Super Bowl: Kupp's late TD lifts Rams over Bengals 23-20

INGLEWOOD, California (AP):

IN A VENUE venue built for champions, the Los Angeles Rams carried off the crown jewel: a Super Bowl trophy.

It took a precise 79-yard drive capped by Cooper Kupp’s one-yard touchdown (TD) reception with 1:25 remaining for a 23-20 victory Sunday over the Cincinnati Bengals to give the Rams their first NFL title since the 1999 season — and their first representing Los Angeles since 1951.

They did it in their home, the US$5 billion SoFi Stadium, making the Rams the second consecutive hosts to win the championship after Tampa Bay became the first a year ago.

The winning series, during which game MVP Kupp’s four-yard touchdown reception was negated by offsetting penalties, ended soon after with the NFL Offensive Player of the Year easily beating Eli Apple in the right corner of the end zone for the winning score.

Kupp had four receptions for 39 yards, and a seven-yard run on fourth-and-1 from the Rams 30 on the championship drive.

“I don't feel deserving of this,” Kupp said. “The guys standing here challenged me, they pushed me. I am just so grateful.”

Even with that brilliant, decisive march to the Lombardi Trophy, it was LA’s “fearsome fivesome” that made the difference. Led by Aaron Donald and Von Miller, they sacked Joe Burrow a Super Bowl record-tying seven times, shutting down the Cincinnati offence after a 22-second spurt to start the second half gave the Bengals the lead.

Fittingly, Burrow was under pressure on fourth-and-1 and threw incomplete, setting off a football fiesta this city has not seen since the LA Raiders won the 1983 championship.

Kupp even earned the MVP honour despite often being double-teamed after fellow wideout Odell Beckham Jr went out with a knee injury in the second period.