32 • February 10, 2022 - February 16, 2022
THE NEW YORK AMSTERDAM NEWS
Sports Will the LA Rams end the Bengals’ magical run in Super Bowl LVI? By JAIME C. HARRIS AmNews Sports Editor
(Rams.com photo)
Rams website. “I didn’t appreciate it the first time, but Los Angeles Rams deyou get there the fensive tackle Aaron first time, you’re Donald will be a first kind of thinking ballot Pro Football Hall you’re going to get of Fame selection when back the following he is eligible for election. year. It don’t work The 30-year-old threelike that. Having time Defensive Player of an opportunity the Year and seven-time to battle and find First Team All Pro is one of a way to get here, the most decorated playyou just appreciate ers in NFL history. Yet the it that much more.” one honor missing from A native of PittsFuture Hall of Fame defensive lineman Aaron Donald is one of the key his resume is Super Bowl burg, Donald was players in the Rams’ pursuit of a victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in champion. a unanimous AllSuper Bowl LVI (56) on Sunday This Sunday Donald American in 2013 AM NEWS and the Rams, repreat his hometown 01/06/22 He senting the NFC, will face the AFC’s Cin- game of the season. They lost 13-3 to Bill school, the University of Pittsburgh. cinnati Bengals in Southern California on Belichick, Tom Brady and the New England has anchored a Rams defense that has their home field at SoFi Stadium in In- Patriots in Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta to con- one surefire Hall of Famer in linebacker glewood in Super Bowl LVI (56). It will be clude the 2018 campaign. Von Miller and a likely enshrinee in defenthe second time in the last four years that “This time around, I could hon- sive back Jalen Ramsey. But they’ll have Rams head coach Sean McVay and Donald estly say you appreciate it that much to be at peak performance to slow down will have a chance to win the league’s final more,” said Donald on Monday as per the the Bengals’ potent offense led by quar-
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terback Joe Burrow and his college teammate at LSU, wide receiver Jamar Chase. The Bengals are on a magical run, having won their last two playoff games on the road, defeating the No. 1 seed Tennessee Titans in the divisional round 19-16 and the No. 2 Kansas Chiefs 27-24 in overtime in the AFC championship game. The Rams dismissed the Arizona Cardinals 34-11, the Tampa Buccaneers 30-27 and the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 on their path to the Super Bowl. The Rams’ defensive front and the Bengals’ offensive line will be the game’s most consequential battle. The Bengals line allowed Burrow to be sacked nine times versus the Titans, but Tennessee’s offense could not capitalize on the performance of their defense. A similar poor showing versus 01024 the Rams will be detrimental as Los AngeAM NE les has weapons to 01/06/ 0 a multitude of offensive 7 22784 seize on74470 the opportunities. And that will be the game’s difference. Donald and company will apply the necessary pressure on Burrow to disrupt the Bengals’ offense just enough to help their team earn a tight 27-24 win. 01034
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A lack of Black head coaches is a main storyline of Sunday’s Super Bowl Super Bowl LVI (56) on Sunday between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams will continue to prove that the annual NFL event is America’s biggest game. This will be the first time that the Bengals, the underdog, and the Rams, will meet this season, so there is no head-to-head matchup to reference. There are many storylines including the Bengals’ 25-year-old quarterback Joe Burrow rising to become one of the best players in the league in only his second season and the Rams’ 35-year-old QB Matthew Stafford finally getting his opportunity on the sport’s biggest stage after years playing for the lowly Detroit Lions. But a major story the NFL wants to stay out of the center of Super Bowl discussions is the federal lawsuit filed last week by recently fired Miami Dolphins Afro Latino head coach Brian Flores against the NFL and three of its teams—the Dolphins, New York Giants and Denver Broncos—alleging racial discrimination. “We didn’t have to file a lawsuit for the world to know there’s a problem from the hiring standpoint with regard to minority coaches,” Flores said in an interview with “CBS Mornings” last week. “The numbers speak for themselves. We filed a lawsuit so that we could create some change. And that’s important to me. I think we’re at a fork in the road right now. We’re
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either going to keep it ing veteran, was the way it is, or we’re the Tampa Bay going to go in anothBuccaneers’ head er direction and actucoach from 2009ally make some real 2011. He was the AM NEWS change.” league’s 01044 youngAM NE At the time of Flores’ est head coach 01/20/22 01/20/ 0 7 comments, there was 74470 22784 when he took the only one Black head position. Tampa coach in the league, is where Morris the Pittsburgh Steelreceived his first ers’ Mike Tomlin. Since NFL coaching job then the Dolphins have in 2002 as a defenhired Mike McDaniel, sive quality control AM NEWS 01054 who is bi-racial, and coach. AM NE 01/27/22 Texans elevated Lovie Before join01/27/ 0 7 74470 22784 Smith from their defening the Rams, sive coordinator to head Former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed a federal racial Morris held varicoach, making it three ous coaching titles discrimination suit last week against the NFL and three of the league’s out of 32 teams. with the Atlanta teams ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl Neither the Bengals Falcons on both or Rams have ever had a Black or minor- nati. The Bengals also employ second year offense and defense starting in 2015 and ity head coach. The Bengals do not have a coach Troy Walters as their AM wideNEWS receiv- was the defensive coordinator and interim 01064 Black coach under 38-year-old head coach er coach. He was promoted after his first head coach in 2020. AM NE 02/03/22 Zac Taylor overseeing any of the three most season as an assistant. Todd Hunt is in his Thomas Brown enters 7his second season 02/03/ 0 74470 22784 important units of a football team—offense, third year as an assistant strength and con- with the Rams in 2021 serving as not defense and special teams. Being an offen- ditioning coach. only their running backs coach, but also as sive or defensive coordinator is the most The Rams, led by 36-year-old Sean McVay, the assistant head coach. common path to a head coaching position. have Newark, New Jersey-native and HofsThe Bengals do have Black position coach- tra University alum Raheem Morris as their es. Their running backs coach is Justin Hill. defensive coordinator. Morris was hired by This is his first year. Marion Hobby is the de- the Rams last February after their deAMformer NEWS 01074 AM NE fensive line coach. This is his seventh year as fensive coordinator, Brandon Staley, moved 02/10/22 02/10/ 0 7 a coach, his first with the Bengals. Second- on to become the head coach of the Los An74470 22784 ary coach Steve Jackson is in his 18th year of geles Chargers. coaching, his second season with CincinThe 45-year-old Morris, a 19-year coach(NFL.com photo)
By VINCENT DAVIS Special to the AmNews
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