CHEDDAR BAY SUPER BOWL: Rams (-4) vs Bengals
Oh boy, we enter the final game with a tie at the top. And 5 of the 6 playoff participants still have a shot at Cheddar glory!!!
Standings:
Ben (140)
Nick Harlow (140)
CapGG (139)
Thatsfine (127.5)
AmplifiedEsq (119)
Teddycuddles (100)
Scoring:
Give us an essay. It's worth 25 points. Email no later than 5:30PM Sunday. Best of luck to all.
Oh boy! 1 point separates the top 3. 2 others still within striking distance. And a trap number up on the board.
ReplyDeleteGreat season, everyone! Good luck on Sunday!
And 1 last time, thanks to the EC for running this contest. You all did a great job! It was great to be back!
Good season all!
ReplyDeleteCAPGG
ReplyDeleteEssay: Rams -4 v. Bengals
My reasoning doesn't really matter here. I just have to guess that both guys above me in the standings won't both go the exact same way I am. With that said, and as Butch Davis famously opined, I'm folllowing my gut.
I'm on the Rams here. Their offense is higher rated than the Bengals. Their defense is higher rated than the Bengals defense. The Rams best position is the defensive line which happens to go against the Bengals biggest weakness on the offensive line. Considering the amount of pressure Burrow has been under in the playoffs, playing an even better defense isn't great for Joey B and the boys. Another big problem for the Bengals is that Ja'Marr Chase has only really been shut down 1 time this year and that was because the team they were playing had a top-tier CB and a pass rush that prevented out-of-structure plays from developing. That top CB was Denzel Ward of the Browns. Rams have their own tier 1 CB in Jalen Ramsey and the aforementioned pass rush featuring Aaron Donald and Von Miller.
And the Rams get to play a home game. That means they don't have to acclimate to the weather differences between frigid Ohio and a Southern Cali heatwave. And to top it off, it's not like the Rams are heading down to San Diego. Nope, they get to play the Super Bowl in their home stadium. So the Rams don't have the "big city" distractions because they are in their own homes. They don't have to worry about weather because they get to workout in the perfect conditions of their home facility.
And this Rams' coaching staff has been to a Super Bowl before back in 2019. Having been there before is a big advantage. The Super Bowl game is different. Pregame festivities are longer. Half-time is twice as long. So there is an experience factor, but also the student-teacher thing going on between Sean McVay and Zach Taylor (who I believe is an awful coach, despite lucking into Joe Burrow and this situation) as Taylor coached under McVay with the Rams.
All the advantages say Rams. The only thing the Bengals really have going for them is Joey B. who I will admit gives me pause in this game. But much like Pat Mahomes and the Chiefs looked unstoppable hit a buzzsaw in the Bucs defense in last year's Big Game. I think that pretty much will happen again as the more explosive offense does what they do and the Bengals' Cinderella run stops. Sorry to my Bengal fan friends, but you had a better than expected year and I can retire the "Browns have 2 more playoff wins since your last playoff win" jokes.
Happy Super Bowl, everyone! Have a safe offseason and I'll see you all again in September when our favorite season returns.
AmplifiedEsq
ReplyDeleteBengals +4 vs. Rams.
Another playoff appearance and another non championship season for me. Unless somehow everyone above me takes the Rams and the Bengals can pull this off.
The talk radio I've listened to this week is basically toeing the fine line of please keep listening to us throughout the week, but the Rams should win this game no problem. That outcome would not surprise me one bit. But I also won't be surprised when this Bengals team manages to either keep this game close or make it close too little to late.
I personally love the different approach taken by both teams to get to where they are today. The Rams will trade a first rounder for anyone that can get them a win now, while the Bengals have been drafting well with other smart additions. It gives me hope that somehow, someday, the Browns can stumble into one of these Super Bowls.
For this particular game I'm looking at Tee Higgins being the difference maker for the Bengals on offense. Whether or not Chase gets the shadow treatment by Ramsey, he's going to have to be a large focus of the secondary. Burrow and Higgins have had quite a connection in their time together as well, and Higgins is going to get the opportunity to make some one on one plays throughout this game. I think he'll make the most of them.
As for the defensive side, I think the Bengals would be wise to frustrate OBJ early and often. Stafford seems bound to throw an interception, and targeting a frustrated OBJ is a great way to expedite the process. While he's seemed all in on his Rams run, there have been multiple routes where Stafford has targeted him that have led to an interception, a few of which were OBJ not playing the whole play out.
Ultimately, until the Browns are in the Super Bowl, this game is about the commercials and halftime show for me. I'll hope for at least an entertaining game going on in the background which means the Bengals keep it within 4.
Thanks to the executive committee and all the competitors for another fun season and hope to get a chance to bring home a championship next year.
Thatsfine
ReplyDeleteBengals
Well, I'm in fourth place so I highly doubt there's any chance I lay in the spirit but I'll go ahead and pick the bengals, hanging with the drip of Joe Burr who looks like a star, and looks like nothing bothers him. I saw the suit he wore and it was 85°, of course he wore that suit. Bringing glory to Southeast ohio, basically a glory to every part of Ohio except for cleveland. Go Bengals today