Los Angeles Rams vs Cincinnati Bengals, Super Bowl 2021
Los Angeles Rams
Won Super Bowl
23
Cincinnati Bengals
20
| Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 7 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 23 |
| Bengals | 3 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
LAR 23CIN 20 Final
Passing leader
21.9PPR pts
26/40, 283 YDS, 3 TD, 2 INT
Top fantasy scorer
29.9PPR pts
8 REC, 92 YDS, 2 TD
Bengals leader
26.0PPR pts
4 REC, 100 YDS, 2 TD
Defensive playmaker
Jessie Bates III
1 INT, 6 TKL
Rams 23, Bengals 20: Los Angeles rallies in the fourth quarter of the 2021 Super Bowl
Los Angeles led 13–10 at halftime to win 23–20. The Rams finished with a narrow 313–305 edge in total offense.
The Bengals went 3-for-14 on third down.
Key advantages
- +8 total yards LAR 313 · CIN 305
- +19% third-down rate LAR 40% · CIN 21%
- +1:34 time of possession LAR 30:47 · CIN 29:13
Game Highlights
Official NFL highlights · Opens from YouTube
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Why the Rams Won
Los Angeles won the third-down and time of possession battles.
| Rams | Stat | Bengals |
|---|---|---|
| 313 | Total yards | 305 |
| 40% | Third-down conversion | 21% |
| 30:47 | Time of possession | 29:13 |
| Other team stats | ||
| 4.7 | Yards per play | 5.0 |
| 66 | Plays | 61 |
| 2 | Turnovers | 0 |
Scoring Summary
The Rams scored three touchdowns and one field goal; the Bengals scored two touchdowns and two field goals.
| Time | Team | Play | LAR | CIN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st quarter | ||||
| 6:22 | LAR | Matthew Stafford → Odell Beckham Jr., 17-yard TD Takes leadMatt Gay XP | 7 | 0 |
| 0:28 | CIN | Evan McPherson 29-yard FG | 7 | 3 |
| 2nd quarter | ||||
| 12:51 | LAR | Matthew Stafford → Cooper Kupp, 11-yard TD Extends lead2-pt try failed | 13 | 3 |
| 5:47 | CIN | Joe Mixon → Tee Higgins, 6-yard TDEvan McPherson XP | 13 | 10 |
| 3rd quarter | ||||
| 14:48 | CIN | Joe Burrow → Tee Higgins, 75-yard TD Takes leadEvan McPherson XP | 13 | 17 |
| 10:15 | CIN | Evan McPherson 38-yard FG Extends lead | 13 | 20 |
| 5:58 | LAR | Matt Gay 41-yard FG | 16 | 20 |
| 4th quarter | ||||
| 1:25 | LAR | Matthew Stafford → Cooper Kupp, 1-yard TD Game winnerMatt Gay XP | 23 | 20 |
Playoff game: these points don't count in most season-long fantasy leagues.
Fantasy Points vs Expected
Expected points (xFP) are what a player's pass attempts, carries and targets are worth at the league's average rates; the difference is what the player made of them.
- Biggest overperformer+14.2Tee Higgins26.0 PTS vs 11.8 xFP
- Biggest underperformer−8.6Cam Akers6.5 PTS vs 15.1 xFP
- Highest expected volume21.2 xFPMatthew Stafford21.9 PTS scored
| Player | PTS | xFP | vs xFP | Snap% | Usage | Rte% | Pass att | Car | Car% | Tgt | Tgt% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew StaffordLAR · QB | 21.9 | 21.2 | +0.7 | — | 40 att | — | 40 | 3 | 13% | 1 | 3% |
| Joe MixonCIN · RB | 16.5 | 20.2 | −3.7 | — | 75% car | — | 1 | 15 | 75% | 6 | 18% |
| Cooper KuppLAR · WR | 29.9 | 17.9 | +12.0 | — | 25% tgt | — | 1 | 1 | 4% | 10 | 25% |
| Joe BurrowCIN · QB | 14.8 | 15.8 | −1.0 | — | 33 att | — | 33 | 2 | 10% | 0 | 0% |
| Cam AkersLAR · RB | 6.5 | 15.1 | −8.6 | — | 57% car | — | 0 | 13 | 57% | 4 | 10% |
| Ja'Marr ChaseCIN · WR | 14.3 | 14.1 | +0.2 | — | 24% tgt | — | 0 | 1 | 5% | 8 | 24% |
| Van JeffersonLAR · WR | 6.3 | 13.5 | −7.2 | — | 20% tgt | — | 0 | 0 | 0% | 8 | 20% |
| Tee HigginsCIN · WR | 26.0 | 11.8 | +14.2 | — | 21% tgt | — | 0 | 0 | 0% | 7 | 21% |
