Rams' Aaron Donald Almost Got Brandon Allen into Super Bowl LVI

Defensive end's sack of Bengals' quarterback Joe Burrow nearly put ex-Hog into game

In the end, Los Angeles quarterback Matthew Stafford made the play Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow couldn't.

Rams defensive end Aaron Donald had a lot to do with that and nearly got former Arkansas quarterback Brandon Allen into Super Bowl LVI.

The result of all that was a 23-20 win by Los Angeles on a one-yard touchdown throw by Stafford to wide receiver Cooper Kupp.

But it was a third-quarter sack of the Bengals' quarterback by Donald that may have made the difference at the end.

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With Burrow hobbling and wobbling to the sideline, Allen was the next quarterback up, but the Bengals appeared to be willing to roll their starter to the huddle in a wheelchair if necessary.

Burrow clearly wasn't able to push off with an apparent leg injury. The Bengals' offense struggled the rest of the way.

Allen stayed on the sidelines all night.

After Stafford drove the Rams 79 yards in 15 plays before his touchdown pass, the hobbling Burrow had a last chance.

Donald messed that up, too.

After he grabbed Bengals running back Samaje Perine on a third-and-1 attempt, it set up a fourth down for all the marbles.

Burrow wasn't a threat to fake a handoff and sail around an end for a yard and nobody was running the ball much in this game. Donald got where Burrow wanted to be first and his shovel pass fell harmlessly to the ground and Rams could begin the celebration.

Allen may not have made much difference. Donald and the other end, Von Miller, were actually that dominant in this game.

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It was the most dominating defensive effort since Dallas' Harvey Martin and Randy White tormented Denver's Craig Morton in January 1978.

Kupp became the eighth wide receiver in Super Bowl history to win the MVP. It could have been Donald.

He made that much difference in the game.

It also kept a former Hog on the bench.

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