Honestly, the Rams vs Bengals Super Bowl 56 matchup felt like a fever dream. You had the high-octane "Hollywood" Rams, a team that basically pawned their entire future for a "win now" window, facing off against a Cincinnati Bengals squad that, frankly, nobody expected to be there. Most experts had the Bengals winning maybe six games that year. Instead, Joe Burrow was leading them into SoFi Stadium.
It was loud. It was tense. And for a while, it looked like the "forgotten" Bengals were actually going to pull off the ultimate heist on the Rams' own turf.
The Trade That Changed Everything
You can't talk about this game without talking about Matthew Stafford. For twelve years, he was the guy in Detroit—talented, gritty, but stuck on a team that couldn't win a playoff game to save its life. Then the Rams traded Jared Goff, two first-rounders, and a third-rounder to get him. It was a massive gamble. Basically, Sean McVay was saying, "Goff is the ceiling, and Stafford is the key to the roof."
It worked. But man, it was close.
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Early in the game, it looked like a blowout was brewing. Stafford found Odell Beckham Jr. for a 17-yard score. 7-0. Then he hit Cooper Kupp to make it 13-3. The Rams were rolling. But then the momentum didn't just shift; it fell off a cliff. OBJ went down with a non-contact knee injury—a torn ACL, as we later found out—and the Rams' offense just... evaporated.
Why Rams vs Bengals Super Bowl 56 Got Weird
The second half started with absolute chaos. On the very first play from scrimmage, Joe Burrow tossed a deep ball to Tee Higgins. Higgins clearly grabbed Jalen Ramsey’s facemask, twisted his head around, and waltzed into the end zone for a 75-yard touchdown. No flag. Everyone in the stadium was looking at the refs like they were crazy.
Suddenly, it’s 17-13 Bengals.
On the very next play? Stafford throws an interception. In less than 30 seconds of game time, the Rams went from in control to "oh no, we're actually going to lose this."
Cincinnati’s defense was feisty. They weren't the most talented unit on paper, but they played with this weird, desperate energy. They sacked Stafford twice. They picked him off twice. They dared anyone other than Cooper Kupp to beat them. And for about two quarters, nobody else could. The Rams' run game was non-existent. They finished with just 43 rushing yards—the second-fewest ever for a Super Bowl winner.
The No-Look Pass and the "Kupp Drive"
With about six minutes left, the Rams were trailing 20-16. They were stuck. If they didn't score here, the "all-in" experiment was a colossal, multi-year failure. This is where Stafford and Kupp entered that weird telepathic zone.
Stafford pulled off a no-look pass to Kupp across the middle that was just absurd. It froze the safety. It moved the chains. On a 4th-and-1 at their own 30, McVay called a jet sweep for Kupp. He barely got it. If he's an inch short there, the Bengals win their first ring.
The drive was 15 plays. It was grueling.
Eventually, the refs—who had been letting them play all night—started throwing flags. A holding call here, a pass interference there. It set the ball up at the 1-yard line. Stafford looked at Kupp, Kupp looked at Stafford, and they did the thing. A 1-yard fade. Touchdown. Rams lead 23-20 with 1:25 left.
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Aaron Donald Slams the Door
Bengals fans still have nightmares about the final drive. Joe Burrow got them to midfield. It was 4th-and-1. One yard for a chance to tie or win.
Aaron Donald happened.
Donald got into the backfield so fast it looked like he’d started in the Bengals' huddle. He grabbed Burrow, spun him around like a ragdoll, and forced a desperate, fluttering pass that hit the turf. Donald stood up and pointed to his ring finger. Game over.
It’s kinda wild to think about. If the Bengals' offensive line—which was, let's be real, a revolving door that gave up a record-tying 7 sacks—holds for just one more second, Ja'Marr Chase was wide open deep. Burrow just didn't have the time to see him.
Real Talk: What This Game Left Behind
- The "All-In" Blueprint: The Rams proved you can actually "buy" a championship if you're smart about it.
- Cooper Kupp's Legacy: He finished with 8 catches, 92 yards, 2 TDs, and the MVP. It capped off arguably the greatest individual season for a receiver ever.
- The Bengals' Window: People thought Cincy would be back every year. It’s harder than it looks.
- The Human Cost: Seeing OBJ celebrate a ring on crutches was bittersweet. It changed the trajectory of his career forever.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Analysts
If you're looking back at this game to understand modern NFL team building, there are a few things you should actually do:
- Watch the "All-22" film of the final Rams drive. Notice how McVay used bunch formations to force the Bengals to keep Eli Apple on Cooper Kupp. It was a mismatch they exploited four times in a row.
- Analyze the "home game" myth. Even though it was at SoFi, the crowd was surprisingly split. Don't assume home-field advantage in a Super Bowl is a lock.
- Check the salary cap aftermath. Look at the Rams' 2023 roster versus 2021. If you're going to go "all-in," you have to be prepared for the two-year "hangover" that follows.
The Rams vs Bengals Super Bowl 56 wasn't the cleanest game of football ever played. It was messy, the officiating was spotty at the end, and the injuries were brutal. But it was the perfect ending for a team that decided the future didn't matter as long as they owned the present.