Some observations on Super Bowl LVI which moved past a lackluster first half to a decidedly exciting finish:
— All right, let me get this out of the way … even though it’s blatant self-promotion.
I’ve seen all 56 Super Bowls since my senior year in college, and have predicted the final score either on radio or in the Times Herald, 53 times.
But, never, until last night, had I gotten the score exactly right. Oh, I needed a break to get that Rams’ 23-20 final in the form of holder Johnny Hekker’s bobbled snap that led to a missed Rams extra point … I’ll take it.
— Before I get to the game itself, let me offer a bit of a rant.
When will the NFL have enough confidence in its championship game to rely on its football chops?
Every year, the league throws more “stuff” at the Super Bowl wall to see what sticks.
Could pregame ceremonies be dragged out any longer?
Did we really need Dwayne Johnson, AFTER the coin toss with players chafing to get on the field, screaming into a microphone telling us what teams were playing and reminding us it was “THE SUPER BOWL?”
And don’t get me started on halftime.
Why have only one act performing when you can have five: Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, Snoop Dogg and Mary J. Blige?
— Last night, the analysts got the deciding factor exactly right.
Despite much of the focus being on the quarterbacks — Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow and Los Angeles’ Matthew Stafford — the feeling among the experts was that it would be the Rams’ dominating defensive line which would win the game.
That assessment was right on.
L.A.’s pass rush logged a Super Bowl-tying record of seven sacks.
And that defied the football axiom which says the team that loses the turnover battle usually loses the game.
Cincinnati never gave the ball away while Stafford was intercepted twice, though one, by cornerback Jessie Bates III in the end zone was as good as a punt on 4th-and-15, especially after a Bengals penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct put the ball at the 10.
But the seven times Burrow went south — two each be lineman Aaron Donald and linebacker Von Miller — were particularly punitive and Cincy tried to keep drives alive.
— Throwaway statistic of the game: The Bengals won the coin-toss marking the eighth straight time the winner of the coin toss lost the Super Bowl.
— If there was any doubt the NFL has become a passing league, consider the Rams’ ground game mustered only 43 yards on 23 carries and the Bengals weren’t particularly effective with only 79 yards on 29 tries.
— The Rams had only a 313-305 edge in offensive yards, but Cincinnati lost 43 on those sacks.
