The Los Angeles Rams accomplished their ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl on Sunday after rallying late to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals in front of a sold out crowd at SoFi Stadium.
For veterans like Eric Weddle and Andrew Whitworth, winning a title was all the more sweet as they are at the end of their respective careers. The championship was also important to Matthew Stafford, who finally got over the hump in his 13th NFL season.
Prior to joining the Rams, Stafford did not win a playoff game in 12 years with the Detroit Lions. That changed this season as the 34-year-old played his best football when it mattered most to lead the Rams to their first title in L.A.
When asked to reflect on the accomplishment, Stafford noted it still doesn’t feel real to him but is thrilled to finally be a world champion, via Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
“I mean, it’s probably gonna take some time, you know? and think about it,” Stafford said after the Rams’ 23-20 win over the Bengals in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium. “I know in the moment, I didn’t know what to think. I was just a little emotional. So happy to be a world champ.”
Stafford completed 26 of 40 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns in the Rams’ 23-20 come-from-behind victory over the Bengals, but rather than focus on his own individual performance, credited his teammates for getting the job done:
“So happy to be a part of this group,” Stafford said. “I mean, that’s the biggest thing. It’s not me, it’s not any individual on this team. We’re a group, we’re a team and to get it done together was so special.”
Stafford was instrumental in the Rams completing the comeback over the Bengals as he put together a 15-play, 79-yard drive that ended with Super Bowl LVI MVP Cooper Kupp catching the game-winning touchdown pass.
Stafford, who has the most fourth-quarter comebacks in the NFL since he entered the league in 2009, said the drive is one he will never forget.
