Bengals’ Eli Apple comes up small in Super Bowl 2022 to forget

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The Giants would like to forget they ever were associated with Eli Apple, the still-young cornerback who did not have a Super Bowl to remember.

Apple, the Giants’ 2016 first-round draft pick, has been a big part of the Bengals’ defense this season. When they needed him most, though, he was unable to deal with the talent and guile of Cooper Kupp and that was a big reason why the Rams came back Sunday night to win Super Bowl 2022, in dramatic fashion, 23-20.

On the final Rams drive, Apple was flagged with a penalty when he grabbed Kupp’s jersey from behind with the Rams on the Bengals’ 4-yard line. That gave the Rams a first down on the 1-yard line.

Liking what they saw, the Rams two plays later went that way again and Matthew Stafford had no trouble lofting the ball to Kupp in the end zone, with Apple in coverage and never reacting to the pass. It was a mismatch and with 1:25 remaining, the 1-yard touchdown toss provided the Rams with the winning points.

Eli Apple can’t stop the Rams’ Cooper Kupp from catching the winning touchdown.
REUTERS

Apple, 26, resurrected his career in Cincinnati, but he is headed to free agency and he might not be re-signed by the Bengals. He was a disaster with the Giants, immature as a rookie and not ready for the demands of the NFL game. His older teammates grew to be skeptical of his work ethic and former Giants safety Landon Collins called Apple “a cancer.” Midway through the 2018 season, the Giants traded Apple to the Saints. He kicked around with the Panthers in 2020 and latched on with the Bengals this past season.

After he came up big in the AFC Championship game victory over the Chiefs — Apple made a key tackle of Tyreek Hill at the end of the first half — Apple delighted in tweaking the Giants and Saints fan bases, taking to Twitter to speculate which group dislikes him more.

After the way he wilted down the stretch in the Super Bowl, Apple might want to include the Bengals, as far as fan bases that do not care for him.

Eli Apple commits pass interference on Cooper Kupp.
USA TODAY Sports

Ripping Apple on Twitter became a popular postgame activity. Chiefs Receiver Mecole Hardman Jr. posted a picture of his Super Bowl ring and wrote “You might get one of these one day but in the mean time just go get better at your craft.” Saints receiver Michael Thomas posted, “Eli going to eli.”

Not a good night all around for Eli Apple.

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