The storyline of the Rams and Bengals meeting for the first time since Super Bowl LVI was rarely brought up. These are vastly different teams, with the Bengals entering Monday night with a broken offense and the pesky Rams playing with a nothing-to-lose attitude.
Before the Rams swiped the Super Bowl from the Bengals, they had plenty to lose as the aggressive franchise that frequently traded first-round picks for proven talent and better odds for capturing a championship. This year’s Rams weren’t given a shot to even sniff the postseason by most football pundits. But they recorded a surprising Week 1 victory against the Seahawks, allowing them to play freely against a desperate Bengals squad that was staring at a potential 0–3 record.
Los Angeles used that to its advantage, baiting the hobbled Joe Burrow to make mistakes downfield against its secondary that was content with allowing short completion to Bengals wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins. It tested Burrow’s patience, something he hasn’t had for the calf injury that has given him issues since the summer.
