Andrew Ortenberg
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Super Bowl LVI, and thus the end of the NFL season, is less than a week away. Los Angeles Rams versus Cincinnati Bengals in a battle between two gritty teams who both had to pull off big comebacks to get here. We’re keeping you primed with all sorts of Super Bowl content leading up to the big game, and today we thought we’d break down some previous meetings between these two franchises.
There’s some familiarity between these teams since Zac Taylor used to coach under Sean McVay, but these teams haven’t played in a little while. Since the NFL schedule dictates that teams from opposite conferences only play once every four years, it’s a matchup we don’t see too often. Let’s dive in:
Week 8, 2019 – Bengals @ Rams* (Rams win 24-10)
The last time these teams played, the game wasn’t even in the United States! Back in Week 8 of 2019 they met in London for one of the league’s overseas games. As part of the deal that allowed the Rams to relocate to Los Angeles, they were required to host some “home” games in the UK. Jared Goff had one of his best performances of the season for the Rams, racking up 372 yards and two touchdowns on only 31 attempts.
There’s been a lot of turnover since then for both teams, but one man who is still putting up similar numbers in the same spot is Cooper Kupp. Kupp had a career-game the last time he faced the Bengals, finishing with 220 yards and a touchdown in that London matchup. If Cincy wants to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, they’re going to need to do a much better job on Kupp this time around.
Week 12, 2015 – Rams @ Bengals (Bengals win 31-7)
The previous meeting went a lot better for the Bengals. That game was in Cincy, and they absolutely dominated in a 31-7 rout. It was the Rams’ last season in St. Louis, and they were in the midst of a disappointing campaign. Nick Foles got the start at quarterback and proceeded to throw three interceptions. A.J. Green had two touchdowns as the Bengals improved to 9-2 and went on to win the AFC North. They won the AFC North again this year, and will look to replicate this kind of performance against the Rams here.
Week 15, 2011 – Bengals @ Rams (Bengals win 20-13)
The last time the Rams had a true home game against the Bengals was all the way back in 2011. It was a late-season matchup in Week 15, and just like in 2015 Cincinnati emerged victorious. The win improved them to 8-6 and was crucial in helping them sneak into the playoffs at 9-7 (they lost to the Texans in the first round). It was Andy Dalton’s rookie season for Cincy and there was a lot of optimism, while Kellen Clemens got a spot start at quarterback for the Rams. The loss dropped St. Louis to 2-12 on the year and it finished 2-14.
Week 14, 2007 – Rams @ Bengals (Bengals win 19-10)
The previous game in the series was another Bengals win. Carson Palmer was still under center for Cincy back then, and the Bengals won the game despite Palmer finishing with only 185 yards no touchdowns and two interceptions. The Rams had yet another random spot starter at quarterback, as ‘Brock Berlin’ was the guy throwing passes that day. It was the only start the former undrafted free agent ever made in his NFL career, and he only attempted 3 more passes after this game before hanging up his cleats.
Week 15, 2003 – Bengals @ Rams (Rams win 27-10)
In another late-season meeting, things went a lot better for the Rams. This was a significant year for the Bengals, as it was the first year of the Marvin Lewis era, who went on to coach for the next 16 seasons. It was also the first year they had Carson Palmer after taking him first overall in the 2003 draft. Palmer didn’t play in this game as he sat his whole rookie year, and Jon Kitna was the starting quarterback for this one. It was a great season for the Rams, and the win improved them to 12-3 overall and a perfect 8-0 at home. Marshall Faulk had 154 total yards and 2 touchdowns. The Rams won the NFC West but lost in the divisional round in a double-overtime thriller against the Panthers.
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