Andrew Ortenberg
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Super Bowl LVI is officially right around the corner. We have the grizzled vet Matthew Stafford facing off against young gun Joe Burrow as the Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals. Will Sean McVay get his first ring after losing in the Super Bowl a few years ago, or will his former assistant Zac Taylor take out his old boss?
It should be a great game, and we of course have plenty of thoughts on the side and total which you can read in our full game preview. These teams have both come a long way since the beginning of the season, and there’s a lot to break down. Football is the ultimate team sport; an edge for any of the 22 guys on the field at the same time can dramatically shift the game.
With that in mind, today we’ll be talking about some of the positional matchups, and how we see them playing out. Let’s dive in:
Be sure to check out our dedicated Super Bowl hub for all our best bets and picks for the big game!
Aaron Donald vs Bengals interior offensive line
This might be the most talked about matchup of Super Bowl week, and for good reason. Whether or not Donald can get consistent pressure on Burrow very well may determine the outcome of the game. The Rams have arguably the best pass-rush in the league, while the Bengals have arguably the worst pass-blocking offensive line in the league. Joe Burrow has been frequently running for his life this postseason, while Los Angeles has already made life miserable for quarterbacks like Kyler Murray and Tom Brady.
Donald is still the most dominant defensive player in the league, and interior O-line in particular is a weakness for the Bengals. How will left guard Quinton Spain, center Trey Hopkins, and right guard Jackson Carman fare in the biggest game of their careers? It’s likely going to be impossible for them to slow down Donald completely, but they need to ensure he doesn’t completely wreck the game.
Jalen Ramsey vs Ja’Marr Chase
The other big matchup to watch on this side of the ball is Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey against Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase. The Rams haven’t always let Ramsey travel and stick to the opposing team’s top wideout, but we’ll likely see him lined up over Chase frequently on Sunday. Ramsey is one of the top corners in the league, and Los Angeles needs him to neutralize Chase in order to slow down this offense.
Chase has been sensational both during his rookie season as a whole and in these playoffs, but this is a tough test against a perennial All-Pro. If the Bengals are able to somewhat effectively block Donald, then this becomes the most important matchup of the game — because if Burrow has time to throw, he’s going to be looking to take some deep shots to Chase. It’s up to Ramsey to take those away.
Be sure to check out our full Super Bowl 56 preview for Los Angeles Rams vs Cincinnati Bengals
Bengals corners vs Cooper Kupp
On the other side of the ball, the Bengals also have to worry about slowing down a dynamic receiver. Kupp has had a truly historic season, and the chemistry he has with Stafford is nothing short of remarkable. Teams key in on stopping him, and then he torches them anyway. Needless to say, Bengals cornerbacks Chidobe Awuzie and Eli Apple are going to have their hands full. Apple is a guy who tends to run hot and cold, and Cincy needs the best version of him to show up on Sunday.
Last week against the Chiefs, Apple made a couple of great plays and a couple of boneheaded ones. There isn’t much room for inconsistency here against a guy like Kupp. With Odell Beckham Jr emerging recently and going off for over 100 yards in the NFC Championship Game, it’s going to be even harder to shade too much extra attention toward Kupp. As such, the Bengals are going to need a couple of epic individual performances from their starting corners.
Special Teams
As we all know, special teams often determine the outcomes of games — especially in the playoffs — and it wouldn’t surprise me if that was the case on Sunday. Both teams have kickers who have been playing really well lately, Matt Gay for the Rams and Evan McPherson for the Bengals. McPherson in particular has been incredible, especially for a rookie, and looks like he could be on a Justin Tucker-esque career path.
I’m not expecting a shootout in this game, increasing the likelihood that the result comes down to a late field goal. Los Angeles’ special teams were a big part of their win over the Bucs in the divisional round, as that unit made several big plays. It would be easy to get caught up in all the talk about the plentiful skill position talent in this game, but don’t forget about the specialists.
Free Super Bowl Picks and Predictions
We’ve also got plenty of expert articles to make sure you’re fully informed before making your Super Bowl bets, and you can find all of them in our Super Bowl hub:
- Super Bowl MVP betting odds and best bets
- Best Super Bowl LVI betting trends
- Top 10 Super Bowl betting moments and controversies
- Pickswise Super Bowl prop builder contest
- Super Bowl 56 halftime show prop betting
Pickswise is the home of free Super Bowl Predictions. Our expert handicappers break down their best Super Bowl Picks, including our best free Prop Bets.
