Super Bowl 56: Can the Cincinnati Bengals’ Defense Stop the Los Angeles Rams?

Super Bowl 56 is right around the corner. This year, the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams will face off to see who will hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

At the time of writing, BetMGM’s Super Bowl odds have the Rams as 4.5-point favorites.

The Bengals’ defense has a daunting challenge in front of them. Can they slow down Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and the Los Angeles Rams’ offense? Here is a brief profile of Cincinnati’s defense.

Super Bowl 56 Game Information

Before I dive further into the Bengals’ defense, here are some things that you should know about the game itself.

• Date: Sunday, Feb. 13th
• Time: 6:30 P.M. EST on NBC
• Venue: SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA
• Participants: Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams

Playoff Turnover Margin

One of the primary reasons the Bengals’ defense has been successful in the playoffs is their ability to create turnovers.

During the regular season, Cincinnati’s defense had an even turnover margin. Now, they lead all playoff teams with a +5 turnover margin in the playoffs. The secondary deserves a lot of credit for this, with six interceptions in three games.

Against the Raiders, the Bengals intercepted Derek Carr at the two yard line to hold on for their first playoff victory in 31 years. In the divisional round, the Bengals intercepted Ryan Tannehill three times, and against the Chiefs, Cincinnati intercepted Patrick Mahomes once in the third quarter and once in overtime.

Elite Rushing Defense

In my opinion, the strength of this Bengals defense is their rushing defense. The team ranked fifth in the regular season in rushing yards allowed per game, with just 102.5.

Admittedly, they have not had the same success in their playoff games, allowing over 127 rushing yards per game in their three wins.

However, the good news for them is that they face a Rams team that has had little success running the ball. The Rams ranked 25th in rushing yards per game, averaging just 99. I believe the Bengals will make Los Angeles a one-dimensional team in this game.

Questionable Passing Defense

My primary concern for the Bengals’ defense is their passing defense. Despite their turnaround in turnover margin, they have found little success in stopping teams from passing the ball.

They ranked 26th in the regular season at passing yards allowed per game (248.4). They haven’t done much better against the pass in the playoffs, allowing just under 244 passing yards per game.

In the Super Bowl, they’ll have to face off against Cooper Kupp, the league leader in receiving yards, touchdowns, and receptions. In 20 games this season (including the playoffs), Kupp has had 13 games with over 100 yards receiving.

Cincinnati will have to contain him to stand any chance of winning this game.

Do You Trust the Bengals’ Defense?

The Bengals have a tall task in Super Bowl 56. They’ll need to force turnovers, contain Cooper Kupp, and use their rushing defense to put the Rams in third and long situations. As a bettor, you have to ask yourself if you trust them enough to back them.

Either way, you can place your bets right here at BetMGM’s online sportsbook. Sign up for an account today for a risk-free initial bet of up to $1,000.