When you go all in at a poker table, sometimes it’s out of desperation.
The Rams weren’t completelyย hopeless as a franchise, but it was pretty obvious that they were a quarterback short after watching their Divisional Round game last season against the Green Bay Packers.
The Rams front office acknowledged a simple fact. The time is now. we’re not good enough, nothing lasts forever in the NFL, it’s time to go for the gusto.
A franchise that already had made their claim of being an aggressive, go get it type of team, traded multiple first round picks to acquire Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions. Stafford had the numbers, but didn’t have the hardware. Many of the pundits wondered if it was a trade worth making.
Of course it was.
The Rams do not win the Super Bowl without Matthew Stafford. Simple as that. Throughout the postseason, Stafford made throws that his predecessor Jared Goff simply could not. Stafford delivered when the Rams backs were up against the wall following a Tom Brady comeback. He delivered when his team was down 10 against the Niners in the NFC Title Game in the 2nd half. Sure enough, he delivered on the final Rams drive of the game in Super Bowl 56.
He was up to the challenge and it sure helps that he had the best receiver in the sport on his side.
Stafford and the Rams trailed late and a lot was working against them. They did not have the services of a top notch running game and Odell Beckham Jr was lost to a knee injury.
Stafford had one guy he could count on. Cooper Kupp. Kupp made every big play down the stretch including the game winning touchdown grab.
The all in nature of the Rams wasn’t just on the offensive side of the ball.
Defensively, they added Von Miller and Jalen Ramsey knowing they already have a defense with one of the best defensive players of all time.
Sure enough, with the game on the line it was future HOF Aaron Donald, the face of the Los Angeles Rams who disrupted two Bengals plays officially sealing the deal for the all in winners.
It was appropriate that for a Super Bowl amongst the City of Stars, the biggest on the Rams shined the brightest.
An all in strategy has the opportunity to blow up in your face or be a smashing success.
The Rams hit the jackpot and will now live forever in NFL history…
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