Rams rally to beat Bengals for franchise’s second Super Bowl title

The Deseret News is providing live coverage from today’s Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, where the Los Angeles Rams face the Cincinnati Bengals.  

Four players with Utah ties will be playing: former Utes Eric Weddle, Matt Gay and Terrell Burgess for the Rams, and former Utah State Aggie Jalen Davis for the Bengals. 

Los Angeles watched a 10-point first-half lead go away, but the Rams found a way to rally to beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl LVI on Sunday night at SoFi Stadium.

A stifling pass defense and enough offensive fireworks helped Los Angeles rally to win, after taking the lead back with 1:25 to play on a Matthew Stafford-to-Cooper Kupp 1-yard touchdown pass.

On the ensuing possession, the Rams defense came up with a stop on fourth-and-1, as Aaron Donald pressured Joe Burrow into an incomplete pass to start the Los Angeles celebration.

Fourth quarter

Rams 23, Bengals 20

1:25 left to play

Los Angeles is back in front late, after going on a 15-play, 79-yard drive that ate 4:48 off the clock and was littered with penalties.

Matthew Stafford hit Cooper Kupp for a 1-yard touchdown pass to cap the drive, giving Los Angeles its first lead since early in the second half.

Bengals 20, Rams 16

11:29 left to play

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow hobbled off the field and appeared to twist his right knee on a third-down sack. How much that affects him and his availability to play is worth monitoring in the final quarter.

Third quarter

Bengals 20, Rams 16

End of third quarter

Los Angeles has picked up a bit more momentum after Cincinnati scored 10 points to start the third quarter, and we have ourselves a one-score game heading into the final quarter.

The Rams will be in Cincinnati territory facing a second-and-5 to start the final period.

Bengals 20, Rams 16

5:58 left in quarter

Matt Gay capped off a 10-play, 52-yard drive with a 41-yard field goal, and the Rams stop the Bengals’ scoring streak. Gay now has four points in the game.

For Los Angeles, it was a much-needed score to quell the momentum the Bengals have been building.

Bengals 20, Rams 13

10:15 left in quarter

Cincinnati has scored 17 straight points, after Evan McPherson hit a 38-yard field goal too give the Bengals a seven-point lead.

Matthew Stafford’s second interception of the game — coming off a tip — set Cincinnati up in favorable position before the drive stalled and the Bengals settled for three.

Bengals 17, Rams 13

14:48 left in quarter

Talk about storming out of the gate.

Cincinnati scored on the first play of the second half, as Joe Burrow threw long to Tee Higgins, and then Higgins ran the final 45 yards for a touchdown after defender Jalen Ramsey fell on the play.

One play, 75 yards, and the Bengals have their first lead.

Second quarter

Rams 13, Bengals 10

End of first half

It remains anyone’s game, as both teams have scored once in each quarter. The difference is that the Rams scored touchdowns in the first and second quarters, while the Bengals scored on a field goal and a touchdown.

Los Angeles has been more efficient offensively, putting up 184 total yards to 155 for Cincinnati. The Rams also have gone 4 of 8 on third downs, while the Bengals are 2 of 6.

Rams 13, Bengals 10

2:00 left in quarter

The first turnover of the game gives the Bengals the chance to take the lead, as Jessie Bates III intercepted Matthew Stafford in the end zone to stop a promising Rams possession that had reached the Cincinnati 43.

Rams 13, Bengals 10

5:47 left in quarter

We’ve got a little bit of trickeration, as Bengals running back Joe Mixon took a pitch and then threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Tee Higgins, and it’s a one-possession game again.

Cincinnati had a nice answer to the last Los Angeles touchdown, going 75 yards in 12 plays for the score.

Rams 13, Bengals 3

12:51 left in quarter

Los Angeles is up two scores now, after Matthew Stafford led a six-play, 75-yard scoring drive capped by an 11-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp. Stafford completed 3 of 4 passes on the drive for 71 yards.

Even with a botched extra-point attempt, it’s a 10-point game.

First quarter

Rams 7, Bengals 3

End of quarter

Los Angeles has the advantage early, turning its one scoring possession into a touchdown, while Cincinnati scored on a field goal. The Bengals, though, have the edge in total yards, 74-63, after a quarter largely dominated by the defenses.

Rams 7, Bengals 3

0:28 left in quarter

Cincinnati gets on the board with a 29-yard field goal from Evan McPherson just before the first quarter ends. That came after Ja’Marr Chase made an impressive diving 46-yard catch to get the Bengals into the red zone.

Rams 7, Bengals 0

6:22 left in quarter

Los Angeles strikes first, capitalizing on solid field position after stopping Cincinnati on fourth down. Odell Beckham Jr. catches a 17-yard touchdown pass from Matthew Stafford to cap a six-play, 50-yard drive, and the Rams are up 7-0, with former Utah kicker Matt Gay providing the extra point.

Bengals 0, Rams 0

9:57 left in quarter

Both teams failed to score on their opening possessions, though Los Angeles is in favorable position at its own 49 to start its second possession after stopping the Bengals on a fourth-and-1 attempt.

A look at the pregame scenes

Pregame prep

Here are a few stories highlighting the Utah connections to this year’s Super Bowl: