The risk paid off: The Los Angeles Rams lived up to their role as favorites in the Super Bowl and defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23:20 in the NFL finals. “I’m so proud of this team. There are so many great players on this team,” said Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford in the rain of confetti.
Stafford was one of several high-profile signings that paved the way for the Rams to the Vince Lombardi Trophy. In the end, the stars also made the difference. Stafford, who had previously pursued success with Detroit for eleven seasons, managed the same feat as Tom Brady did last year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The 34-year-old won the Super Bowl in his first year with a new team at his home stadium. He threw three touchdown passes, the first to mid-season acquisition Odell Beckham Jr., who cried tears of joy after the game despite retiring with a knee injury. The other two were received by Cooper Kupp, who was awarded the Most Valuable Player award. Aaron Donald sealed the triumph by stopping the Bengals’ last attack. “I wanted it so badly,” said the best defender of his generation.
Like Stafford, the 29-year-old was at the goal of his dreams – although the quarterback probably classified the victory differently: Two years ago, his wife Kelly was diagnosed with a brain tumor that was successfully operated on. Passport recipient Van Jefferson wasn’t just thinking about the party either: Immediately after the award ceremony, he went to the hospital – his wife Samaria went into labor in the stands, and immediately after winning the Super Bowl, the 25-year-old became a father for the third time .
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Youngest Super Bowl coach
Two years ago, the Rams lost to the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. Coach Sean McVay drew the right conclusions – and at 36 he is now the youngest head coach in Super Bowl history with a title. The aggressive transfer policy ran completely contrary to other NFL customs: Picks are usually considered the greatest asset when selecting the best college players. The Rams exchanged this for elite experts. Therefore, at the end of April, when the talents are distributed to the 32 teams, it is their turn only when more than 100 of the best players have already been taken. Therefore it will be a challenge to keep the level.
The defeated Bengals, on the other hand, are on the way up. “Of course it hurts, but we’ve had a great year,” said quarterback Joe Burrow. “We still have something to celebrate.” If development continues, the 25-year-old should get more chances for a Super Bowl ring.
Source: Nachrichten
