With the Super Bowl just a day away, it is time to look to some of the biggest matchups on the biggest of stages. These are the key battles to watch and they could be the deciding factor in who wins Super Bowl LVI.
Aaron Donald vs Bengals’ interior offensive line
This could be the matchup that makes or breaks the Super Bowl. Donald is the best defensive player in football and arguably the best defensive tackle the game has ever seen. He leads the position with 86 pressures this season, 19 more than any other player. His postseason form has been outstanding too, with 16 pressures and two sacks in his three games. That is before you even account for his impact against the run. Donald was PFF’s highest graded interior run defender this season and led all defensive linemen with 35 run stops.
It will be fascinating to see how the Bengals try to stop him. The interior of their offensive line has been a major issue this season. It almost cost them the game against the Titans in the divisional round, allowing five of Joe Burrow’s nine sacks. They have allowed a worrying 20 pressures in their three postseason games. If the Bengals are to stand any chance of winning this game they will need to step up in a big way.
Trey Hendrickson vs Andrew Whitworth
This is another trench battle worth watching. Hendrickson has been outstanding since his switch to the Bengals last offseason. He leads the team with 86 pressures, with 11 of those coming in the postseason. Hendrickson also has the highest pass rush win rate of any player this postseason at 27.9%. Another big performance from him will be needed for the Bengals to get the win.
Cincinnati don’t really move their edge rushers around, with Hendrickson playing almost exclusively over the left tackle. This means he will spend the bulk of his time going up against Andrew Whitworth. Whitworth may have just turned 40, but he is coming into the Super Bowl off one of his best ever seasons. He has allowed just 20 pressures on his 656 pass blocking snaps this year and led all tackles with an 89.6 PFF pass blocking grade.
Ja’Marr Chase vs Jalen Ramsey
This weekend Chase will become the first Offensive Rookie of the Year to appear in a Super Bowl since Tony Dorsett in 1977. He has played a central role in getting the Bengals to the big game, finishing with 81 catches for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns. He has continued that form into the postseason, with 20 catches for 297 yards and a touchdown in his three games.
Going against Ramsey will be the biggest test of his season so far. Ramsey is one of the few corners who can match Chase’s combination of speed and physicality. He’s also been outstanding at limiting big plays, giving up just three catches of 30+ yards on his 108 targets this season. The Rams have increasingly used him to shadow their opponents’ leading threats in the postseason and you expect to see him regularly lined up against Chase in the Super Bowl.
Tee Higgins vs Darious Williams
This one might not match the big name battle between Chase and Ramsey, but it could actually be even more important. When defenses have focused on shutting down Chase, the Bengals’ passing game has run through Higgins. If the Rams look to shadow Chase with Ramsey, that will leave Darious Williams to cover Higgins.
Williams is a great corner, but this could be a real mismatch in favour of the Bengals. Higgins is 6’4″ and will dwarf the 5’9″ Williams. He has unsurprisingly had issues against bigger receivers this season and there aren’t many receivers more effective at the catch point than Higgins. His 18 contested receptions are the fourth most in the NFL this season.
Cooper Kupp vs Mike Hilton
The Rams’ offense has been reliant on Kupp all season. The triple crown and Offensive Player of the Year winner has had 13 games with 100+ yards this year. His form has continued into the playoffs and Kupp has 20 catches for 325 yards and three touchdowns in his last two games. Most of his production has come from the slot, meaning he will be matched up against Mike Hilton pretty regularly on Sunday.
Hilton has been an underrated part of the Bengals’ defense this season, allowing a passer rating of just 88.7 on his 94 targets. He has taken his game to the next level in the postseason too. Hilton has been targeted 15 times, allowing just 77 yards. He also has an interception and two pass breakups over those three games. It is some time since these two last faced off, but when they did in 2019, Hilton held Kupp to no receptions on four targets.
