The meltdown coming out of halftime happened, and now the Rams’ defense was responding in a very big way. Over the Bengals’ next four possessions L.A. yielded just one first down. On the sideline, amongst the guys pulling that off, there was eerie calm; defensive coordinator Raheem Morris described it as similar to what you’d see around a pitcher throwing a no-hitter. It was quiet. No one dared look at the big picture and risk putting the stakes ahead of the next play.
Maybe, deep down, Morris had a feeling it was coming. Maybe the other Rams defenders did, too, since Aaron Donald had seemed to find his voice and became more vocal as a leader during the playoffs. Regardless, Donald’s timing—as it would be with the biggest plays in the biggest game of them all—was flawless.
USA Today Sports (3)
