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Super Bowl champ's 'brutal' act sparks social media frenzy

andrew reid
·5-min read
Pictured here, Aaron Donald gestures towards his ring finger after a massive late defensive play sealed the Rams' Super Bowl win.
Aaron Donald gestured towards his ring finger after a massive late defensive play sealed the Rams' Super Bowl win over the Bengals. Pic: Getty

Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald sent NFL fans into a frenzy after an epic match-winning play in the final seconds of the Super Bowl LVI victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

A late touchdown and Donald's extraordinary defensive heroics helped seal the 23-20 come-from-behind win for the Rams, who denied the Bengals a first ever Super Bowl crown.

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Trailing by by three points in the dying seconds, Cincinnati tried desperately to get the ball upfield so they were in position for a field goal shot that would have sent the game into overtime.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow took a clean snap but the Rams' defensive wall was immediately onto him, with Aaron Donald leading the charge.

Donald broke through the Cincinnati line and threw himself at Burrow in a desperate tackle, before the quarterback tried in vain to release the pass.

The huge defensive play from Donald forced the turnover and sent Los Angles' players and fans into delirium as the result was all but assured.

Donald roared in delight afterwards, before pointing to his finger in a gesture about where his Super Bowl ring would be soon find its home.

The incredible moment sent fans into a frenzy on social media.

Late Cooper Kupp touchdown seals win for Rams

Moments earlier, Cooper Kupp had helped the Rams take a three-point lad after a one-yard touchdown with 1:25 left on the clock.

Kupp was the NFL offensive player of the year after a historic season and he was one of the main reasons why the Rams beat the Bengals in the Super Bowl decider.

Los Angeles' 23-20 victory was a remarkable story of perseverance through injury setbacks that would have crushed most teams — including the Rams, if not for one final scoring drive sparked by MVP Kupp and quarterback Matthew Stafford.

Seen here, Suoer Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp waving to fans after the Los Angeles Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20.
Suoer Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp waves to his family after the Los Angeles Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20. Pic: Getty

The Rams played the fourth quarter of their home Super Bowl with rookies Ben Skowronek and Brycen Hopkins logging significant playing time. That’s because Odell Beckham Jr. went down with a knee injury in the second quarter, leaving the Rams to finish their final game without four of their top six pass-catchers by yardage from the regular season.

In their place, the Rams sent out their two rookies along with tight end Kendall Blanton, a borderline third-stringer when the season began. Running back Darrell Henderson, who hadn't played since Dec. 26 because of an injury, was used extensively as a pass-catching target partly because the Rams had no other bodies to do it.

Improbably, they made it work: Stafford targeted Kupp repeatedly on the final drive, all the way to Krupp's decisive TD catch with 1:25 to play.

The Rams won the Super Bowl with nobody other than Kupp catching more than four passes. For an offence built on star power and variety of attack, this scenario probably wasn't ideal for coach Sean McVay — but the Rams made it work.

The Rams' lack of depth is an unfortunate side effect of loading the top of an NFL roster with big names and huge paychecks. When injuries hit the Rams this season, the depth players that they could afford were not up to the same standard.

The Rams lost Robert Woods, their steady veteran receiver, at midseason with a torn knee ligament. Right before that injury, disgruntled veteran DeSean Jackson asked to leave the team after just seven games.

Los Angeles then lost tight end Tyler Higbee to a knee injury in the NFC championship game, depriving Stafford of one of his most reliable targets. And then in the second quarter of the Super Bowl, Beckham fell to the turf holding his left knee without a defender near him.

The Rams' passing problems were compounded by their utter inability to run the ball — and McVay's insistence on continuing to try. Los Angeles repeatedly ran first-down plays into the immobile line for setbacks and minor gains, but McVay continued to run it with Henderson, Cam Akers and Sony Michel.

Los Angeles had 23 rushing attempts for 43 yards — and it still won the Super Bowl.

with agencies

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