Los Angeles Rams vs Cincinnati Bengals, Super Bowl 56: 3 keys to victory for the Rams

The Los Angeles Rams are the in midst of Super Bowl week! GIVE ME A WOOOOOOO!

While the two week prep work for Super Bowl 56 is completed, I bring you a bonus edition of the Los Angeles Rams Roster Overview. Why? 1) Because the Rams are in the Super Bowl and 2) I bleed royal and sol.

While I won’t be able to give you another Roster Overview until after the game, I wanted to highlight the previous 21 weeks; accumulating my grades given to players/positions in comparison to PFF + eye test. In addition, I wanted to give a few of my keys to Super Bowl 56 (that hopefully result in a Rams win).

My Keys to Super Bowl 56:

1. Rams DBs (coverage + tackling) vs. Bengals WRs

The Rams defensive backs will need to cut down on the amount of yards after catch that the Bengals wide receivers are accustomed to accumulating. Darious Williams and David Long Jr have to be very strong in this area if the Bengals avoid Jalen Ramsey. Nick Scott and Eric Weddle have played well as tandem safeties. Will Terrell Burgess or Taylor Rapp see the field as the third safety for dime packages?

Either way, tackling is the biggest contribution they can provide.

Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey / USA TODAY NETWORK

2. McVay’s commitment to a run game

McVay needs to resist the urge to make this about Joe Burrow and Matthew Stafford going head-to-head. Let Cam Akers and Sony Michel wear down the Bengals front seven and force that defense to creep up to the line of scrimmage.

3. Stafford vs. Bengals drop 7/drop 8 + McVay’s game plan vs. Bengals DC

At the end of the day, the Bengals will use a “drop 7/drop 8” game plan at some point in the game. Stafford just needs to take what the defense gives him. If that is a short pass for six yards - so be it. Wide receiver and tight end screens, slants, and underneath routes seem like a wise way to go early to ease Stafford into action for the Super Bowl and against this defense.

Super Bowl Prediction:

Rams 27, Bengals 18

Super Bowl MVP Prediction:

Cooper Kupp

Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Cumulative weekly grades received by each position over all 20 games

Underneath are the current PFF grades for each key player...

*most common grade

QB: A+ (2), *A (3), A- (2), *B+ (3), B (2), B- (1), C+ (2), C (0), C- (1), D+ (2), D (1), D- (1), F (0)

Matthew Stafford: 85.1

RBs: A+ (1), A (2), A- (2), B+ (1), B (5), *B- (6), C+ (0), C (0), C- (2), D+ (0), D (0), D- (1), F (0)

Cam Akers: 43.9, Sony Michel: 63.8

WRs: A+ (0), *A (5), A- (3), *B+ (5), B (3), B- (1), C+ (0), C (2), C- (0), D+ (1), D (0), D- (0), F (0)

Cooper Kupp: 92.8, Beckham Jr: 73.9, Jefferson: 59.0, Skowronek: 56.3

TE: A+ (0), A (1), A- (0), B+ (0), B (3), B- (4), *C+ (5), C (3), C- (1), D+ (0), D (0), D- (1), F (2)

Tyler Higbee: 69.1, Kendall Blanton: 52.5

OL: A+ (0), A (2), A- (3), *B+ (6), B (2), B- (1), C+ (3), C (0), C- (1), D+ (1), D (0), D- (1), F (0)

Andrew Whitworth: 85.7, David Edwards: 67.3, Brian Allen: 76.2, Austin Corbett: 68.8, Rob Havenstein: 84.7

DL: A+ (1), A (3), A- (3), *B+ (6), B (1), B- (4), C+ (0), C (0), C- (1), D+ (1), D (0), D- (0), F (0)

Aaron Donald: 93.5, A’Shawn Robinson: 75.3, Greg Gaines: 67.4, Marquise Copeland: 68.1

ILB: A+ (0), A (3), A- (1), B+ (0), B (1), *B- (5), C+ (2), C (2), C- (0), D+ (3), D (2), D- (0), F (1)

Ernest Jones: 59.2, Travin Howard: 82.6, Troy Reeder: 42.6

EDGE: A+ (1), A (0), A- (1), *B+ (5), *B (5), B- (1), C+ (3), C (2), C- (0), D+ (0), D (0), D- (1), F (0)

Von Miller: 90.4, Leonard Floyd: 70.7

CBs: A+ (0), A (0), A- (0), B+ (3), *B (5), B- (4), C+ (1), C (0), C- (3), D+ (0), D (2), D- (2), F (0)

Jalen Ramsey: 85.2, Darious Williams: 59.5, David Long Jr: 60.1, Dont’e Deayon: 68.0

S: A+ (0), A (0), A- (1), B+ (5), B (3), B- (1), C+ (1), C (1), *C- (6), D+ (0), D (1), D- (0), F (1)

Eric Weddle: 69.4, Nick Scott: 59.3

ST: A+ (1), A (3), A- (0), B+ (1), B (3), B- (1), C+ (1), C (2), *C- (5), D+ (1), D (0), D- (1), F (1)

Matt Gay: 81.9, Johnny Hekker: 65.0

McVay: A+ (0), *A (6), A- (2), B+ (4), B (2), B- (2), C+ (1), C (0), C- (0), D+ (0), D (0), D- (2), F (1)

Danielle Parhizkaran/NorthJersey / USA TODAY NETWORK