Super Bowl Updates: Bengals Lead Rams in Fourth Quarter
Feb. 13, 2022, 9:52 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 9:52 p.m. ET
Elena Bergeron
reporting from SoFi Stadium
The Bengals defense has been called for penalties on the last three plays: holding, an unnecessary roughness call that was offset and a pass interference call.
Feb. 13, 2022, 9:50 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 9:50 p.m. ET
Elena Bergeron
reporting from SoFi Stadium
A holding call gives the Rams a new set of downs from the 4.
Feb. 13, 2022, 9:49 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 9:49 p.m. ET
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Are ads that address economic issues, from high inflation and high housing prices, the successor to last year’s “in these unprecedented times?”
Although this year’s Super Bowl commercials have been largely upbeat, several touched on undercurrents of financial stress. In its ad, E-Trade tried to persuade its long-retired spokesbaby to return by explaining that consumers are “getting crushed by inflation.” The actor Ewan McGregor, in Expedia’s commercial, pleaded with viewers to ditch their fixation with spending on “stuff” (while encouraging them to spend on vacations).
Rocket Mortgage aired a nightmare scenario for many people shopping for a home, narrated by the actress Anna Kendrick. Barbie tries to buy her Dream House, but is swamped in a “super competitive market” that also includes dolls such as “Better Offer Betty,” “Cash Offer Carl” and “House Flipper Skipper.”
“You vultures,” Kendrick exclaims. “You’re going to start a bidding war!”
Barbie wins the house, while the others must consider a “fixer-upper castle” that “has good bones but really bad neighbors” (it’s Castle Grayskull, from “He-Man”).
All this in a year when Super Bowl ad space cost as much as $7 million for 30 seconds. In the game’s inaugural year in 1967, the same space cost as little as $37,500, or about $316,000 when adjusted for inflation.
Feb. 13, 2022, 9:47 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 9:47 p.m. ET
Elena Bergeron
reporting from SoFi Stadium
Bengals fans are LOUD on third-and-8.
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Feb. 13, 2022, 9:39 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 9:39 p.m. ET
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Nostalgia is always a favorite flavor for Super Bowl commercials. This year, there isn’t much subtlety about it.
In an ad for Bud Light Seltzer Hard Soda, the chef Guy Fieri plays the mayor of the Land of Loud Flavors, a fever dream place like a vaguely Ozian Las Vegas, whose citizens are all condemned to sport the spiky white-blond blowfish hairstyle he made famous more than a decade ago.
For General Motors, Mike Myers reprised his role as Dr. Evil from the 25-year-old “Austin Powers” film, except he was now Dr. EV-il and plugging the automaker’s electric vehicle plans. Verizon has brought back Jim Carrey as the Cable Guy from the 1996 movie. Chevrolet orchestrated a “Sopranos” reunion for its Silverado commercial, titled “The New Generation.”
In the first Super Bowl commercial from the potato chip company Lay’s in 17 years, titled “Golden Memories,” the comedians Seth Rogen and Paul Rudd revisit their past just before Rogen’s wedding … to a ghoul who had haunted his first house. Lindsay Lohan makes light of her struggles with addiction more than 15 years earlier in a commercial for Planet Fitness, surprising Dennis Rodman, Danny Trejo, William Shatner and the paparazzi with her exercise-induced glow.
After retiring in 2014, the E-Trade baby (voiced by the middle-aged comedian Pete Holmes) returned to save consumers who, god forbid, have been taking financial advice from memes.
Feb. 13, 2022, 9:30 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 9:30 p.m. ET
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In 2019, the N.F.L. partnered with Roc Nation, the entertainment and sports company led by Jay-Z, in part to reinvigorate the Super Bowl halftime show and, as the league said in a statement announcing the deal, “to amplify the league’s social justice efforts.”
