Veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford is now a Super Bowl champion.
The 34-year-old, who made his debut thirteen years ago for the Detroit Lions in 2009, finally broke through the ice and won a ring, accomplishing the feat in Super Bowl LVI. The Los Angeles Rams, who acquired Stafford ahead of the 2021 season, defeated Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday night at SoFi Stadium in front of their home fans to secure their second-ever Super Bowl win, and their first since 1999.
“I’m just so proud of my team,” Stafford said after his historic victory. ”There are just so many guys on our team who deserve this. So many great players…I’m just so proud of this group. This game was the story of our season. It’s up and down. It’s tough. We had a freaking tough team show up late and got it done. I’m just excited.”
The Rams had the pleasure of hosting the Super Bowl at their home stadium, only the second team to ever do it, after Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers accomplished the feat last year, and cashed in. Now, one year later, Stafford’s Rams cashed in, and the two teams have had surprisingly similar outcomes.
Ahead of the 2020 season, the Bucs acquired veteran quarterback Tom Brady, who had played his whole career for the New England Patriots. In that very same year, the Bucs advanced to the Super Bowl at their home stadium, and won it. One year later, the Rams acquired Matthew Stafford, who had played his whole career for the Detroit Lions (with little success, unlike Brady). In that very same year, the Rams advanced to the Super Bowl at their home stadium, and also won it.
After leading 13-10 at halftime, and losing Odell Beckham Jr. to a hamstring injury, the Rams squandered up the lead to allow the Bengals to gain the lead, 20-16. However, the Rams would score a touchdown in the fourth quarter, amid a flurry of flags and penalties, to take a 23-20 lead and secure the championship for the Rams. This championship marked Los Angeles’ third in two years, with both the Lakers and Dodgers winning it all in 2020. Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp was named the Super Bowl MVP.
“Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp came to life,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said. “They showed why they were such great players in the biggest moments. Play in, play out…Our best players shined the brightest when they had to.”
McVay became the youngest NFL head coach to ever win a Super Bowl, doing so at just age 36.
Joe Burrow and the Bengals, who were viewed as the underdog, simply could not hold the lead against Stafford and the favorited Rams, and it came back to bite them. This isn’t the end for the Bengals, however, as this is merely the beginning of Burrow’s career, but the AFC isn’t getting any easier, so Cincinnati will have to make some changes and upgrades if they are serious about contending again in 2023.
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