Conference Championship Weekend revealed the participants for Super Bowl LVI. The Cincinnati Bengals upset the Kansas City Chiefs, claiming their first Super Bowl bid since the 1998 season. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Rams return to the Super Bowl for the second time under Sean McVay after
beating the San Francisco 49ers. The title match takes place on February 13 at 6:30 p.m. ET in Los Angeles.
Let’s take a few minutes to introduce the Super Bowl contenders, important storylines to follow, and top matchups we’ll see in two weeks.
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Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford was 0-3 in playoff games entering the 2021 season. Now, he’s led the Rams to three consecutive playoff wins and given Sean McVay a chance to avenge his Super Bowl defeat from three years ago.
Super Bowl LVI Storylines
A new era in Cincinnati
The Bengals made the playoffs five times with Andy Dalton and twice with Carson Palmer. However, before Joe Burrow authored a 26-19 win in the Wild Card Round, the franchise hadn’t won a playoff game since the 1990 season. Cincinnati also hasn’t appeared in the Super Bowl in 32 seasons. Burrow wasn’t alive for Cincinnati’s last playoff win before this year, and the 25-year-old doesn’t seem to care about the franchise’s history of failure.
The Bengals are one of 12 teams without a Super Bowl trophy. The franchise’s young core, represented by Burrow and 38-year-old head coach Zac Taylor, believes they can change that in two weeks.
A combination of hitting on high draft picks and savvy work in free agency built most of Cincinnati’s current roster. Burrow, Jessie Bates III, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins, Evan McPherson, Jonah Williams, and Logan Wilson are all on rookie contracts. Meanwhile, Eli Apple, Chidobe Awuzie, Vonn Bell, Trey Hendrickson, Mike Hilton, and D.J. Reader are recent free agent additions.
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The Rams went all in for this moment
Los Angeles and general manager Les Snead have
a very particular approach to building a contending team. Unlike Cincinnati, the Rams constantly trade and dump draft picks for proven veteran assets. They built a perennial contender around five or six veteran stars, with average players filling in the gaps. Los Angeles hasn’t had a first-round pick since 2016 (Jared Goff) and won’t have a first-round selection until 2024.
The Rams traded two first-round picks, a third-round selection, and Jared Goff to the Detroit Lions for Matthew Stafford last March. The 33-year-old quarterback went 0-3 in the playoffs during his days in Detroit. He wasn’t the MVP candidate many fans hoped for this season, but the former first overall pick delivered in clutch moments this postseason.
Some of the other players Los Angeles acquired or signed since losing Super Bowl LIII include Odell Beckham Jr., Austin Corbett, Leonard Floyd, Sony Michel, Von Miller, and Jalen Ramsey.
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Top Matchups to Watch in Super Bowl LVI
Ramsey vs. Chase and Higgins
The Rams haven’t played Ramsey in his traditional cornerback role for most of this year. He’s lined up in the “star” role, which means taking more snaps in the slot and box. However, Los Angeles might be forced to kick the three-time First-Team All-Pro back outside to deal with Chase and Higgins.
Both Bengals receivers have over 200 yards this postseason. The Chiefs mostly kept Chase in check this weekend, but he went off for 225 yards in Cincinnati’s first two games. Meanwhile, Higgins has 199 yards over his past two games.
Bengals offensive line vs. Donald, Floyd, and Miller
Cincinnati’s offensive line kept Burrow clean for most of Sunday’s Conference Championship. However, we’re not about to forget the nine sacks he took against Tennessee. The Bengals have a weak offensive line, and the trio of Aaron Donald, Floyd, and Miller combined for 27 sacks with the Rams this year.
Last week, the Rams recorded three sacks and 28 pressures against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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