At this year’s halftime show, the third under Roc Nation’s guidance, Los Angeles rap icons Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar, as well as the singer Mary J. Blige delivered a lively performance. But it was the rapper Eminem who may have made the biggest statement of the night, and not with his voice: He knelt on one knee and held his head in his hand after performing “Lose Yourself,” his anthem about self-determination from the movie “8 Mile.”
The move was an apparent nod to the former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who took a knee during the playing of the national anthem during the 2016 season to protest police brutality and racial inequity. Other N.F.L. players followed suit, prompting debate within the league about whether those players should be penalized, and drawing rebuke from the president at the time, Donald J. Trump.
After Kaepernick opted out of his 49ers contract in 2017 and was unable to find another quarterbacking job, he accused the N.F.L. of colluding to blacklist him but settled the suit with the league in 2019.
The dispute led many artists to avoid the halftime show in support of Kaepernick.
A league spokesman, Brian McCarthy, said on Sunday that the N.F.L. was aware that Eminem was going to kneel because officials “watched it during rehearsals this week.”
McCarthy said that players, coaches and personnel were free to have taken a knee before today’s game, and that no one has been disciplined for taking a knee since 2016.
Roc Nation declined to comment on what Eminem intended to signal.
Feb. 13, 2022, 9:18 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 9:18 p.m. ET
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The Bengals captured the lead and the momentum in the third quarter with a potential game-deciding sequence.
In the opening play of the second half. Joe Burrow escaped the Rams pressure and heaved a deep shot to Tee Higgins. The receiver leapt for the pass, cranked defensive back Jalen Ramsey’s helmet and completed the catch as Ramsey fell down. He then darted to the end zone for a 75-yard touchdown, making the score 17-13. The play seemed like an egregious pass interference penalty, but the officials did not throw the flag.
On the next possession, Matthew Stafford darted a catchable pass to Ben Skowronek, a replacement receiver, but Skowronek was unable to make the catch. Instead, it tipped off his outstretched hand and was intercepted by Chidobe Awuzie. Cincinnati converted the turnover into a field goal, extending its lead to 20-13. The Rams scored a field goal in the quarter, and the defense began to reach Burrow with more velocity. The unit secured five sacks in the quarter after only posting one in the first half.
Feb. 13, 2022, 9:11 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 9:11 p.m. ET
Jenny Vrentas
reporting from SoFi Stadium
Bengals CB Chidobe Awuzie is probable to return with a right knee injury.
Feb. 13, 2022, 9:09 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 9:09 p.m. ET
Alanis Thames
reporting from SoFi Stadium
This Rams pass rush is starting to heat up, which doesn’t bode well for the Bengals’ offensive line.
Feb. 13, 2022, 9:10 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 9:10 p.m. ET
Emmanuel Morgan
reporting from SoFi Stadium
The Bengals have given up five sacks in the third quarter after only allowing one in the first half.
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Feb. 13, 2022, 9:03 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 9:03 p.m. ET
The New York Times
Feb. 13, 2022, 9:00 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 9:00 p.m. ET
Alanis Thames
reporting from SoFi Stadium
That might be the momentum-shifter that the Rams need. They just forced a Bengals three-and-out while trailing by 4 points.
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:58 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:58 p.m. ET
Emmanuel Morgan
reporting from SoFi Stadium
Odell Beckham Jr. has been downgraded to out with the knee injury.
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Feb. 13, 2022, 8:52 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:52 p.m. ET
Ken Belson
reporting from SoFi Stadium
Mixon 1-1, Kupp 0-1 passing.
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:52 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:52 p.m. ET
Oskar Garcia
reporting from SoFi Stadium
OK, has the Philly special officially jumped the shark?
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:53 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:53 p.m. ET
Emmanuel Morgan
reporting from SoFi Stadium
Petition to stop Philly specials unless you’re at the goal line.
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:54 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:54 p.m. ET
Ben Shpigel
reporting from SoFi Stadium
Only one quarterback with Rams ties who wears No. 9 can pull off the Philly special — and it sure ain’t Matthew Stafford.
