Kelsey Conway, Cincinnati EnquirerFebruary 13, 2022, 9:25 PM·4 min readIn this article:

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• Joe BurrowLiveTodayTomorrowvs--|
• Matthew StaffordLions quarterback

The Cincinnati Bengals fell to the Los Angeles Rams in the final seconds at SoFi Stadium on Sunday afternoon in front of 70,048 fans.

After leading for majority of the second half, the Rams scored in the final minutes and the Bengals' fate was decided on a 4th-and-1 play at the 49-yard line when defensive tackle Aaron Donald made a play on quarterback Joe Burrow.

After a slow start, the game swung in the Bengals' favor in the second quarter when safety Jessie Bates picked off Matthew Stafford right before the half. Cincinnati started with the ball in the second half and on the first play, Burrow took a deep shot to wide receiver Tee Higgins, who scored a touchdown. The scoring play was 12 seconds, 75 yards and one play.

Despite suffering what looked like a knee injury in the fourth quarter, Burrow was able to finish the game. The Rams sacked Burrow seven times and it ended up being what flipped the game in Los Angeles' favor.

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Here’s what happened in the Bengals' loss to the Rams:

Cincinnati’s opportunistic defense created turnovers but couldn't hold off Cooper Kupp in the end

A key reason the Bengals made it this far was the play of their defense and the turnovers they created. Bates and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie recorded interceptions and more often than not when a team wins the turnover margin in the postseason, they win the game. Cincinnati’s defense recorded eight interceptions in the playoffs. The Bengals' defense kept them in the game but weren't able to get off the field on the Rams' go-ahead score.

Following the game, Bates said the team strives to finish plus-two in the turnover margin every game. Despite achieving that feat, he said this game needed more than that and they fell short.

(editor：)