4 reasons why the Los Angeles Rams' Super Bowl win is overrated

Heading into the 2021 NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams weren't exactly viewed as world champions. While the addition of Matthew Stafford certainly boosted their title odds, the Rams kept making enormous move after enormous move.

Admittedly, things worked out exactly how they planned it. They knocked off the Cincinnati Bengals to remain the last team standing. Still, their Super Bowl win was a bit ambiguous.

While their praises are still being sung, let's take a look at why Los Angeles' 2021 Super Bowl win might be overrated.

4. Roster was stacked to the gills

During the 2022 season, the Los Angeles Rams refused to let the NFL world off the hook.

They were already in possession of some of the best players in the league. They had Aaron Donald, Cooper Kupp, and Jalen Ramsey, yet the team believed they needed more. So, on a whim, the Detroit Lions willingly handed over Matthew Stafford, in exchange for Jared Goff. Although the immediate results were impressive, LA refused to rest on its laurels.

Willing to forgo their future draft capital, LA brought in the services of Von Miller. They also snagged wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. off the scrap heap.

Los Angeles had a wide variety of All-Pro level talent. However, they were nearly knocked off their high horse by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cincinnati Bengals, and San Francisco 49ers. They won all three postseason games by just three points.

Simply put, the Rams were a ridiculously stacked squad. Their team featured multiple Defensive Player of the Year award winners, countless Pro Bowlers, and future Hall of Famers. Considering their overall squad, winning it all came as no surprise.

3. Luckily, they avoided overtime against the Bucs

Listless and appearing to have checked out mentally, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were seemingly on their way to a one-sided beating during the Divisional Round against the Los Angeles.

Up by a score of 27-3, LA fans began envisioning their squad advancing to the next round. But while Tom Brady and his Buccaneers were being treated flippantly, the future first-ballot Hall of Famer began mounting a hellacious comeback.

LA's sidelines stood speechless as Brady tied the game at 27 apiece. With momentum on their side, Brady depended on his vaunted defense to pull off one more stop to send the game into overtime. Stafford, on the other hand, had other ideas.

Unwilling to allow his team to enter overtime, Stafford sauntered onto the field and buckled down. Cooper Kupp, arguably the best receiver in the league, became his main and, quite frankly, only target.

Somehow, with only a few seconds remaining on the clock, Stafford and Kupp connected on several big plays down the field before getting their field goal kicker in optimum range for a chip shot from 30-yards away.

If Brady's defense had simply held up for one more drive, it's likely they would've kept that momentum going into overtime.

2. A weak offensive line for Cincinnati

Joe Burrow deserves all the credit in the world for pulling and dragging the Cincinnati Bengals to the promised land.

Initially, Burrow and company were viewed as an innocuous group, lucky to make it to the postseason to begin with. Several prognosticators spewed their belief that the Bengals would be put out of their misery by the Tennessee Titans in the Divisional Round. Yet Cincinnati just kept winning.

Ultimately, the Bengals did well to make it to the final game of the year. But they were simply outmatched by a much more explosive Los Angeles team upfront.

Burrow ran for his life against a motivated and determined Aaron Donald and Von Miller. The baby-faced QB still made it a game before ultimately crumbling underneath LA’s perpetual pressure. If Burrow had any semblance of an offensive line, Cincinnati, not Los Angeles, would’ve been the last team standing last season.

1. One easy pick would've changed everything

Matthew Stafford found a San Francisco 49ers player in his face for most of their playoff showdown last season.

Stafford is known for his willingness to push the ball down the field and score points quick, fast, and in a hurry. His offense languished listlessly on the field during the NFC Championship. This happend when only nine minutes remained in the game. Meanwhile, the ball was on LA’s 10-yard line. That was when the quarterback dropped back in the pocket and let it rip.

Seemingly out of nowhere, however, Jaquiski Tartt found himself in the perfect spot at the perfect time. The ball dropped effortlessly into his hands before slipping through his fingers and hitting the turf. If Tartt had simply held onto the football, the 49ers would’ve been given the opportunity to increase their lead. Instead, they were forced to play from behind as Stafford led the Rams down the field to take the lead before winning the game outright.