It’s grit and star power with Cooper Kupp, Matthew Stafford, and Aaron Donald.
Cooper Kupp (photo, Slate)
Cooper Kupp, the Rams fifth-year receiver out of Eastern Washington University, brings attention to small-school talent hidden in full sight. Kupp earned NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) honors by scoring 73 career touchdowns, making 428 career receptions, and piling up 6,464 total yards–all ranked #1 in the FCS.
Cupp picked up in the pros right where he left off in college. In five years with the Rams, Kupp has amassed 5,517 yards receiving, scored 40 TDs, and caught 433 passes. And this past season was, in a word, spectacular. The Rams wideout finished the 2021 NFL season 1st in receiving yards (1,947), 1st in receptions (145), and 1st in touchdowns (16).
This Sunday Kupp gets a second shot at a Super Bowl championship. Cupp wasn’t on the active roster when the Rams played the Patriots in the 2019 Super Bowl (Pats won, 13-3) because he suffered a season-ending knee injury. He’s healthy now, so look for the all-pro wide receiver to have a big day against the Bengals.
Matt Stafford (photo, Daily Bulletin)
With almost 50,000 yards passing and over 300 touchdowns, Matthew Stafford is one of the NFL’s best–even though he languished for years as a Detroit Lion.
Now relocated with a championship contender, Stafford has the Rams on the brink of winning their second Lombardi Trophy. It would be a good (and fitting) way to cap off a stellar season (4,886 passing yards, 41 TDs, 17 INTs, and a 102.9 passer rating).
Aaron Donald (photo, SB Nation)
On the defensive side of the ball, the Rams are tenacious and persistent. The D is led by defensive tackle Aaron Donald, an eight-time pro-bowler and three-time defensive player of the year (2017, 2018, and 2020).
Donald will lead the charge against Bengals’ Joe Burrow, who wasn’t well protected by Cinncinnati’s O-line this year. Burrow was sacked a whopping 51 times in 2021.
My prediction? Rams 26, Bengals 24.
