A 16-point victory by one football team over another usually is not considered a blowout, but what River Network broadcaster Joey Klepack witnessed on Oct. 4, 2014, was a rare home loss for the Big Red of Steubenville.
Athens traveled to Harding Stadium with a quarterback by the name of Joe Burrow, a 6-4 righthander who was setting records for passing yardage in the Buckeye State. Burrow was 20-of-27 against Steubenville with 368 yards and two touchdowns, and the Bulldogs remained unbeaten with a 58-42 victory. Burrow was named Ohio’s “Mr. Football” and signed with Ohio State, where he remained for two seasons before transferring to Louisiana State.
“It was a great experience calling that game when Burrow played against Steubenville. We all knew the hype about Joe Burrow coming to town because he was the talk of Ohio high school football that year,” Klepack recalled while he was a guest on River Talk-Wheeling 100.1 FM. “And trust me, he did not disappoint anyone that evening in the storied Harding Stadium. He put on a show for the crowd of over 10,000 fans.
“Sure, Burrow had some really good receivers and a very good running that season, but that kid is a winner, and he single-handedly beat Steubenville Big Red that day,” he said. “He was very respectful. He tipped his cap to the fans, and one of the referees told me that Burrow was probably the nicest football player that he ever encountered on the field. He’s just a class act, and what I saw that Friday night was just an unbelievable talent.”
Burrow won the Heisman Trophy in 2019 after leading LSU to the national championship, and then he was selected first overall by the Cincinnati Bengals to begin the 2020 NFL Draft. On Sunday, following his second professional season, Burrow will lead the Bengals to Super Bowl 56 against the L.A. Rams.
“He did it right that night against Steubenville, and he’s had a great career since. He’s got a big arm, and he’s a smart guy, but he also has a ton of guts because everyone knows that Big Red likes to bring a lot of pressure on the edges. But Burrow stayed in the pocket, held the ball a little bit, and then he threw behind the blitz,” Klepack reported. “He did take a beating that night, but he did what he had to do and he impressed all of us that evening.
“I do expect to see Burrow attempt to do the same against the Rams this Sunday, so we’ll just have to see if it works,” he said. “He’s been in a lot of big games during his career, but this one will be his biggest, so we’ll just have to see how he reacts to the pressure of playing in the Super Bowl this Sunday.”
X’s and O’s
The Rams registered a 12-5 record in the regular season and defeated the Cardinals (34-11), Tampa Bay (30-27), and the 49ers (2017) to reach the Super Bowl. Burrow and the Bengals were 10-7 before claiming postseason victories against the Raiders (26-19), Tennessee (19-16), and the Chiefs (27-24).
Klepack believes for Cincinnati to win the organization’s first Lombardi Trophy after two Super Bowl defeats to San Francisco (1981 and 1988), Burrow must have the time to work his magic under center.
“In their three playoff games, Cincinnati gained 1012 yards on offense, and that means they averaged around 337 per game, but the Rams are averaging around 400 yards per game, and they have thrown for more than 300 yards each game,” Klepack explained. “The two teams are pretty close to the number of points scored each game, and one of the biggest keys to this game is if the Bengals’ offensive line can protect Joe Burrow so he can do what he can do.
“Burrow was sacked 51 times during the regular season and 12 times in their three playoff games,” he said. “That is the big key for Cincinnati. They have to protect Joe Burrow.”
The Los Angeles roster includes several well-known names, including veteran quarterback Matt Stafford, but it was receiver Cooper Kupp, who was named by the NFL as the league’s top offensive player Thursday evening.
“Cooper Kupp is a big, tall, lanky receiver who runs really good patterns. He’s caught 25 passes in their three playoff games for 386 yards and four touchdowns, and that’s why I think he’s going to create a big problem for Cincinnati,” Klepack said. “And he’s just one part of the receiving corps for the Los Angeles Rams, and their quarterback, Matt Stafford, is a veteran who just seems very capable of getting things done.
“The Rams can run the football a little bit, too. These days the NFL games depend a lot on the pass, but the teams still have to show that they can run the ball and the Rams can,” he said. “That’s how you keep the opponent’s offense off the field, and that’s exactly what the Rams will want to do during Sunday’s Super Bowl.”
Super Is Super
Super Bowl 56 is scheduled for SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, the home of the LA Chargers and Rams. The NFC champ was 5-3 in L.A. and Cincinnati recorded five road wins during the regular season.
Oddsmakers have the Rams as 3.5-point favorites, partially because of home-field advantage, but Klepack believes the importance of the championship just may outweigh the Super Bowl’s location.
“The Rams do have something of an advantage because they will get to play in front of their home fans, and they’ll also get to sleep in their own beds the night before the Super Bowl,” noted Klepack, a 15-year veteran as the Big Red broadcaster. “But there are some players who prefer to play on the road because there are far fewer distractions for them when they are away from their friends and family.
“But I guarantee you the Cincinnati players do not care where this game is being played because they have made it to the Super Bowl, and that’s all that matters,” he added. “This is the third time the Bengals will be in the Super Bowl, so I’m pretty sure they are just happy they aren’t playing against San Francisco this time.”
