Spiderfan's Web of Football Super Bowl LVI Edition

[spiderfan]

Super Bowl, Sports Coast to Coast! I am Spiderfan, the official NFL Analyst of this great forum and today I bring you my thoughts on Super Bowl 56. Like last year, I will look at the game by looking back on my Top 5 storylines going into the game to see how they held up and how they ultimately applied to the game. Without further ado, let us begin!

5. ZAC TAYLOR vs. SEAN MCVAY
The last time the Rams made the Super Bowl was in 2018 and the QB coach was none other than Zac Taylor. The Rams Head Coach is still Sean McVay. I wonder how much of the Bengals offensive tendencies that McVay will prepare his defensive staff for.

Neither Taylor or McVay really outcoached one another. In fact, from a play calling standpoint both coaches made good calls and put their teams in the best position to win. My thought that the game might turn into the infamous Jon Gruden-Bill Callahan Super Bowl was wrong.

4. YOUNG TEAM vs. VETERAN TEAM
The Bengals are one of the youngest teams in the NFL and because of that are set up for long term success. Meanwhile, the Rams have mortgaged their future draft picks and salary cap space for veteran players, and therefore are more set up for present success. Which team building philosophy will win out and how will that effect the NFL going forward?

In back to back years, not only has the "home" team won the Super Bowl, but that "home" team was a team that went all in through free agency and trade and won a Super Bowl. The idea that you have to build through young players in the draft and through free agency and/or trade is officially an outdated philosophy at this point. If I'm a team such as the Chiefs or Bills, I try to do what I can to copy what the Buccaneers and now Rams have done, because obviously it works.

3. BENGALS WRs vs RAMS WRs
Ja'Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd are all very good WRs. Cooper Kupp, Odell Beckham Jr, and Van Jefferson are also very good WRs. Both units will get catches, what becomes key is whichever unit gets more yards after catch and avoids drops.

Well, Cooper Kupp won Super Bowl MVP, so that achievement alone would show that the Rams WR corps got the best of the Bengals WR corps, except that isn't the whole story. See, to start the game OBJ looked like HE would the Super Bowl MVP (and give Browns fans another reason for self loathing) because not only did he score the game's opening TD, but it was clear that the Bengals defense had no answer for him. The idea of him winning Super Bowl MVP was ended when OBJ injured his knee yet again, causing him to miss the majority of the game. It was up to Cooper Kupp and Van Jefferson to make plays. Jefferson played well and Kupp as previously mentioned won Super Bowl MVP (although the refs calling holding on 3rd and Goal setting up his eventual game winning TD catch was absurd and I hope this officiating crew is demoted next season).

The other thing was that the Rams defense kept Ja'Marr Chase in check. Chase made some catches, but he was not nearly as outfront and visible as he usually is. Tee Higgins was the victim of a missed holding call in the endzone that kept the Bengals from scoring a TD, and was the benefactor of arguably the worst missed call of the season (seriously the officiating was awful), a 75 yard TD catch that was the result of blatant offensive pass interference. And then there was Tyler Boyd, the leading receiver for the Bengals prior to Chase's arrival and who's catch against the Ravens to send the Bills to the playoffs years ago is still talked about. That same Tyler Boyd has not dropped a pass since 2020. Well, with a little over 6 minutes to go in the Super Bowl on 3rd down, he dropped a pass thrown to him in stride that would have resulted in a first down.

We'll never know how the game would have turned out if Boyd had caught that pass. Considering there was plenty of time left and the Rams D-line was giving the Bengals O-line problems by that point in the game, it is certainly possible that the Rams would have gotten the ball back and scored anyway. It is also possible that the Bengals would have scored some points and at least kept the game going.

Remember how I said it was key to get yards and after catch and avoid drops? As it would turn out the Rams WRs got more yards after catch and the Bengals had a key drop. I would say that take aged well.

2. RAMS RUNNING GAME VS. BENGALS RUNNING GAME
Joe Mixon is one of the best RBs in the NFL and is a dynamic weapon for the Bengals. Cam Akers is a so-so RB and the Rams are one of the worst rushing teams in the NFL. If one of the previously mentioned WR corps are unable to get things done, there will be more pressure on the run game. Whoever can make up the difference, will put their teams in much better position to win the game.

The Rams running game completely sucked and caused Rams HC Sean McVay to have come up with ways to get yards without an effective run game. You know your run game is bad when the biggest run of the game was by your star WR and not one of your RBs. The suckage of the Rams run game was neutralized by the Bengals taking the ball out of Joe Mixon's hands (who had the Bengals hung on to win had a case to be the MVP of the Super Bowl) and giving it to backup RB Samaje Perine in the last minute and a half. On the last play of the game for the Bengals, Burrow tried to throw it to Perine under duress and Perine didn't even make a play for the ball.

As it turned out the team with the better overall running game lost, although for a good chunk of the second half the Bengals were in better position to win the game than they otherwise would have been had Mixon not gotten it done.

1. RAMS D-LINE vs. BENGALS O-LINE
The Rams defensive line is headlined by 3 time DPOY winner Aaron Donald and Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller and has wrecked havoc throughout the regular and postseason. The Bengals O-line is a young unit that was though of as bad enough that the Bengals considered drafting Oregon (now Detroit Lions) tackle Penei Sewell instead of WR Ja'Marr Chase. Bengals QB Joe Burrow was the most sacked QB in the league, although in fairness to the Bengals O-line, Burrow is known to hold on to the ball longer than he probably should. Regardless, the perspective lines on the line of scrimmage are going to be something to watch more than usual, in fact it may very well be the deciding factor in the Super Bowl.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow was sacked 7 times (tying the Super Bowl record held by Roger Staubach) by the Rams, so you might think that the Rams defensive line dominated the game. Interestingly enough up until late in the 3rd quarter, the Bengals O-line had done an excellent job of protecting Burrow and had neutralized the Rams D-line for the most part. By the time the Rams D-line started to finally get in the Bengals backfield it was almost too late, key word being almost, because the Rams D-line, and especially Aaron Donald made the plays to seal the game for the Rams. If this is Aaron Donald's last game, it was memorable and a great way for him to ride into the sunset.


Congratulations to the Los Angeles Rams coaches, players, and fanbase for winning Super Bowl 56! I also want to congratulate Lions fans as well. Stafford might not have won it for you folks, but your support of his run with the Rams was genuinely one of the most heartwarming things I've ever seen out of a NFL fanbase. 

With the NFL season now over, I just want to thank Monika for her help with this column throughout the season. Your graphics work is very much appreciated, because I certainly couldn't do it and the column would be far worse without it. I also want to thank everyone for their continued comments throughout the year. Heidi, Jessica, Angi, and the big boss herself Kasey, you all get my thanks. At this point I couldn't picture a NFL season without doing this column and y'all letting me do it here is sincerely appreciated. Frankly, I wouldn't want to do it anywhere else. I hope you all enjoyed this season of Web of Football and I hope to see y'all again next season!

I will be sure to be around in the offseason and comment on various trades, free agent signings, and as always will contribute to our coverage of the NFL Draft. This is spiderfan out.