By Bucky Brooks
FOX Sports NFL Writer
With the top players playing like stars in key moments, the NFL playoffs certainly have not disappointed. The outstanding individual performances have shown the football world the difference between good and great players in this league.
Moreover, the playoffs have proven once again that championship-caliber teams feature star power.
Given some time to digest what I watched on Championship Sunday, here are a few thoughts and observations.
Joe Burrow is as good as advertised
Whenever a quarterback is drafted with the No. 1 overall pick, he is expected to reverse a team’s fortunes with his play and leadership skills. Although it takes a village to orchestrate a turnaround, there is little doubt that Burrow’s game and championship swagger have given the Bengals an edge as a title contender.
Joe Burrow's moment
In just his second season, Joe Burrow has led the Bengals to the Super Bowl. After the AFC Championship Game, he reflects on what it took to get there.
In Cincinnati's 27-24 overtime win over the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, Burrow played like a franchise player in the clutch. He completed 23 of 38 passes for 250 yards with two scores and an interception while adding 25 yards on a series of impromptu scrambles.
The numbers do not accurately reflect Burrow's impact on a game in which the Bengals rallied from an 18-point deficit. But the stat line nearly matches the production of Patrick Mahomes, who connected on 26 of 39 passes for 275 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions.
Considering how the play of quarterbacks ultimately determines which teams move on in the tournament, Burrow dueling Mahomes to a draw gave the Bengals a chance to walk out of Arrowhead Stadium with a win. Moreover, the second-year pro’s ability to play well in a high-stakes game set the foundation for a franchise that desperately needed a leader and playmaker to reemerge as a title contender when few viewed it as possible.
Matthew Stafford is worth it
It was a risky proposition for the Rams to trade a pair of first-round picks and Jared Goff for a five-star talent without any meaningful wins, but now that Los Angeles has advanced to Super Bowl LVI, the hefty investment in QB Matthew Stafford seems well worth it.
"Can't write this story any better"
In his 13th NFL season, Rams QB Matthew Stafford talks about finally getting to a Super Bowl.
Stafford was on top of his game in the Rams' 20-17 win over the 49ers, connecting on 31 of 45 passes for 337 yards with a pair of scores. Although Stafford threw a costly red-zone interception attempting to squeeze a pass into tight coverage, the veteran made big throw after big throw with the game on the line.
From his pinpoint passes to Cooper Kupp on a variety of short and intermediate routes to his precise rainbow tosses to Odell Beckham Jr. along the boundary, the Rams’ QB1 put the offense in gear with the game hanging in the balance. Stafford's clutch performance was exactly what Sean McVay envisioned when he made the bold decision exactly one year earlier to move on from Goff, a two-time Pro Bowler with a Super Bowl appearance on his résumé.
Stafford has made a series of clutch plays throughout the postseason. The Rams would not have advanced to the championship round without his ability to produce big plays on the deep ball. That includes his connection with Kupp on the game-winner against the Buccaneers in the divisional round. And the NFC West champs would not be in Super Bowl LVI without Stafford’s playmaking ability shining through in the NFC Championship Game.
To win at the highest level, teams need a five-star quarterback with the confidence, arm talent and poise to get it done with the game on the line. Stafford gives the Rams an A-plus playmaker at the position, and that has been the difference in the team’s playoff run this time around.
The Bengals crack the code
Credit Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo for a number of adjustments that stymied Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City offense. After the Chiefs ran out to a 21-3 lead on a series of long drives, the Bengals finally found a way to contain No. 15 and his explosive weapons in the second half.
From a schematic standpoint, the Bengals did not deviate from the basic four-man rush and max coverage in the back end. Anarumo featured some "man-match" tactics and umbrella zones to keep the Chiefs’ explosive pass-catchers from running free, but the "bend but don’t break" coverage tested the patience and discipline of Mahomes.
With the Bengals intent on keeping the ball in front of their defense, Cincinnati put the pressure on the former MVP to settle for the checkdowns and underneath routes. These tactics were effective earlier in the season against Mahomes, but he had shown more patience down the regular-season stretch.
Against the Bengals, the superstar lost his way, particularly after his poor decision at the end of the first half. His ill-fated swing pass to Tyreek Hill on the final play of the half not only cost the Chiefs points, but it killed the momentum created by Kansas City's strong start. Mahomes never regained his rhythm, and his poor play fueled the Bengals’ comeback.
From his off-target throws to his undisciplined drops and careless drifting, Mahomes abandoned the fundamentals that helped him become more efficient and effective against top defenses. The Bengals capitalized on his blunders while remaining disciplined on pass rush and coverage. With the defensive line rushing only to the depth of Mahomes' drop and the secondary plastering to the receivers running through its assigned areas, the Bengals slowed down a high-powered offense.
That's why it's the Bengals and not the Chiefs who are on their way to the Super Bowl.
The Rams’ "all-in" approach pays off
It's rare for teams to swap multiple future draft picks for multiple stars, but the Rams’ decision to opt for proven players over picks has resulted in the team making another Super Bowl run.
The team’s collective star power has given L.A. a significant advantage over its opponents, and that edge has shown up in key moments in the team’s playoff run. Whether it has been Stafford making clutch plays, OBJ putting up a 100-yard game Sunday or Von Miller adding firepower to a pass rush that already featured Leonard Floyd and Aaron Donald, the Rams' decision to add more stars to a strong lineup has keyed their run to a home game in Super Bowl LVI.
In the playoffs, teams need their best players to play like stars, and it is a lot easier for five-star playmakers to dominate the game at their respective positions. By adding more elite players to the rotations, the Rams increased their odds of a star taking over in clutch moments.
"Stafford, OBJ and Kupp played like star players"
The NFL on FOX crew discusses the Rams' win over the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.
That’s why it's not a surprise to see OBJ making key catches down the stretch. After all, he's a former Pro Bowler with spectacular ball skills and route-running ability. It is also not a coincidence that Miller, with 100-plus sacks on his ledger, has provided persistent pressure on the passer off the edges.
The Rams were counting on their stars, including Donald and Jalen Ramsey, to step up when the games mattered most, and each of their A-level players delivered in the clutch.
With the Rams a win away from being Super Bowl champs, we could see other teams follow this bold blueprint in the coming years.
Bucky Brooks is an NFL analyst for FOX Sports and regularly appears on "Speak For Yourself." He also breaks down the game for NFL Network and is a cohost of the "Moving the Sticks" podcast.
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