Honestly, if you look back at February 13, 2022, it feels like a lifetime ago in NFL years. But for the Los Angeles Rams, that 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals wasn't just another game. It was a massive, high-stakes gamble that actually paid off. You've heard the "F them picks" jokes, right? Well, that night at SoFi Stadium was the moment that aggressive, almost reckless front-office strategy became legendary.
People remember the glitz. They remember the halftime show with Dre and Snoop. But the actual football? It was gritty. It was kind of ugly at times. And honestly, the Rams almost blew it.
The Rams Super Bowl Win and the "All-In" Myth
There’s this common idea that the Rams just "bought" a championship. People point to the Matthew Stafford trade. They point to Von Miller and Odell Beckham Jr. joining mid-season. Sure, those names are flashy. But the reality of the Rams Super Bowl win is that they were incredibly top-heavy and one injury away from disaster.
When Odell Beckham Jr. went down with a non-contact knee injury in the second quarter, the air sucked right out of the building. Before that, he was torching the Bengals. He already had two catches for 52 yards and a touchdown. When he left, the Rams' offense basically flatlined.
Stafford looked human. He threw two interceptions. One was a deep shot to Van Jefferson that got picked by Jessie Bates III in the end zone. The other was a ball that literally bounced off Ben Skowronek’s hands. For a huge chunk of the second and third quarters, Los Angeles couldn't move the ball. They were stuck.
Why the Defense Saved the Day
Everyone talks about the game-winning drive. We'll get to that. But the defense? They were the real reason the Rams stayed in it.
- Aaron Donald was a one-man wrecking crew. He didn't just play well; he lived in the Bengals' backfield.
- Von Miller proved exactly why they traded for him, recording two sacks.
- The Rams tied a Super Bowl record with seven sacks on Joe Burrow.
Think about that. Seven sacks. Poor Burrow was running for his life most of the night. Even when the Bengals took a 20-13 lead early in the third quarter—thanks to a 75-yard bomb to Tee Higgins where Jalen Ramsey got his facemask pulled (and no flag was thrown, weirdly)—the defense didn't break.
The Drive That Defined a Legacy
Trailing 20-16 with about six minutes left, Matthew Stafford had the ball. This was the moment. This was why you trade Jared Goff and two first-round picks.
It wasn't a clean drive. It was 15 plays. It was 79 yards of pure anxiety.
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The Rams actually struggled to run the ball all night. They finished with only 43 rushing yards. That's terrible. So, Stafford basically had to force-feed Cooper Kupp. On a crucial 4th-and-1 from their own 30-yard line, Sean McVay called an end-around to Kupp. He got seven yards. If he doesn't get that? The Bengals win. Period.
Cooper Kupp: The Triple Crown MVP
Kupp's 2021 season was arguably the best a receiver has ever had. He won the Triple Crown in the regular season, then capped it off with the Super Bowl MVP.
On that final drive, Kupp was everywhere. He drew penalties. He made catches in traffic. Finally, with 1:25 left, Stafford threw a back-shoulder fade to the right side. Kupp snatched it. Touchdown. 23-20.
But even then, it wasn't over.
"Ring Me!" — Aaron Donald’s Final Stand
The Bengals got the ball back. They only needed a field goal to tie. Joe Burrow, even after being sacked six times already, moved them to midfield. It was 4th-and-1 at the Rams' 49-yard line.
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Aaron Donald lined up. He blew past the guard. He grabbed Burrow by the waist and started spinning him like a ragdoll. As he was falling, Burrow tried to flick the ball away to Samaje Perine.
Incomplete.
Donald stood up and pointed to his ring finger. He knew. The city knew. The Rams Super Bowl win was officially in the books. It was the first time a Los Angeles-based Rams team had ever won the title (the 1999 win was in St. Louis).
What We Can Learn From the Rams' Victory
If you're looking for the "secret sauce" behind this win, it isn't just "trading picks." It's about windows. Sean McVay and GM Les Snead recognized a specific window of time where their core players—Donald, Stafford, Kupp, Ramsey—were at their absolute peak.
They didn't care about 2025. They cared about that Sunday in February.
- Bold moves require trust: You don't trade for a veteran QB unless you trust your coach to integrate him in one season.
- Star power matters in the 4th quarter: When the scheme breaks down, you need a Cooper Kupp or an Aaron Donald to just be better than the guy across from them.
- Depth is a luxury, but stars are a necessity: The Rams had a "stars and scrubs" roster. In the Super Bowl, the stars won out.
How to Apply the Rams' "All-In" Mentality
You don't have to be an NFL GM to use this logic. Whether you're running a business or planning a career move, sometimes you have to stop playing it safe.
- Identify your "Super Bowl" year. Is there a project or a goal that deserves 100% of your resources right now?
- Trade the "future" for the "now." Sometimes saving for a rainy day means you miss the sunshine. If you have the talent to win today, use your assets to make it happen.
- Trust your "closers." Identify who the "Aaron Donalds" are in your life or business. When things get chaotic, these are the people you rely on to finish the job.
The Rams haven't reached those heights since, mostly because the bill for all those trades eventually came due. But ask any Rams fan in the SoFi stands that night—it was worth every single penny.
Next Steps: To understand how the league changed after this, you should look into the "McVay Coaching Tree." Many of the assistants on that Super Bowl staff, like Zac Taylor and Kevin O'Connell, are now leading their own teams, proving that the Rams' impact went way beyond just one trophy.