With just under six minutes left in the second quarter, quarterback Joe Burrow pitched to running back Joe Mixon as the Bengals looked to cut into a 13-3 deficit. Rather than run behind his blockers, Mixon stopped and flipped the ball to wide receiver Tee Higgins for a 6-yard score.
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Much of the narrative heading into Super Bowl 56 was whether the Bengals could protect Burrow enough against a stellar Rams defensive line led by Aaron Donald and Von Miller. They had been running the ball with Mixon to keep LA’s defense honest; he had seven rushes for 40 yards to that point.
After Mixon caught the toss, he ran back a few yards to the Rams’ 15, drawing in a wave of Los Angeles defenders. As they came in, Mixon flipped the ball to Higgins in the back of the end zone.
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Mixon’s pass was historic for him and the Super Bowl. According to Elias Sports Bureau, he became the first non-quarterback to have more than 40 rushing yards and a passing touchdown in a half in the big game, joining two QBs.
It was also the second pass at the collegiate level or higher for Mixon. The first one? Also a touchdown.
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And keen observers noticed that the Bengals took a page from the playbook of a Rams rival:
Needless to say, bettors who had a prop bet on any non-Burrow Bengal throwing the first touchdown pass in the Super Bowl are probably starting the celebration early.
