Come Feb. 12, the world will see if 25-year-old Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will win his first Super Bowl and bring home the first Lombardi trophy of franchise history for his team, or if Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford will lead his better record-holding team to their second Super Bowl win of all time. But for now, here are a few East students’ predictions for the big game.
Q: Who will win?
A: Will Alexander, junior– “I think the Bengals are gonna win because the Bengals beat the Chiefs and the Chiefs are the best team in the league. You saw what they did to the Chiefs in the second half, so they’ll be able to stop the Rams’ offense. The Rams’ defense is really good, but I think Joe Burrow is going to take over.”
A: Adrian Garcia, junior- “I think the Rams will win because they have a better defense, and the Bengals’ offensive line is just so bad. [Rams defensive lineman] Aaron Donald will consistently win up front. He is going to cause Joe Burrow to have a really hard game. [Rams cornerback] Jalen Ramsey is going to be all over [Bengals wide receiver] Ja’Marr Chase.”
A: Beck Jones, sophomore– “[It’s a] tough game to predict because both sides are so good. It seems like the Rams would win just because they’ve been so consistent all season. The Bengals have one of the best wide receivers in the league, Ja’Marr Chase, but as of right now [Rams wide receiver] Cooper Kupp is the best. [Rams quarterback] Matthew Stafford is probably a top-five quarterback in the league right now. The Rams kind of have them on all positions, but I feel like Cincinnati wants it more. Their quarterback, Joe Burrow, [has] been amazing [since] week 16. He has beaten the Chiefs twice since then and the #1 seeded Tennessee Titans. I’ve got to go with the Bengals.”
Q: What are the keys to the game?
A: Alexander– “The Rams are going to need to get some serious stops on defense and execute their offense. Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey are really going to have to set it up. The key [for the Bengals] is to get Ja’Marr Chase the ball.”
A: Garcia– “[The key for the Rams] is definitely getting a lot of pressure on Joe Burrow. [They] don’t want him to have time in the pocket to throw and get it to Ja’Marr Chase. The offensive line needs to show up or else it’s going to be a disaster for them. [They need] to involve Tyler Higbee, the tight end, because the Bengals are not good at covering tight ends on defense. [For the Bengals], their defense cannot be blitzing. They have to have a lot of people in coverage, especially on Cooper Kupp.”
A: Jones– “For the Rams, it’s not letting the Bengals jump out to an early lead because that’s when their coach, Sean McVeigh, starts to get a little bit reckless. For Cincinnati, it’s jumping out to that early lead and being able to contain the Rams on defense. Cincinnati doesn’t have one of the best defenses in the league, but they’ve got heart, and they’ve got a great defensive coordinator with great play calling. As long as they get out to an early lead, I think Cincinnati can get it done.”
Q: How do you expect the game to play out?
A: Alexander– “I think the Rams are going to jump out to an early lead, [and] the Bengals will for sure be down to start the second half, but they are going to come back and win. It will be a close one and could come down to a field goal. It’s going to be a battle out there.”
A: Garcia– “I think it’s going to be boring at the beginning, but once the offenses fire up, it’s going to be a high-scoring game. I think the Rams will win by two scores.”
A: Jones– “I think Cincinnati is going to get that early lead by 10 or so points. The Rams might get a little bit reckless with their play calling, trying to make it back [really quickly]. I think Cincinnati gets it done, but it’s going to be close for sure.”
Q: What players will have the biggest impact?
A: Alexander– “[For the Bengals], the first player that will have the biggest impact is Ja’Marr Chase. [He will have] at least 200 receiving yards and two touchdowns. For the Rams, Jalen Ramsey is going to have to lock up [Ja’Marr Chase on Sunday]. It is going to be a battle between Jalen Ramsey and Ja’Marr Chase. Aaron Donald is going to have to get some serious sacks.”
A: Garcia– “[For the Rams], obviously Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald. They have a really big impact in every game they’ve played, but it’s the Super Bowl, so it’s different. [For the Bengals], Ja’Marr Chase is going to do his thing. He is really good at finding the soft spots in the zone [defense]. [It will] be really hard for him with Jalen Ramsey shadowing him.”
A: Jones– “[For the Bengals], Joe Burrow is going to be [Most Valuable Player] if they win because their entire game [revolves around] the pass. They have got Ja’Marr Chase, a top-five receiver in the league right now and Joe Burrow, a top-five quarterback in the league right now, so those two guys are definitely playmakers. [For the Rams], Cooper Kupp for sure is going to have a good game. He’s been unstoppable all season. He hasn’t had a game under 100 yards receiving all season which is an insane number. I feel like Aaron Donald, the defensive lineman for the Rams, could have a huge impact because Cincinnati’s offensive line is not very good. Their offensive line is really shaky, and Donald is undoubtedly the best pass rusher in the entire league.”
Q: Who would you rather see win?
A: Alexander– “This is tough. I like Matthew Stafford a lot. I really like him as a quarterback, and I want him to win his first Super Bowl with the Rams, but I am going with the Bengals. I’ve got to see them win because they beat us, the Chiefs. They deserve to win.”
A: Garcia– “I really want to see the Bengals win. I’d love to see Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase win a Super Bowl after just winning a [National] championship at LSU. I’d love to see the Bengals win, but it will be the Rams.”
A: Jones– “I’d rather see Cincinnati win because I love their quarterback, Joe Burrow. He’s really fun. He’s honestly kind of cocky. It’s just fun to watch him play. If you watched the college football playoff [when] he was with LSU, he was sitting in the locker room smoking a cigar, having a good time [after they won the championship].”
Q: What do you think the final score will be?
A: Alexander– “34 to 31, Bengals.”
A: Garcia– “34 to 24, Rams.”
A: Jones– “27 to 24, Bengals.”