In the build-up to Super Bowl LVI, one of the biggest questions facing the Cincinnati Bengals when they were on defense was how they wouuld defend the slot, particularly talented slot receiver Cooper Kupp.
The Los Angeles Rams scored the first touchdown of Super Bowl LVI and it indeed came from a receiver aligned inside, but instead of Kupp it was Odell Beckham Jr., who worked himself open on a vertical route thanks to formation, alignment and execution.
After the Rams defense forced a fourth-down stop of the Bengals on Cincinnati’s first possession, the Los Angeles offense got moving. Facing a 3rd and 3 in the red zone, head coach Sean McVay emptied the formation, putting Matthew Stafford in the shotgun and aligning three receivers on the right.
Beckham aligned as the inside receiver, and he ran a wheel route towards the outside while the two receivers on the outside of him broke towards the middle of the field:
OBJ'S FIRST CATCH IS A TOUCHDOWN. #RamsHouse @OBJ
📺: #SBLVI on NBC
📱: https://t.co/K02y40b5Nu pic.twitter.com/4nbf2miuHO— NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2022
The alignment created traffic on two different levels for the defense to deal with, first off the line and then second a bit deeper downfield. First, slot defender Mike Hilton has to navigate the traffic created off the release by the two outside receivers. But deeper downfield, the free safety has to deal wth a pair of routes working towards him, preventing him from rotating over the top of Beckham’s route.
Combine that with a great throw and catch, and you have the first touchdown of Super Bowl LVI:
.@OBJ doing what he does on the biggest stage. #RamsHouse
📺: #SBLVI on NBC
📱: https://t.co/K02y40b5Nu pic.twitter.com/xPx5eHrG6j— NFL (@NFL) February 13, 2022
Stafford puts the throw in a perfect spot, and Beckham goes up to high point the football, crashing to the blue turf with the game’s first points.
