Following four months of twists and turns, we’ve finally got our matchup for Super Bowl 56 — the Cincinnati Bengals are set to square off with the Los Angeles Rams.
After the rollercoaster ride that was the 2021 NFL season, this is what it comes down to — a showdown between the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI for all of the marbles.
All things considered, this is a rather surprising matchup. Coming into the season, expectations weren’t high for the Bengals. It wasn’t until the final few weeks of the season that they were even seen as legitimate contenders. Expectations were higher (and remained so) for the Rams, but they were also seen as a flawed team for much of the year.
There’s obviously a lot of intrigue at the quarterback position. Stafford, in his first year with the Rams, is finally realizing his full potential after escaping a disastrous situation with the Detroit Lions. Meanwhile, the Bengals are quickly reaping the rewards of spending the first overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft on Joe Burrow. It’ll be interesting to see the two square off in what should be a hard-fought battle.
So what should we be expecting on Feb. 13? Can Stafford add a ring to his Hall of Fame resume? Will Joe Burrow assert himself as another dominant force in the annual AFC championship race? Can the Rams be the second team in a row to capitalize on Super Bowl home-field advantage?
For now, let’s take a look at the two contenders, see what they bring to the table, and then I’ll give you my pick and score prediction for Super Bowl LVI.
What to expect from Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 56
If you’ve watched any bit of Bengals football over the last few weeks, then you know they’re going to live and die by the arm of Joe Burrow. Cincinnati’s fearless leader will be charged with winning this one, and whether or not that happens will depend largely on his play.
I don’t see the Rams struggling to put points on the board, which means the Bengals will have to do plenty of scoring of their own to keep this one within reach. That would require Burrow playing some of his best football of the year, connecting with his top targets like Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins early and often.
Don’t count out the run game, though. The Bengals didn’t abandon the run during the AFC Championship when the going got rough, and they likely won’t do that now. Expect to see a hearty helping of Joe Mixon on Sunday as Cincinnati looks to control the clock and keep the ball out of Matthew Stafford‘s hands.
Either way, I don’t see the Bengals having a hard time finding the end zone.
The problem will be how often they allow the Rams to find it as well. A big part of this game for Cincinnati will be turning up the pressure on Stafford, bottling up the ground game, and simply getting the Los Angeles offense off the field. Slowing Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. will certainly be no easy task.
We know Burrow, Chase, and Co. will produce. So it’s up to the Cincinnati defense to not dig too deep a hole. Whether or not they’re up to the challenge — we’ll see what happens on Sunday.
What to expect from Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 56
Much like the Bengals, we mostly know what to expect from the Rams. Stafford is going to air it out at every opportunity, with some Cam Akers sprinkled in to spice it up. There are, however, a couple of wild cards that could swing this one way or another.
The first wild card is, as it so happens, Stafford. Yes, he’s a terrific quarterback who doesn’t get the credit he deserves for his many underwhelming years in Detroit. However, as we’ve seen at times this season, he can also get a bit sloppy with his ball security. It’s the Super Bowl — excessive turnovers will be a death sentence.
Can Stafford avoid making costly turnovers that take points away from the Rams and give them to the Bengals? For Los Angeles’ sake, let’s hope so.
The other wild card is the Rams’ defensive front. They were among the best units in the NFL this year at getting after the passer, finishing third in the league with 50 sacks. That’s what happens when you’ve got talent like Aaron Donald, Von Miller, and Leonard Floyd hunting quarterbacks. They’ll need to take advantage of the Bengals’ uneven offensive line and make Burrow uncomfortable if they want to keep the Cincinnati offense in check.
If Stafford gets jumpy and the defense can’t keep Burrow on his heels, it could be another disappointing Super Bowl appearance for the Rams. However, if the veteran gunslinger comes to play and the pass rush gets home often, Los Angeles should be taking home the Lombardi Trophy.
The Cincinnati Bengals are Super Bowl 56 champs!
Chances are this one comes down to the final possession, as many of the later-round playoff games have. Whether or not that happens, I’m rolling with the Bengals to earn their first Super Bowl victory in franchise history.
While they don’t have an elite defense, it’s an opportunistic one. They picked off Patrick Mahomes in the clutch two weeks ago, and Stafford hasn’t been shy about flinging the ball around over the last couple of months. A couple of turnovers allow the Bengals to pull ahead and stay there, even with the Rams keeping it close until the final whistle.
And with that, we’ll have witnessed the rise of another potential annual contender in the AFC. Burrow has emerged as a legitimate top quarterback this season, and the Bengals have to be excited about what the future holds for the budding star. If this hypothetical Super Bowl win is any indication, Cincinnati will be near the top of the AFC standings for years to go.
So soak it in, Bengals fans. For the first time in franchise history, they taste the sweetest victory there is to be had in the NFL, removing their name from the list of teams that don’t have the pleasure of displaying a Lombardi Trophy in their trophy case.
That’s it — the 2021-22 NFL season is in the books and the Bengals are champs. See you next fall.
Prediction: Bengals win 31-28