| Darrell Henderson Jr.LAR · RB | 8.0 | 11.0 | −3.0 | — | 17% car | — | 0 | 4 | 17% | 5 | 13% |
| Tyler BoydCIN · WR | 9.8 | 10.1 | −0.3 | — | 18% tgt | — | 0 | 0 | 0% | 6 | 18% |
| Ben SkowronekLAR · WR | 3.2 | 8.4 | −5.2 | — | 13% tgt | — | 0 | 0 | 0% | 5 | 13% |
| Brycen HopkinsLAR · TE | 8.7 | 6.7 | +2.0 | — | 10% tgt | — | 0 | 0 | 0% | 4 | 10% |
| Odell Beckham Jr.LAR · WR | 13.2 | 5.1 | +8.1 | — | 8% tgt | — | 0 | 0 | 0% | 3 | 8% |
| C.J. UzomahCIN · TE | 3.1 | 3.4 | −0.3 | — | 6% tgt | — | 0 | 0 | 0% | 2 | 6% |
| Chris EvansCIN · RB | 1.3 | 3.4 | −2.1 | — | 6% tgt | — | 0 | 0 | 0% | 2 | 6% |
| Samaje PerineCIN · RB | 0.0 | 3.0 | −3.0 | — | 10% car | — | 0 | 2 | 10% | 1 | 3% |
| Mike ThomasCIN · WR | 2.7 | 1.7 | +1.0 | — | 3% tgt | — | 0 | 0 | 0% | 1 | 3% |
| Sony MichelLAR · RB | 0.2 | 1.3 | −1.1 | — | 9% car | — | 0 | 2 | 9% | 0 | 0% |
Team totals: Rams 40 targets and 23 carries; Bengals 33 targets and 20 carries. Shares are from the box score. Snap counts aren't available for this game. Route counts, air yards and red-zone touches appear when the tracking feed is connected. League-average rates from the 2021 season: 1.68 PPR points per target (67% catch rate), 0.64 per carry and 0.44 per pass attempt. They don't adjust for field position or target depth.
Fantasy Verdicts
Matthew Stafford
26 of 40 passing for 283 yards, 3 touchdowns, 2 interceptions; 1 target (3% of the team's), 0 catches for 0 yards; 3 carries for 6 yards.
Verdict: The points matched the role, 21.2 expected.
Best score since Week 14.
Joe Burrow
22 of 33 passing for 263 yards, 1 touchdown; 2 carries for 3 yards.
Verdict: The points matched the role, 15.8 expected.
Cooper Kupp Ran hot
0 of 1 passing for 0 yards; 10 targets (25% of the team's), 8 catches for 92 yards and 2 touchdowns; 1 carry (4% of the team's) for 7 yards.
Verdict: The opportunities were worth 17.9 points; the touchdowns supplied the rest, and they are the part least likely to repeat.
Best score since Week 15. A touchdown in 6 of the last 8 games.
Cam Akers Unlucky
4 targets (10% of the team's), 3 catches for 14 yards; 13 carries (57% of the team's) for 21 yards.
Verdict: The role was there, worth 15.1 points at league-average rates; the production wasn't.
Trend: Season high in carries (13).
Joe Mixon Volume, no payoff
1 of 1 passing for 6 yards, 1 touchdown; 6 targets (18% of the team's), 5 catches for 1 yard; 15 carries (75% of the team's) for 72 yards.
Verdict: The points matched the role, 20.2 expected.
Ja'Marr Chase
8 targets (24% of the team's), 5 catches for 89 yards; 1 carry (5% of the team's) for 4 yards.
Verdict: The points matched the role, 14.1 expected.
Van Jefferson Unlucky
8 targets (20% of the team's), 4 catches for 23 yards.
Verdict: The role was there, worth 13.5 points at league-average rates; the production wasn't.
Tee Higgins Ran hot
7 targets (21% of the team's), 4 catches for 100 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Verdict: The opportunities were worth 11.8 points; the touchdowns supplied the rest, and they are the part least likely to repeat.
Fantasy Matchups
Fantasy points allowed per game by position, 2021 through Week 18.
| Points allowed to | Rams D | Bengals D |
|---|---|---|
| QBs | 16.0 | 16.0 |
| RBs | 20.9 | 24.5 |
| WRs | 36.5 | 31.7 |
| TEs | 11.9 | 14.7 |
Regular season, summed from each game's box score and scored with this page's rules.
How the Game Swung
Cincinnati opened at 37% win probability, climbed as high as 97%, then lost.
