In dramatic fashion, the Los Angeles Rams took down the Cincinnati Bengals and secured the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LVI. It was an incredible moment for everyone on the Rams, but specifically Aaron Donald, who finally secured a long-coveted championship after eight years of dominance in the NFL.
Head coach Sean McVay had some issues with play-calling during the second half of the Super Bowl, mainly after the injury to Odell Beckham Jr. But in the game’s final minutes, he opted to trust his stars — Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Donald — to get the job done.
On the Bengals’ final offensive drive — down 23-20 — Donald made two game-winning plays to secure the Rams victory. The first was holding back Semaje Perine from picking up a first down on third-and-one. The second was a near-sack of Joe Burrow on fourth-and-one that forced an incompletion and a turnover on downs to seal the win.
On that final play, McVay predicted that Donald would be the one to have a game-winning moment, confirmed by a video released via NFL Films on Twitter:
"Aaron Donald's gonna make a play."
Sean McVay knew this was 99's moment. Epic. (via @NFLFilms, @insidetheNFL) pic.twitter.com/a0E6vSpsFH
— NFL (@NFL) February 14, 2022
Donald ultimately did not win Super Bowl MVP, as the hardware went to Kupp. However, no one can deny the game-changing impact Donald had on the Super Bowl, especially in the second half.
The Rams defensive lineman was an absolute wrecking ball in the second half, amassing two sacks, two tackles for loss, and three QB hits on Burrow. It was clear that he was not going to be denied a championship in the second Super Bowl appearance of his career.
McVay, meanwhile, can forever take pride in the trust he put in his superstars at the biggest moment. Stafford throwing the game-winning touchdown to Kupp, then Donald turning around and almost single-handedly getting a stop is exactly how the Rams were built.
Donald enjoying the moment amid retirement rumors
Prior to the Super Bowl rumors began circulating that Donald may opt for retirement if the Rams were to win. After the win, Donald was asked about these rumors, and while he did not deny anything, he did say he was going to take some time to enjoy the victory before making any determinations about his future.
