Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford had a nearly perfect first half. But the Cincinnati Bengals refused to lay down, and the team headed into the lockerroom hot on the heels of the Rams, trailing just 13-10.
Stafford tossed touchdowns to Odell Beckham Jr. and Cooper Kupp during the first half, compiling a near-perfect quarterback rating at one point before an interception just before the two-minute warning deflated his score .
Playing in the biggest game of his life after years with the cellar-dwelling Detroit Lions, Stafford made the most of the big stage. The quarterback was so cool that he even took a delay-of-game penalty midway through the first quarter.
The Bengals clearly came to play. They tried to convert a fourth-and-one opportunity in the first half when they were at midfield. The attempt failed, but it served notice that they were not going to be meek or intimidated by the largely pro-Rams crowd at their home SoFi Stadium.
The Bengals answered the Beckham touchdown with a spectacular one-handed grab by wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, a big play that brought the Bengals inside the five-yard-line. They couldn’t convert that into a touchdown, but later, a trick play that featured running back Joe Mixon tossing a six-yard TD to receiver Tee Higgins tightened the game.
The Bengals lost some field position following the Stafford touchdown when an inactive player came off the bench to celebrate the interception by Jessie Bates III.
The Rams also suffered a big blow in the first half, when Beckham took a bad step and had to be helped off the field. He had previously torn a knee ligament, and the outlook for his return to the game was uncertain. He was having a good game at that point, catching two passes for 52 yards, including the touchdown. If he’s out, that will affect the game in a major way, as the Bengals will focus on Kupp.