Los Angeles Rams overcome 'inexcusable' blunder to win Super Bowl
The LA Rams have overcome an 'inexcusable' missed call to come from behind to win the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl fans erupted after a touchdown on the very first play of the second half between the LA Rams and Cincinnati Bengals should have been disallowed.
The Bengals seized a 17-13 lead after Tee Higgins scored his second touchdown of the game on the first drive of the second half.
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Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow found Higgins on a long route, with Higgins making the catch over Rams defensive specialist Jalen Ramsey.
The touchdown proved to be controversial almost immediately, with Ramsey protesting to the referees that Higgins had grabbed his face mask as the ball was in the air.
No call was made, but replays showed Higgins had indeed gotten a piece of Ramsey's helmet - causing the defender to fall down and allowing Higgins to sprint to the end zone unimpeded for a crucial score.
Bengals’ Tee Higgins gets away with a clear facemask on Rams’ Jalen Ramsey.
Refs miss it, and Cincinnati takes the lead in #SuperBowlpic.twitter.com/EyNIzc4yAf— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) February 14, 2022
The Rams didn't give in though, playing from behind for almost the entire second half before quarterback Matt Stafford found Cooper Kupp in the endzone with just over 90 seconds left to play.
Needing a touchdown drive, the Bengals and quarterback Joe Burrow weren't able to come up with a miracle, handing the Rams a 23-20 Super Bowl win.
Social media lit up almost immediately with fans complaining about the missed call, and it seemed the experts agreed.
Offering special commentary for ESPN, three-time Super Bowl referee John Parry said it clearly should have been a penalty against the Rams, but added that it was likely the official responsible for making the call was blindsided by the play.
"It is an offensive face mask, which is offensive pass interference, because the ball is in the air," Parry said.
"The call needed to come from the back judge from the inside. The side judge can't see it from his position."
Parry went on to say he firmly believed the touchdown should have been disallowed.
Making matters worse for Los Angeles, quarterback Matthew Stafford threw an interception on the first play of the Rams' ensuing possession.
The Bengals converted it into an Evan McPherson field goal to take extend their lead to 20-13.
The massive swing prompted plenty of outrage on Twitter.
The officials should be ashamed of themselves. How do you miss that call. That was a blatant pass interference on @jalenramsey by @teehiggins5. Grabbed his face mask and mugged him. Inexcusable miss
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) February 14, 2022
As a corner you get use to receivers pulling and pushing off. So naturally you adjust to it. But a face mask pull which never happens will completely throw you off especially with your momentum moving in that direction. I'm rooting for Cincy but Ramsey was robbed.
— Chimdi Chekwa (@ChimChek) February 14, 2022
I’m saying OPI bc the face mask was grabbed enough to hinder the DB from making the play. Ramsey was off balance and the tug played part in him not being able to regain his stability.
— Jonathan Rose (@back_on_rose) February 14, 2022
I’m frankly shocked that opening touchdown catch by Tee Higgins was allowed to stand after he CLEARLY snatched Jalen Ramsey’s face mask. Momentum shifting play
— Patrick Karl Thomas (@PatThomasNews) February 14, 2022
OBJ out injured.
Refs didn't call Higgins pull on Ramsey's face mask.
Is this it for the Rams?#SBLVI— Noah Banjo (@4EyedLiwa_) February 14, 2022
Whatever you think of the Higgins-Ramsey face mask, there’s no debating this: if a corner does that to a receiver, flag’s flying.
— Chase Goodbread (@ChaseGoodbread) February 14, 2022
That is a possible game deciding miss by the officials of the face mask on Ramsey. #SuperBowlLVI #SuperBowl
— Ron Waxman 🏳️🌈 (@RonWaxman) February 14, 2022
As refs have done all postseason, they swallow whistle. Higgins face mask. Pulls Ramsey off balance. And TD. Again, I like letting them play. But just not same game in postseason. #Denver7
— Troy Renck (@TroyRenck) February 14, 2022
Oh so Ramsey got pulled by the face mask, Refs screwing them over
— Ku (@KuKhahil) February 14, 2022
LA Rams complete wild Super Bowl comeback
The Rams overcame not only the second half deficit, but also a potentially serious knee injury to wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.
After scoring a touchdown in the first quarter, Beckham sat out the entire second half after he was taken from the field in serious discomfort late in the second quarter.
He watched on as the Bengals took the lead on the aforementioned controversial play from Higgins, but the Rams proved they wouldn't go away so easily.
Their defence continued to hold up, while Cooper Kupp became their most potent offensive weapon with Stafford hitting him several times throughout the fourth quarter.
Kupp scored a 1-yard touchdown with 1:25 left to cap a dramatic drive in which he also converted a fourth-down attempt with a run, caught a few huge passes and drew two key defensive penalties.
His biggest play wasn't the final touchdown but a 7-yard run on fourth-and-1 from the Rams' 30-yard line. That kept the drive going when the Rams offense was sputtering.
Kupp drew a holding penalty later in the drive that was just as big, and a lot more controversial.
Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson was called for holding on Kupp on a third-down incompletion saved the Rams, who got a first down at the Bengals' 4-yard line with less than two minutes to play.
It was hard to say Wilson did enough to earn the penalty, but the flag was thrown anyway.
Kupp had a touchdown taken off the board due to offsetting penalties, but on the next play there was another defensive penalty on a Bengals defender trying to guard Kupp, this one on Eli Apple. Kupp scored two plays after that.
The Bengals got to midfield but with 39 seconds left Aaron Donald got to Joe Burrow on fourth down, and Burrow had to throw wildly. It fell incomplete.
That clinched the first Super Bowl championship for the Rams in Los Angeles. The Rams' only other Super Bowl title came in St. Louis in 1999.
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