Cincinnati’s head coach Zac Taylor got creative to get in the end zone for the first time.
It took over 20 minutes of game time, but the Bengals finally found the end zone in Super Bowl LVI—and they dug into their bag of tricks to get there.
Cincinnati scored its first touchdown of the game on a six-yard pass from running back Joe Mixon to wide receiver Tee Higgins, catching the Rams' secondary off-guard. Mixon received a toss from Joe Burrow and faked as if he were going to make a run, instead going for the pass at the last second.
It was the first pass attempt of Mixon’s career, though the 2021 Pro Bowler is noted for his versatility. He set career highs in rushing yards (1,205) and receiving yards (314) this season, with 16 total touchdowns. Mixon did have a passing touchdown during the 2016 season at Oklahoma, a 26-yarder to Dede Westbrook.
Taylor is one of several coaches to come from the Sean McVay coaching tree, and both have reputation as innovative play-callers. With his offense stalling up to that point, Taylor’s gamble paid off at a critical time.
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