The Los Angeles Rams are riding high as the new team to beat in the NFL after their thrilling Super Bowl 56 win over the Cincinnati Bengals. The Rams' lethal combination of depth and talent on both sides of the ball is what sealed the win for them. While All-Pro receiver Cooper Kupp put forth an outstanding performance with eight catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner, to come away with Super Bowl MVP honors, the prestigious award actually should have gone to defensive standout Aaron Donald.

Even though it was a balanced attack that allowed them to win their second title in franchise history, there's no denying that the Rams could not bring home the Lombardi Trophy without the heroics of Donald. So, here's a look at the reason Donald, not Kupp, deserved to win Super Bowl MVP.

The reason Rams' Aaron Donald should have won Super Bowl MVP

It goes without saying that Cooper Kupp's timely touchdown catches were huge for the Rams during their comeback win against the Bengals on Sunday, but Aaron Donald changed the game in the second half and came up with multiple defensive stops that won the game for Los Angeles. Donald's relentless pass rush and ability to power through the Bengals' offensive line was a big part of their dominance on the defensive side of the field that played a major part in the Rams' title.

Los Angeles was on the ropes in the third quarter after Tee Higgins' controversial 75-yard touchdown reception and a Cincinnati interception of Matthew Stafford had the Bengals in position to go up 24-13. But on third-and-short from the 11-yard line, Donald sacked Joe Burrow and forced a field goal to make it a 20-13 game. Cincinnati didn't score the rest of the game, with Donald and the Rams' pass rush eating Burrow alive to the tune of seven sacks overall.

On the Bengals' last drive, Donald played a key role in the third-down stop on Samaje Perine, setting up the game-deciding fourth down. And, of course, it was none other than Aaron Donald who put the final pressure on Burrow to win the game. With the game hanging in the balance, Donald proved his value to the team as arguably the best defensive player in football, as well as the heart and soul of the talented Los Angeles defense.

Aaron Donald finished the game with four total tackles (three solo), two sacks, two tackles for loss and three quarterback hits on Joe Burrow in a truly dominant performance. Donald's elite play in the final game of the season was the driving force behind the Rams' championship run and is the main reason he was deserving of this year's Super Bowl MVP, even despite teammate Cooper Kupp's heroics.