Bengals win probability
Key Swings
- −19Stafford → Beckham, 17-yd TD38% → 19%Q1 6:22
- −14Stafford → Kupp, 11-yd TD26% → 12%Q2 12:51
- +18Mixon → Higgins, 6-yd TD11% → 29%Q2 5:47
- +28Burrow → Higgins, 75-yd TD29% → 57%Q3 14:48
- −90Stafford → Kupp, 1-yd TD97% → 7%Q4 1:25
Swing in Bengals win probability, in points
Play Calling and Possessions
| Los Angeles Rams | Measure | Cincinnati Bengals |
|---|---|---|
| 66 | Plays | 61 |
| 65% | Pass rate | 67% |
| 6.3 | Yds / dropback | 5.5 |
| 1.9 | Yds / carry | 4.0 |
| 6/15 | Third downs | 3/14 |
Efficiency edge Los Angeles ran 5 more plays and gained 0.8 more yards per dropback.
- Top targets
- LAR Kupp 25% · Jefferson 20% · Skowronek 13%
- CIN Chase 24% · Higgins 21% · Mixon 18%
Possession Results
| Result | LAR | CIN |
|---|---|---|
| Touchdowns | 3 | 2 |
| Field goals | 1 | 2 |
| Punts | 6 | 6 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Turnovers on downs | 0 | 2 |
CIN turnover edge: +2
- The Rams opened the scoring on their second possession, a 6-play, 50-yard drive that ended in a touchdown.
- The Rams drained the clock with two second-half drives of four to five minutes.
All 26 possessions, drive by drive
| Team | Start | Plays | Yards | Time | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAR | Q1 15:00 | 5 | 1 | 3:06 | Punt |
| CIN | Q1 11:54 | 4 | 9 | 1:57 | Downs |
| LAR | Q1 9:57 | 6 | 50 | 3:35 | Touchdown |
| CIN | Q1 6:22 | 3 | 6 | 1:34 | Punt |
| LAR | Q1 4:48 | 3 | 7 | 2:39 | Punt |
| CIN | Q1 2:09 | 6 | 59 | 1:41 | Field goal |
| LAR | Q1 0:28 | 6 | 75 | 2:37 | Touchdown |
| CIN | Q2 12:51 | 12 | 75 | 7:04 | Touchdown |
| LAR | Q2 5:47 | 8 | 32 | 3:47 | Interception |
| CIN | Q2 2:00 | 5 | 7 | 1:30 | Punt |
| LAR | Q2 0:30 | 3 | 9 | 0:26 | Punt |
| CIN | Q2 0:04 | 1 | -1 | 0:04 | End of half |
| CIN | Q3 15:00 | 1 | 75 | 0:12 | Touchdown |
| LAR | Q3 14:48 | 1 | 0 | 0:10 | Interception |
| CIN | Q3 14:38 | 8 | 11 | 4:23 | Field goal |
| LAR | Q3 10:15 | 10 | 52 | 4:17 | Field goal |
| CIN | Q3 5:58 | 3 | -3 | 1:30 | Punt |
| LAR | Q3 4:28 | 3 | -3 | 1:41 | Punt |
| CIN | Q3 2:47 | 3 | 5 | 2:11 | Punt |
| LAR | Q3 0:36 | 3 | 3 | 1:31 | Punt |
| CIN | Q4 14:05 | 5 | -2 | 2:36 | Punt |
| LAR | Q4 11:29 | 3 | 6 | 1:31 | Punt |
| CIN | Q4 9:58 | 7 | 24 | 3:45 | Punt |
| LAR | Q4 6:13 | 15 | 79 | 4:48 | Touchdown |
| CIN | Q4 1:25 | 5 | 26 | 0:46 | Downs |
| LAR | Q4 0:39 | 1 | -1 | 0:39 | End of game |
About these numbers
Possessions that ended with the clock running out at the half or the end of the game aren't counted.
Personnel groupings, average depth of target and pass rate over expected appear when the tracking feed is connected.
Rams vs Bengals Head-to-Head
The Rams and Bengals first met in 1972 and have played 16 times since.
- All-time series
- 9–7Bengals lead, 16 meetings since 1972
- Postseason
- 1–0Rams won in 2021
- Largest Rams win
- 38–101999
- Largest Bengals win
- 31–72015
Since 2021
1–1 Series tied
2 meetings since the 2021 season, regular season and playoffs.
Oldest to newest. R = Rams win, B = Bengals win, outlined = this game.