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:54 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:54 p.m. ET
Jenny Vrentas
reporting from SoFi Stadium
Tom Brady dropped a pass in a Super Bowl, too, Matthew Stafford.
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:47 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:47 p.m. ET
Emmanuel Morgan
reporting from SoFi Stadium
The Rams have to score on this drive to get some momentum back.
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:46 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:46 p.m. ET
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Real world or virtual world? Take your pick.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, set its Super Bowl ad in the metaverse. In the ad, an animatronic dog and its friend, a pink-tentacled monster, are separated in their physical reality but reunited via the company’s Quest 2 virtual reality headsets.
Last week, Meta shares sank, partly because the company revealed that it spent $10 billion building its vision of the metaverse, a next-generation internet of shared online environments and experiences, causing its profit to drop.
The software giant Salesforce tapped Matthew McConaughey to propose an alternative to the metaverse: supporting the real world. Titled “#TeamEarth,” the company’s second Super Bowl ad shows the actor drifting in a hot-air balloon over the San Francisco Bay Area as he counters, without naming them, the Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg and the SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk.
“While the others look to the metaverse and Mars, let’s stay here and restore ours,” Mr. McConaughey says.
Marc Benioff, who runs Salesforce, was deeply involved in the ad, said Sarah Franklin, the chief marketing officer.
“We have enough fluffy razzle-dazzle in the world — we need to get real and focus on saving the planet, helping our society, helping our communities and small business,” she said. “The Super Bowl is an incredible stage to invest in because we have so much attention from people from all walks of life.”
Miller Lite, which is blocked from the Super Bowl broadcast by the N.F.L.’s longstanding exclusivity deal with Anheuser-Busch, instead released its tongue-in-cheek game-time ad in the metaverse, creating an interactive digital tavern serving up virtual pool, virtual beer and realistic expectations.
“We’re not taking ourselves too seriously with this,” said Ari Weiss, the global chief officer of DDB Worldwide, the agency behind the Meta Lite Bar. “The metaverse is not going to save the world, or at least, not yet.”
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:43 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:43 p.m. ET
Elena Bergeron
reporting from SoFi Stadium
Burrow sack count is up to three (Aaron Donald had two of them).
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:39 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:39 p.m. ET
Emmanuel Morgan
reporting from SoFi Stadium
Skowronek dropped a touchdown two weeks ago in the N.F.C. championship against San Francisco. He likely wouldn’t be in the game right now if Beckham wasn’t hurt.
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:38 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:38 p.m. ET
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One play.
The Bengals needed a single play to take the lead over in the second half thanks to the connection between Joe Burrow and Tee Higgins, the young Bengals receiver who has accounted for both of Cincinnati’s touchdowns in this game.
On the first play of the second half, Burrow stepped up as the pocket was breaking down around him and found Higgins working against Jalen Ramsey one on one for a deep connection.
As he made his way into the end zone for the 75-yard touchdown. Higgins looked to his left and his right. None of the Rams defenders were anywhere near him.
He leads the Bengals receivers with 100 yards on four catches.
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:37 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:37 p.m. ET
Ken Belson
reporting from SoFi Stadium
Annnnnd now Stafford is intercepted… Not the best start to the second half for the Rams.
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:36 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:36 p.m. ET
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Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg and Kendrick Lamar — three titans of Los Angeles rap — took the field at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., along with Eminem (a superstar from Detroit), the singer Mary J. Blige and the special guest 50 Cent to deliver a halftime spectacular heavy on nostalgia and California pride.
This year’s show was the third straight to be co-produced by Roc Nation, the entertainment and sports company led by Jay-Z, which partnered with the N.F.L. in 2019 as the league struggled to repair its relationship with artists who avoided the halftime show in support of Colin Kaepernick, the former quarterback who, starting in 2016, knelt during the national anthem as a protest against police brutality and racial injustice.
On Sunday, Eminem knelt and held his head in his hand after performing “Lose Yourself,” his anthem about self-determination from the movie “8 Mile.”
