Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald should have been the Super Bowl LVI MVP. From the two sacks he had during the short-field drive that resulted in Cincinnati scoring a field goal instead of a touchdown to the Herculean effort to keep Bengals running back Samaje Perine from achieving a first down on third and one late in the game to everything else he did to wreak havoc on an overmatched offensive line to the harassment of quarterback Joe Burrow on the fourth-down play that effectively ended the game, the Rams don’t win the Super Bowl without Aaron Donald.
Indeed, the Cincinnati effort to tie could have ended in a victory short of overtime, but for Donald busting through the line and pouncing on Burrow during the fourth-down play.
Watch this angle. Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase drew single coverage from Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey. As Chase raced past Ramsey, their feet got tanged and Ramsey fell. Chase was wide-ass open for a walk-in touchdown.
Yes, it would have required Burrow to throw a catchable pass and Chase to make a catch that would have carried far more pressure than the reception not made (then later made) by Robin Williams in The Best Of Times. But if Donald hadn’t made the play, Burrow could have made the throw. Chase could have made the catch. The Bengals would have won the game.
It underscores how close so many of the 2021 postseason games were, and how narrow the line can be between winning a Super Bowl and losing one.