Recent Meetings
- 2023 Wk 3 Rams at Bengals, 2023 Wk 3 recap CIN 19 LAR 16 CIN W
- 2021 Super Bowl Rams vs Bengals LAR 23 CIN 20 LAR W
Season to Date (Through Week 18)
The 2021 regular season, from each game's box score.
| Rams | Stat | Bengals |
|---|---|---|
| 12-5 | Record | 10-7 |
| 27.1 | Points per game | 27.1 |
| 372.1 | Yards per game | 361.5 |
| 6.0 | Yards per play | 5.9 |
| 21.9 | Points allowed per game | 22.1 |
| 344.9 | Yards allowed per game | 350.8 |
Rams vs Bengals Odds and Results
How this game finished against the betting lines.
- Spread
- LAR −4.5Rams failed to cover by 1.5
- Total
- 48.5Under: 43 points scored (by 5.5)
Expected vs Actual Scoring
| Team | Implied | Actual | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 26.5 | 23 | −3.5 |
| Bengals | 22.0 | 20 | −2.0 |
Both offenses finished under the market's expectation, which matches the low fantasy output in the Fantasy tab.
Betting Trends
Each team's 2021 season through this game. Over/under is overs first.
Los Angeles Rams
- Against the spread
- 10–11
- Over/under
- 10–10–1
- ATS as favorite
- 7–11
- ATS as underdog
- 3–0
- ATS on the road
- 5–6
Cincinnati Bengals
- Against the spread
- 14–7
- Over/under
- 8–12–1
- ATS as favorite
- 5–4
- ATS as underdog
- 9–3
- ATS at home
- 6–5
Lines: ESPN's consensus, captured at kickoff. Individual sportsbooks varied.
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Rams and Bengals in Fantasy
The two teams don't meet again this season. If you roster a Ram or a Bengal, these answer the week-to-week question.
- Start/Sit ToolShould your Rams or Bengals player start this week? Compare the decision against your other options.
- Fantasy Football ProjectionsSee the latest weekly and rest-of-season projections for Rams and Bengals players.
- Fantasy Points Allowed by PositionHow the Rams and Bengals defenses have treated QBs, RBs, WRs and TEs.
- Strength of ScheduleWhere each team's remaining games fall in your fantasy playoff run.
- Redraft CommandConnect your league for personalized lineup, trade and roster advice.
Keep Exploring
2021 Game Logs for Players in This Game
Rams vs Bengals Game FAQ
Who won the 2021 Rams vs Bengals Super Bowl game?
The Los Angeles Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23–20 in Super Bowl LVI. The game was played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA, on February 13, 2022. See the Rams' 2021 schedule.
What was the final score of Rams vs Bengals?
The final score was Rams 23, Bengals 20. The Rams led 13–10 at halftime, and the second half went Rams 10, Bengals 10.
What happened in the Rams vs Bengals game?
Los Angeles led 13–10 at halftime to win 23–20. The Rams finished with a narrow 313–305 edge in total offense. The Rams committed 2 turnovers, the Bengals none.
What was the game-winning score in Rams vs Bengals?
Matthew Stafford's 1-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp with 1:25 left in the fourth quarter gave the Rams a 23–20 lead they never gave up. It was the final score of the game.
How did the Rams come back to beat the Bengals?
The Rams' chances of winning fell as low as 3% in the fourth quarter. Matthew Stafford's 1-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp in the fourth quarter was the biggest swing of the game. Matthew Stafford's 1-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp then put them ahead for good.
Which team won the turnover battle in Rams vs Bengals?
The Bengals won the turnover battle 2–0: the Rams gave the ball away 2 times and the Bengals not at all. The Rams won the game anyway.
What was the turning point of Rams vs Bengals?
Matthew Stafford's 1-yard touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp with 1:25 left in the fourth quarter was the biggest swing of the game, moving the Bengals' win probability from 97% to 7%.
What is the all-time Rams vs Bengals record?
The Bengals lead the all-time series 9–7 across 16 meetings since 1972, including a 0–1 record in the postseason.
When did the Rams and Bengals last play before this game?
Before the 2021 Super Bowl round, they last met in the 2019 season on October 27, 2019, when the Rams beat the Bengals 24–10.
Have the Rams and Bengals met in the playoffs?
Yes, 1 time, most recently in the 2021 playoffs. The Rams are 1–0 against the Bengals in the postseason.
What is the Rams vs Bengals record since 2021?
The series is tied 1–1 across 2 meetings since the 2021 season, including this game.
What was the closing spread for Rams vs Bengals?
The consensus closing spread at kickoff was Rams −4.5, making the Los Angeles Rams 4.5-point favorites, with a closing total of 48.5. That implied about 26.5 points for the Rams and 22.0 for the Bengals.
Did Rams vs Bengals go over or under the total?
The game went under. The consensus closing total was 48.5, and the teams combined for 43 points, 5.5 under the number.
Who covered the spread in Rams vs Bengals?
The Bengals covered as 4.5-point underdogs against the closing line of Rams −4.5. The final margin was 3 points.