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Dr. Dre, whose group N.W.A helped set the template for West Coast gangster rap with its 1988 album, “Straight Outta Compton,” and went on to become an in-demand producer and businessman, last released an album of his own music in 2015. At halftime, he was the show’s anchor, opening and closing the show with some of his most well-known productions. Dre, 56, took the stage first to the sounds of “The Next Episode,” his 2000 single featuring Snoop Dogg.
Snoop Dogg’s early career was intimately tied to Dr. Dre — his blockbuster 1993 debut, “Doggystyle,” came out on Death Row Records, the label Dre helped found, and featured the producer’s signature palate of slow-rolling G-funk. At 50, Snoop has continued to release music, but is also widely known as an affable pitchman and entrepreneur. (Last week he acquired the Death Row brand, but not yet its music rights, and released an album called “BODR,” which stands for “Bacc on Death Row.”) He joined Dr. Dre atop a white set designed to resemble Los Angeles buildings and the two performed “California Love,” the 1995 Tupac Shakur single.
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Artists from New York took a turn on the stage next: The unannounced guest, 50 Cent, arrived for a version of his 2003 smash “In Da Club,” followed by Mary J. Blige, the 51-year-old singer who has earned legions of fans with her confessional, soulful songs about heartbreak and persistence. Blige, whose 14th studio LP, “Good Morning Gorgeous,” arrived on Friday, sang two of her most beloved older anthems, “Family Affair” and “No More Drama,” reaching deep for some powerful high notes and ending the set flat on her back.
Kendrick Lamar, at 34 the youngest performer in the show, is also one of the most decorated: In 2018 he received the Pulitzer Prize for music for his fourth album, “DAMN.,” a commercial blockbuster that tackled race, faith and the burdens of commercial success. There has been scant word of its anxiously awaited follow-up and he didn’t provide any hints about it at halftime, performing his 2012 track “M.A.A.D. City” and his 2015 song “Alright” with a troupe of carefully choreographed dancers.
Eminem, still an enduring rap star at 49 (his most recent album, “Music to Be Murdered By,” opened at No. 1 in 2020), is also a protégé of Dr. Dre, who signed the rapper to his Aftermath label in 1998 and produced early hits like “My Name Is.” “Lose Yourself” featured Anderson.Paak on drums, and as the song ended and he knelt beside his mentor as Dr. Dre sat at the piano and plunked out the chords to “Still D.R.E.,” the 1999 song that closed the set and included one pointed line: “Still not loving police.”
The first time a rapper joined a Super Bowl halftime lineup was in 1998: It was Queen Latifah, and she didn’t rap; she sang as part of a Motown tribute. In the years since, hip-hop has landed a handful of moments on one of sports’ and entertainment’s biggest stages, but it hasn’t held the full spotlight until Sunday evening.
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Feb. 13, 2022, 8:36 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:36 p.m. ET
Emmanuel Morgan
reporting from SoFi Stadium
That should have been offensive pass interference. Higgins clearly grabbed Ramsey’s face mask and initiated contact. Could be a game changing play.
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:36 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:36 p.m. ET
Ben Shpigel
reporting from SoFi Stadium
That was an egregious missed call by the officiating crew.
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:34 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:34 p.m. ET
Ken Belson
reporting from SoFi Stadium
Burrow to Tee Higgins for 75 yards and the score to open the second half.
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:34 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:34 p.m. ET
Jenny Vrentas
reporting from SoFi Stadium
It’s raining Who Dey cheers in SoFi right now. Meanwhile, the Rams are stunned.
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:22 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:22 p.m. ET
Elena Bergeron
reporting from SoFi Stadium
Eminem takes a knee during the halftime performance.
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Feb. 13, 2022, 8:17 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:17 p.m. ET
Oskar Garcia
reporting from SoFi Stadium
The stands are literally bouncing and it smells like someone forgot to do their shirt laundry.
