Things That Made Me Giddy
L.A.’s Pass Rush Shows Up in Time, With Help From Raheem Morris: It was not a great first three quarters for the Rams’ vaunted pass rush, but they took over on their final two defensive possessions thanks to some well-timed blitzes from Morris. That guaranteed one-on-one matchups for Aaron Donald and Von Miller, with those two and Leonard Floyd swarming Jimmy Garoppolo on the game-ending interception.
Matthew Stafford Brought His B-Minus Game: He threw behind receivers twice in the first quarter, the second one turning into a deflected end-zone interception on a third-and-goal throw. That was a bad break, but Stafford got incredibly lucky when his first-down arm punt was dropped by Jaquiski Tartt early in the fourth quarter. And still, he had enough to put up 13 fourth-quarter points to complete a comeback in the biggest game of his career.
Joe Burrow Maximum Escapability: This was the more spectacular of the two spectacular escapes he had on Sunday. He’s being tasked with operating a veteran offense in his second year in the league, and he doesn't always have the answers provided for him. But, frequently, he's creating his own answers.
Lou Anarumo Had Answers: Save for a shaky call on a third-and-1 around midfield on the final drive of regulation, the Bengals played coverage and velcroed onto the Chiefs’ receivers. This has quietly become a very good unit the past two seasons.
The Audacity of Evan McPherson: He’s 11-for-11 in the postseason now, with another 52-yarder and another walk-off make on Sunday.
Deebo Samuel Is a Modern Marvel: There’s not a whole lot else to say about him, except that his long catch-and-run TD was a reminder that, right, he is an elite power running back, but also he’s a really good wide receiver fast enough to run away from people.
Eli Apple Is Suddenly Everywhere You Want to Be: A seven-point tackle at the end of the first half following a defensive pass interference that seemed like it would be the key play on a Bengals scoring drive.
In the End, the Chiefs’ Offensive Line Held Up . . . Fine: Granted, the Bengals sprinkled in a few three-man rushes, but the worry all season that the offensive line would do them in again ended up being unfounded. Cincinnati played coverage, the receivers didn’t get open and Mahomes played poorly.
