SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 13 , 2022. THE WASHINGTON POST EZ SU D13
Tyler Boyd, Bengals wide receiver
Even though he’s considered one of the better slot receivers in the game, Boyd has
become a little bit of a forgotten man. That’s largely because of Chase and Tee Higgins. But
if Burrow is looking for a quick option in the face of the Rams’ unforgiving pass rush, Boyd
could be in for a big Super Bowl.
During the regular season, he was targeted 94 times and caught 67 passes for 828 yards.
But in three playoff games, he has only 10 catches, as the Bengals have been using more
two- and three-tight-end sets. If Bengals tight end C.J. Uzomah cannot play, Boyd could get
even more looks, especially against the Rams’ cover-three defense. Don’t sleep on him.Darious Williams, Rams cornerback
Williams lines up on the opposite side of Ramsey, and he played well enough this season
that a lot of people in the league think he’ll get more than $10 million a year in free agency.
Though he didn’t get an interception this year, he had 71 tackles.
The expectation is Ramsey will match up most of the game with Chase. That puts
Williams in position to get a lot of action. Some of his coverage stats haven’t been great. He
had 55 of 86 completions against him, but he gave up just three touchdowns. This will be a
good showcase for him as he prepares to enter free agency.D.J. Reader, Bengals defensive tackle
Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard are Cincinnati’s primary pass rushers, and they are both
very good. They combined for 21.5 sacks during the regular season. But Reader could be a
vital part of this game.
The interior of the Rams’ offensive line isn’t great. During the playoffs, they had
problems with inside pass rushers. Reader may not be a sack guy — he had only two during
the regular season — but he could put pressure on Stafford and cause problems. Clearly, he
will have single blocking and could be a big sleeper in this game.Cam Akers, Rams running back
Akers had 625 yards as a rookie, and this was supposed to be his breakout season in his
second year. Unfortunately, he tore his Achilles’ tendon in July and missed all but one game
in the regular season.
The Rams have been cautious using him in the playoffs. He had 32, 58 and 30 snaps in
his three games. That has limited his production, which is why he has turned in only 55, 48
and 48 yards in the three postseason outings.
The run game is vital to the Rams’ offense, and with an extra bye week to get ready, it will
be fascinating to see how McVay uses Akers. He is one of the better young backs in the
league, and maybe this will be his breakout game.Evan McPherson, Bengals kicker
McPherson was the sole kicker drafted in 2021. In the playoffs, he has made 12 of 12 field
goals, many of them in key, critical parts of games. During the regular season, he was 28 of
33.
He becomes more valuable if this Super Bowl is a low-scoring game. Naturally, when you
go against an offense as good as the Rams’ and a quarterback as good as Matthew Stafford,
you would rather have touchdown drives than field goals. But Super Bowls can be tricky.
Look at the Rams in their Super Bowl loss to the New England Patriots three years ago —
they basically had no offense.
McPherson gives Bengals Coach Zac Taylor a sense of comfort; if he gets in scoring
position, he knows he can get points.Eric Weddle, Rams safety
Weddle has every reason to be overlooked. He came out of a two-year retirement to join
the Rams at the beginning of the playoffs. Now, he’s one of the most interesting and
unexpected story lines in the Super Bowl.
He was initially filling in for injured safeties, but the Rams felt good enough about what
they saw from Weddle. Even though Taylor Rapp is now healthy, the third-year safety will
be backing up the 37-year-old Weddle on Sunday.
Weddle has done an exceptional job since returning. He became increasingly important
with each passing game. He had four tackles in the divisional round against the Tapma Bay
Buccaneers, then m anaged nine tackles in the NFC championship game.
For the Super Bowl, he’s one of the most important players on the Rams’ defense. Coach
Sean McVay decided to give him the green dot in his helmet. That means he is the only one
to hear the defensive calls, and it’s his job to line everyone up.Super bowl lviICON SPORTSWIRE/GETTY IMAGES EMILEE CHINN/ASSOCIATED PRESSMARK J. TERRILL/ASSOCIATED PRESS EMILEE CHINN/ASSOCIATED PRESSMARK J. TERRILL/ASSOCIATED PRESS JAY BIGGERSTAFF/USA TODAY SPORTSJOHN CLAYTONThey might not be big names,but they could change the big gameMost Super Bowls feature rosters that are star-studded, packed with Pro Bowlers and even future Hall of
Famers. ¶ Sunday’s game is certainly not lacking in star power. The Los Angeles Rams have Cooper Kupp, Aaron
Donald, Von Miller, Jalen Ramsey, Matthew Stafford and others. And on the opposite sideline the Bengals are
able to trot out Joe Burrow, Joe Mixon, Ja’Marr Chase and Trey Hendrickson. ¶ But in Super Bowls there are
often overlooked players who can make an impact. Let’s look at a few who could steal the spotlight Sunday.