6 bold predictions for Bengals vs. Rams in Super Bowl LVI
By Aaron Burd
If the Rams win, Aaron Donald will be Super Bowl MVP
At the end of the Super Bowl, one player will be awarded the honor of the Most Valuable Player. Typically, this award is given to a player from the winning team. If the Rams get the better of the Bengals in this game, expect defensive tackle Aaron Donald to earn that title.
The biggest mismatch on the field in the Super Bowl will be the interior of the Bengals’ offensive line against Donald.
As a yearly frontrunner for Defensive Player of the Year, Donald may be the NFL’s best player, and he is relatively impossible to stop even for the best offensive lines in the league, which the Bengals’ line is clearly not.
Quinton Spain is a solid player for the Bengals’ line, but center Trey Hopkins and right guard Hakeem Adeniji (rotating with rookie Jackson Carman at the position) are unimpressive at best and a liability on most days. They will have the toughest task of their lives in trying to stop Donald from getting to Joe Burrow, and it may be one they are not up to.
That being said, Burrow has managed to win games this season with poor offensive line play. If Donald is in the young quarterback’s business all game, it would likely turn out badly for Cincinnati, but Burrow has been great at avoiding pressure at times, and with the biggest trophy in sports on the line, he will put everything on the line to make plays.
If the Bengals lose this game, it will likely be because Donald has a historic day. A win for the Rams would almost certainly mean that Donald wins Super Bowl MVP in what looks like it will be a defensive game.