parade is imminent. The team must extend Stafford, who is still on his Lions-built contract, and create cap room. Finding cap space has not been an issue for Snead, who found ways to add impact vets despite dead-money bloodbaths from the Todd Gurley and Jared Goff deals. The Rams have Miller and Beckham due for free agency. Los Angeles has continually let role players walk to prioritize stars. Will cornerback Darious Williams and O-line starters Brian Allen and Austin Corbett be next out the door?

The hints of Aaron Rodgers staying in Green Bay make sense. The Bengals' rise has created an AFC gauntlet of quarterbacks, with Burrow joining Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Herbert in this minefield. Early post-Super Bowl odds give the Chiefs and Bills better shots than the Rams (third, at 10-1) and Bengals (fourth, at 12-1) next season. The Bills-Chiefs rematch was a Super Bowl-caliber event, a more entertaining one, and the Rams will have some early fuel to drive their title defense. Los Angeles' road should be easier than Cincinnati's, however, given the questions surrounding NFC powers Green Bay, Tampa Bay, and San Francisco.