Super Bowl 2022 Score: Quarter-by-Quarter Breakdown of Rams vs. Bengals

The Los Angeles Rams' decision to adopt a win-now mentality, exchanging draft picks to bring in major names such as Matthew Stafford, Von Miller and Jalen Ramsey paid off Sunday as they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20, to win Super Bowl LVI.

Fueled by Aaron Donald and an oppressive defensive unit that amassed seven sacks of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, an iconic drive that saw Matthew Stafford solidify his legacy and a performance by triple crown-winning wideout Cooper Kupp, the team overcame a devastating injury to Odell Beckham Jr. to win in a dramatic comeback.

Cincinnati proved it belonged in the NFL showpiece, holding the lead into the fourth quarter before the sheer will power of the Rams defense imposed itself on the game.

In celebration of another superb championship clash, relive each quarter with this game breakdown. 

In a television production that embraced the similarities of Hollywood and the Super Bowl, the stars burned brightest in the first quarter of the game.

After Los Angeles punted and then held Cincinnati on a 4th-and-1 from their 49, the Rams notched the first points of the contest.

With Vonn Bell in the middle of the field, Stafford looked left and found Beckham one-on-one with Mackensie Alexander in coverage, completing a 17-yard pass for the first touchdown of the game.

It would be the last time Cincinnati would run that particular one-high coverage scheme in the quarter.

Not to be outdone, Burrow responded two possessions later, finding Ja'Marr Chase 46 yards downfield. The rookie beat Jalen Ramsey en route and set his team up in the red zone. Ramsey also saved a touchdown, ripping a ball away from Tee Higgins and forcing the AFC champions to settle for a field goal.

The Rams' failed attempt to get the run game started early continued as the quarter came to an end, wrapping up an eight-carry, 13-yard campaign to this point.

Score: Rams 7, Bengals 3

The Rams appeared poised to pour it on the Bengals as they opened the second quarter.

Stafford shook off a rare miss to Kupp with a 35-yard pass to Beckham. A 25-yard, cross-field completion to Darrell Henderson Jr. followed and an 11-yarder to Kupp off a roll-out to his right earned the Rams their second TD of the game.

A bad hold on the conversion by punter Johnny Hekker left the score at 13-3 but was a microcosm for the way the rest of the quarter would go for the NFC champions.

First, Cincinnati established its run game. Joe Mixon rushed for 25 yards, while Burrow added passes to Chase and Higgins as the Bengals marched down the field. With the Rams keyed in on stopping the run, Burrow hit Mixon in the flat. Nick Scott bit on the play and Mixon tossed a touchdown to Higgins.

With momentum on the opponents' side, Stafford went to Beckham on a 2nd-and-9 play.

The star of the game to that point, the wideout dropped the pass and fell to the turf, clutching his knee. The non-contact injury forced him to the sidelines and five plays later, Stafford threw a critical pick in the end zone as safety Jessie Bates III jumped in front of the pass.

The Bengals failed to capitalize on the turnover, thanks to a Los Angeles pass rush that started getting closer and closer to Burrow. A Rams three-and-out gave the Bengals the ball back but Burrow kneeled down to close out a noteworthy quarter.

Score: Rams 13, Bengals 10

Controversy reigned in the opening seconds of the second half as Burrow found Higgins down the sideline for a 75-yard touchdown after it appeared Jalen Ramsey fell down. Upon replay, it was revealed Higgins grabbed and twisted the facemask of the defender in an uncalled foul.

A disastrous start snowballed for the Rams when Stafford looked to receiver Skowronek across the middle but he bobbled it and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie picked it off. The Bengals tapped on three with another McPherson field goal.

A major missed opportunity defined the Rams' next possession.

Faced with 3rd-and-3in Cincinnati territory, Stafford threw to Akers, who pitched to Kupp. The triple crown-winning receiver threw across the field to his wide-open quarterback. The pass was too high, though, and the Rams settled for a field goal.

Aaron Donald and the Los Angeles pass rush dominated the remainder of the quarter, notching six total sacks of Burrow and keeping the score within four points and setting up a dramatic final quarter.

Score: Bengals 20, Rams 16

Bengals fans were left worried at the conclusion of the first drive of the fourth quarter as Burrow went down in the grasp of Von Miller and immediately clutched at his right leg. As he limped to the sideline, it was unclear what his status for the remainder of the game would be.

The Rams failed to back up their defense's sudden dominance, going three-and-out as Stafford struggled to find receivers to step up and reignite the offense. The Bengals rode running back Mixon to a few first downs, but a dropped pass by Boyd on 3rd-and-9 forced them to punt. 

Then came the drive that defined Super Bowl LVI.

Stafford and the offense took the field with 6:13 left in the game and no semblance of momentum on their side. Then he hit tight end Brycen Hopkins for nine yards. On a desperation 4th-and-1, he handed off to Kupp, who fought through the trenches for a seven-yard run that would provide the spark the team needed.

Gutsy passes of eight to Kupp and six to Hopkins kept the drive alive. Then, a big one: 22 yards to Kupp that defied logic. No matter how many bodies Cincinnati put between Stafford and Kupp, the QB and his favorite target connected.

A defiant run by Akers, who could not get the run going all game long, shot up the middle for eight yards and set the Rams up with a 1st-and-goal situation at the two-minute warning. A 3rd-and-goal from the eight-yard line saw Stafford miss Kupp across the middle until Logan Wilson was called for holding.

A Kupp touchdown was nullified by offsetting penalties, and a defensive pass interference call on Eli Apple set the Rams up with the ball on the one-yard line. Two plays later, Stafford found Kupp for the touchdown. 

Down by three, Burrow took the field and immediately capitalized on the overzealousness of cornerback Ramsey, who fell down while trying to jump the route and hit Chase for 17 yards. A nine-yard pass to Boyd had the Bengals moving until the Rams defense bore down.

An incomplete pass to Chase and a run by Samaje Perine for no gain set up a 4th-and-1.

Donald exploded through the line and wrapped up Burrow, whose pass to Perine fell to the ground. A kneel down by the Rams and Los Angeles had its first Lombardi Trophy.

The Rams are a team built on stars, to perform at their best when the stakes are highest and the pressure at its greatest. Those players—Stafford, Kupp, Donald and Miller—rose to the occasion and won the game for them.

Then there is Hopkins, a guy who caught one pass all season, who proved right the "next man up" mentality the team adopted throughout the season. He tallied four receptions for 47 yards and every one was essential.

For a squad defined by the household names, it was a team effort that led to the Super Bowl victory the Rams were compiled to achieve.

Final Score: Rams 23, Bengals 20