Feb 13, 2022
Battle in the trenches could decide Super Bowl LVI
Despite the success that Joe Burrow and Ja'Marr Chase have brought to Cincinnati, a Super Bowl matchup against the Rams' fearsome defensive line has caused a draft debate to re-surface. Can the Bengals stop Aaron Donald and Von Miller without a star on their offensive line?
TSN.ca Staff
Heading into the 2021 NFL Draft, many thought that the Cincinnati Bengals were a lock to draft offensive lineman Penei Sewell with the fifth overall pick. The move seemed like a no-brainer after franchise quarterback Joe Burrow sustained a torn ACL due to poor offensive line play just four months prior.
The Bengals instead opted to draft a wide receiver, Burrow’s LSU teammate, Ja’Marr Chase. Chase’s performance this season silenced all doubters, breaking the single-season rookie record with 1,455 receiving yards.
Despite the success the pair has brought to Cincinnati, a Super Bowl matchup against the Rams' fearsome defensive line has caused the draft debate to re-surface. Can the Bengals stop Aaron Donald and Von Miller without a star on their offensive line?
Cincinnati allowed 55 sacks this season, the third-most in the NFL. Sunday will mark the third Super Bowl between an offence that was sacked 50-plus times and a defence that produced 50 regular-season sacks. The Los Angeles Raiders were able to overcome their porous offensive line to beat Washington 38-9 in Super Bowl XVII. However, the 1977 Denver Broncos were not so lucky, allowing four sacks in a 27-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XII.
According to ESPN Metrics/NFL Next Gen Stats, the Bengals were weak across the entire offensive line. The Bengals ranked 25th or worse in pass-block win-rate at every position, with right tackle ranking dead last in the league.
LT: 26th
LG: 29th
C: 25th
RG: 31st
RT: Last
TE: 25th
RB: 31st
On the other side of the ball, the Rams ranked first in pass-rush and run-stop win-rate while the Bengals ranked No. 30 and No. 10, respectively. Donald and Miller have been firing on all cylinders in the postseason.
Since being acquired by the Rams via trade, Miller has seven sacks in 11 games, good for second on the team over that span.
Donald has produced eight sacks in that time and has turned up the pressure even further in the postseason. The seven-time All-Pro has 1.5 sacks, and his 13 quarterbacks pressures are tied for the third-most in a single postseason over the past five years, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Shaquil Barrett in 2020 (21) and the Kansas City Chiefs Frank Clark in 2018 (18) had more.
Burrow has adapted to the pressure created by questionable offensive line play late in the season. Over the first 14 games of the season, Burrow had a 59 per cent completion rate, a QB rating of just 25, and threw eight interceptions to eight touchdowns when the defence earned a pass-rush win, according to ESPN Metrics/NFL Next Gen Stats. Over the past five games, Burrow has looked like a different player under pressure, completing 71 per cent of his passes with a QB rating of 68 while throwing no interceptions.
Quarterbacks have not fared well against the Rams’ pressure this postseason, posting a QB rating of 2.5 and a completion rate of 25 per cent. Donald and Miller have combined for 25 of the Rams’ 40 pressures and rank No.1 and 2 among all players in the 2021 playoffs.
The matchup between Burrow, Chase, and the Rams’ QB-WR duo of Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp has garnered the most attention leading up to Super Bowl LVI. However, the Bengals' ability to slow down Donald and Miller, and keep Burrow upright long enough for him to find his weapons could be the main factor in determining whether Cincinnati will leave Los Angeles with its first Lombardi Trophy.
The Bengals instead opted to draft a wide receiver, Burrow’s LSU teammate, Ja’Marr Chase. Chase’s performance this season silenced all doubters, breaking the single-season rookie record with 1,455 receiving yards.
Despite the success the pair has brought to Cincinnati, a Super Bowl matchup against the Rams' fearsome defensive line has caused the draft debate to re-surface. Can the Bengals stop Aaron Donald and Von Miller without a star on their offensive line?
Cincinnati allowed 55 sacks this season, the third-most in the NFL. Sunday will mark the third Super Bowl between an offence that was sacked 50-plus times and a defence that produced 50 regular-season sacks. The Los Angeles Raiders were able to overcome their porous offensive line to beat Washington 38-9 in Super Bowl XVII. However, the 1977 Denver Broncos were not so lucky, allowing four sacks in a 27-10 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl XII.
According to ESPN Metrics/NFL Next Gen Stats, the Bengals were weak across the entire offensive line. The Bengals ranked 25th or worse in pass-block win-rate at every position, with right tackle ranking dead last in the league.
LT: 26th
LG: 29th
C: 25th
RG: 31st
RT: Last
TE: 25th
RB: 31st
On the other side of the ball, the Rams ranked first in pass-rush and run-stop win-rate while the Bengals ranked No. 30 and No. 10, respectively. Donald and Miller have been firing on all cylinders in the postseason.
Since being acquired by the Rams via trade, Miller has seven sacks in 11 games, good for second on the team over that span.
Donald has produced eight sacks in that time and has turned up the pressure even further in the postseason. The seven-time All-Pro has 1.5 sacks, and his 13 quarterbacks pressures are tied for the third-most in a single postseason over the past five years, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Only the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ Shaquil Barrett in 2020 (21) and the Kansas City Chiefs Frank Clark in 2018 (18) had more.
Burrow has adapted to the pressure created by questionable offensive line play late in the season. Over the first 14 games of the season, Burrow had a 59 per cent completion rate, a QB rating of just 25, and threw eight interceptions to eight touchdowns when the defence earned a pass-rush win, according to ESPN Metrics/NFL Next Gen Stats. Over the past five games, Burrow has looked like a different player under pressure, completing 71 per cent of his passes with a QB rating of 68 while throwing no interceptions.
Quarterbacks have not fared well against the Rams’ pressure this postseason, posting a QB rating of 2.5 and a completion rate of 25 per cent. Donald and Miller have combined for 25 of the Rams’ 40 pressures and rank No.1 and 2 among all players in the 2021 playoffs.
The matchup between Burrow, Chase, and the Rams’ QB-WR duo of Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp has garnered the most attention leading up to Super Bowl LVI. However, the Bengals' ability to slow down Donald and Miller, and keep Burrow upright long enough for him to find his weapons could be the main factor in determining whether Cincinnati will leave Los Angeles with its first Lombardi Trophy.