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:16 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:16 p.m. ET
Elena Bergeron
reporting from SoFi Stadium
Mary J. Blige is the only living human to turn an N.F.L. game into church.
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Feb. 13, 2022, 8:15 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:15 p.m. ET
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Amid the pageantry and celebration of the Rams’ run to the Super Bowl, Robert Woods has dealt with personal and family loss.
Woods, a Los Angeles receiver, tore an anterior cruciate ligament at a practice session in November, ending his season. Then, a few weeks ago, his father died. But Woods is trying to remain positive and cheer on his teammates ahead of the biggest game of their careers.
“I could sit here and mope about it and say: ‘I wish I was out there. The team is winning the Super Bowl ring without me,’” he told reporters. “But I’m a part of this, man.”
The Rams signed Woods, a 2013 second-round draft pick by the Bills, as a free agent in 2017, and he ascended to become a cornerstone of the franchise. Woods, a Los Angeles-area native who played in college at Southern California, has posted two seasons with at least 1,000 yards receiving, and coaches and teammates respect him for his leadership and willingness to block. In 2020, the Rams signed him to a four-year contract extension with $32 million guaranteed.
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:14 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:14 p.m. ET
Elena Bergeron
reporting from SoFi Stadium
At 46, 50 Cent’s core strength is still pretty good.
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:14 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:14 p.m. ET
Jenny Vrentas
reporting from SoFi Stadium
A lot of times Super Bowl halftime shows are great on TV but don’t translate well in-stadium. Not the case today! The acoustics are amazing, and everyone is captivated by Snoop and Dre.
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:13 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:13 p.m. ET
Oskar Garcia
reporting from SoFi Stadium
I wonder what it was like at the song selection meetings for this show.
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:14 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:14 p.m. ET
Oskar Garcia
reporting from SoFi Stadium
I did not have 50 Cent on my bingo card (am hoping for a little Warren G though).
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Feb. 13, 2022, 8:09 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:09 p.m. ET
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The Rams lead the Bengals 13-10 through the first half of the Super Bowl, fueled by efficient play from Matthew Stafford and defensive breakdowns from Cincinnati.
Stafford has thrown for 165 yards and two touchdowns, dissecting a Bengals defense that has struggled to adjust to pre-snap motions and play-action passes. The secondary has left receivers open in space, including Cooper Kupp’s 11-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. He also secured a 20-yard catch-and run play in the first quarter, and has total three receptions for 40 yards. Stafford’s only mishap was an interception in the second quarter that resulted in a touchback, but prevented the Rams from potentially scoring.
The team’s leading receiver, Odell Beckham Jr., left the game in the second quarter after planting his foot awkwardly and injuring his knee. He had been a matchup advantage for the Rams and posted 52 receiving yards in the first half on two catches, including a beautiful 17-yard reception for a touchdown over defensive back Mike Hilton. The team said Beckham is questionable to return, and his absence could shift momentum. The void will allow Cincinnati to shift defensive attention to Kupp, who led the league in every receiving category in the regular season.
The Bengals, though they are trailing, kept the score close and showed that they can compete. The rookie receiver Ja’Marr Chase in the first quarter skillfully beat Jalen Ramsey, whom many consider the best cornerback in the league, on a fade route in the first quarter for a 46-yard gain, leading to a field goal. In the second quarter, they methodically marched down field and capped the drive with trickery. Burrow tossed the ball to running back Joe Mixon, who then threw a double pass to Tee Higgins for a 6-yard touchdown. Mixon is the game’s leading rusher, gaining 40 yards on seven attempts.
Notably, the Bengals’ offensive line has allowed only one sack. Entering the game, the unit was viewed as a potential weak point against the Rams’ pass rush, which is led by star defensive lineman Aaron Donald and outside linebackers Von Miller and Leonard Floyd. But so far, Joe Burrow, who has thrown for 114 yards, has been relatively well-protected.
