As the Los Angeles Rams get ready for Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals, it’s a good moment to look back on who their MVP has been this season. If you browsed through a website for betting on NFL in the early start of the season, you wouldn’t have seen the Rams near the favorites.
So, how did they arrive to the big game, defeating the current Super Bowl winners Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the way? Which of their players have produced the greatest amount of special moments that have taken them to the biggest game of the season against the Bengals?
Matthew Stafford
The high level of performance from the Rams’ QB this season can be seen in the way that he is the clear favorite in the betting for the Super Bowl MVP award. Stafford only joined the Rams in 2021, having been with the Detroit Lions since being picked by them in the 2009 NFL draft. His form in 2021 has seen him ranked as possibly the best signing of the season.
February 13 at the SoFi Stadium will mark the first time that Stafford has played in a Super Bowl. Part of the reason for asking for the trade that led to his switch to the Rams in exchange for three picks is said to have been his desire to play for a championship-challenging team.
Even before joining the Rams, Stafford had put together an impressive career with a number of NFL records to his name, as he quickly overtook several important passing records. However, he seemed to move up another level in the current season, setting a career-best passer rating of 156.1 in his debut game against the Chicago Bears on week 1.
Some of his notable performances after that include throwing 343 yards and four touchdowns against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and then 365 yards against the Seattle Seahawks. Over the Rams’ 12-5 season, Stafford threw a total of 4,886 yards and 41 touchdowns.
He set new franchise records in areas like pass completions and passing yards, but also led the NFL with 17 interceptions. Going in the playoffs, Stafford got his first-ever postseason win when the Rams beat the Arizona Cardinals and he scored a rushing TD as well as throwing for 202 yards and a couple of touchdowns.
The Divisional Round game against the Buccaneers ended 30-27, with Stafford throwing for 366 yards and two touchdowns while adding a rushing touchdown. In the NFC Championship game, the QB had to lead a comeback from 7-17, to eventually win 20-17.
Cooper Kupp?
Cooper Kupp is the main rival to Stafford for the MVP award in the 2021 season. His huge influence on the Rams’ successful season is seen in the fact that he is listed as third favorite to win the Super Bowl MVP, behind only the two QBs.
Kupp joined the LA team in the 2017 draft and the wide receiver has become a valuable member of the team. 2021 saw him produce one of the best seasons ever recorded in the NFL. He started in fine fashion, collecting 25 receptions for 367 yards and five touchdowns in the first three games of the season.
He carried on with his sizzling form the rest of the season, posting hugely productive figures virtually every week. The season ended with Kupp now owning a variety of franchise receiving records and it was no surprise to see him receive Pro Bowl honors.
His 145 receptions with a total of 1,947 receiving and 16 TDs help us to understand why the Rams have had such a good season. The great figures continued into the postseason, as Kupp became the first receiver to ever collect more than 2.000 yards in total during the regular season and postseason. He also broke the NFL record for most yards from scrimmage, with 1,965.
The wild card game against the Cardinals saw him rack up five receptions with 61 yards and a touchdown. In the next game, he got nine receptions and a touchdown with 183 yards. In the NFC Championship game against the 49ers, the wide receiver got a couple of touchdowns with 11 receptions and 142 receiving yards.
Will the Rams Win the Super Bowl
SoFi Stadium is the setting for the Super Bowl 2022, which means the Rams have home field advantage. They are looking for their second Super Bowl victory, while the Cincinnati Bengals are hoping to win it for the very first time in their history.
Neither of these teams was among the favorites at the start of the season but now that the competition has been whittled down to just the two of them, the Rams are widely regarded as favorites to win it.
The presence of stars like Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp is one of the main reasons why so many people now think that the team from LA will emerge victorious on February 13. If they both manage to continue their good form from the 2021 season, it’s going to be difficult for the Bengals to stop them.