Cincinnati Bengals earned a hard-fought victory against The Los Angeles Rams in a captivating contest that saw the scoreline read 19-16 after the full-time.
As the scoreline suggests, it was a battle of will between the two sides as the Bengals emerged victorious after converting their chances.
The Rams had ample an amount of instances to their advantage in the early minutes, but they failed to score a touchdown. Matthew Stafford, however, turned the ball over.
The Bengals responded fiercely as they took a crucial lead in the second half. However, the Bengals’ defense was wayward in numerous instances, but the Rams seemed to be in no mood to punish them for each mistake.
Joe Burrow, despite not being a hundred percent when it comes to fitness, played a pivotal role in keeping his team in the game.
A Bittersweet Mixture of an Efficient Defense but Ineffective Offense
Apart from the commendable efforts and sheer determination of the Rams’ defense line, there were other key moments crafted by the Rams team as well, especially the continuous kick by Brett Maher. He proved to be a potential asset for the Rams this season as a Kicker they can contribute when called upon.
In the nail-biting fourth quarter, the Bengals found themselves in a crucial fourth-and-one situation as Rams fans could already see clouds of despair hover over their heads for what would be a second consecutive loss of the season.
However, a twist followed as the Rams’ defense put some heroics on display for the crowd, intercepting Joe Burrow to instill hope in the hearts of Rams fans and other players alike.
Following the morale-boosting incident, the Rams were unable to find a fruitful outcome in attacking positions.
They relied on a uni-dimensional plan of passing continuously, and Coach Sean McVay’s persistent approach of refusing to run the ball proved detrimental to the team.
The Coach’s style of play was not suited for the intensity that the game contained. This strategic decision left the supporters and experts baffled and raised certain eyebrows around the sporting environment.
A talent like Kyren Williams was not given the freedom to run the ball after having been a crucial player for the Rams the whole season.
Even though pass and play tactics helped the Rams see much of the ball in their control, the struggle along the final third could not be overcome. It felt like a meaningless passage of play was left uninterrupted by the Bengals.
The Rams, at one point, stood at 0 for 6 in third down conversions, further dropping down to 0 for 10.
The Coach, however, stood by his plan, which ultimately killed any hope of a comeback despite the defense line working their socks off for the team.
It would be extremely harsh to put all the blame on the Coach for their loss, as the Rams’ offensive line did get certain chances that they couldn’t convert. There were a few debatable decisions made by the referees, too, but it’s still inappropriate to blame anyone but the chances missed by The Rams for being a catalyst in the reasons for their loss.