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:03 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:03 p.m. ET
On the Scene at SoFi Stadium
Jenny Vrentas📍Reporting from Los Angeles 🏈
On the Scene at SoFi Stadium
Jenny Vrentas📍Reporting from Los Angeles 🏈
It’s 82 degrees and sunny on Super Bowl Sunday in L.A., where the hometown Rams will face the Cincinnati Bengals, and the scene around SoFi Stadium is like a summer block party.
Here’s what I’m seeing →
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:01 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 8:01 p.m. ET
Oskar Garcia
reporting from SoFi Stadium
They’re starting to bring out large white set pieces for the halftime show. They look oddly like bunk beds and/or giant pianos?
Feb. 13, 2022, 7:59 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 7:59 p.m. ET
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Because of Tom Brady’s retirement, Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth is now the oldest active player in the N.F.L., and he will compete in the Super Bowl against his former team. Whitworth, 40, spent 11 seasons in Cincinnati before joining the Rams as a free agent in 2017, and he quickly became one of the leaders on the team and active in the Los Angeles community.
On Thursday, he won the N.F.L.’s Walter Payton Man of the Year Award, an honor recognizing a player’s charitable and off-the-field contributions. Before the season, Whitworth said he would likely retire after this year. He has a chance for a Hollywood ending.
“To have this opportunity at my age with what could be my last game and to be in two places where you accomplished what you have and been such a significant part of — it couldn’t be more special to me and my entire family,” Whitworth said.
Feb. 13, 2022, 7:57 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 7:57 p.m. ET
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Virtual currency companies have drawn much of the attention with their debut in the Super Bowl this year (that floating Coinbase QR code!), but several other categories had fresh entrants, too.
As states and sports leagues embrace sports betting, a surge of ads for betting apps has followed. The Super Bowl will showcase several commercials, including one from DraftKings involving a daredevil Lady Luck. Caesar’s Sportsbook filled its ad with the actor JB Smoove as Julius Caesar, the actress Halle Berry as Cleopatra and the Manning family of football stars as their dinner guests.
“The category is starting to play on a national level, whereas historically, based on the rollout of legalization, it was more of a local play,” said Jeremy Carey, the managing director of the sports marketing agency Optimum Sports. “Now they’ve gotten to a threshold where there’s efficiencies to be had on a national level.”
Commercials also pushed viewers to care for their bodies.
Cue Health, which makes an at-home Covid-19 test, tapped the actress Gal Gadot to voice part of its upcoming inaugural Super Bowl spot. Hologic, in its first game-time ad in its 36-year history, asked the singer Mary J. Blige to stress the importance of women keeping up with their health screenings.
“In the moment we’re in in time, health and wellness is absolutely more at the forefront of everybody’s mind-share,” said Jane Mazur, Hologic’s vice president of communications. “We’re not a car, we’re not a chip, we’re not a beer, but we are bringing information to the audience that I think will resonate.”
Feb. 13, 2022, 7:57 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 7:57 p.m. ET
Emmanuel Morgan
reporting from SoFi Stadium
Rams wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. (knee) is questionable to return, according to the Rams.
Feb. 13, 2022, 7:55 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 7:55 p.m. ET
The New York Times
Feb. 13, 2022, 7:52 p.m. ET
Feb. 13, 2022, 7:52 p.m. ET
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With all of the praise that came when Matthew Stafford, the veteran quarterback who had previously been with the Detroit Lions, joined the Los Angeles Rams via trade, complaints about his untimely, back-breaking interceptions arose, too, as the season progressed.
Stafford threw 17 interceptions during the regular season but had been relatively careful with the ball in the postseason, turning the ball over only once.
Sunday, with the Rams moving down the field, Stafford underthrew receiver Van Jefferson in the end zone, and the pass was intercepted by Jessie Bates, a ball-hawking defensive back who has been a key piece on the Bengals’ defense in the postseason.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/02/13/sports/super-bowl-rams-bengals
