The Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals will go head-to-head in Super Bowl LVI.
By Max Steele
The stage is set for the biggest football game of the year: Super Bowl LVI, featuring the Cincinnati Bengals (CIN) and the Los Angeles Rams (LAR). The game will take place on Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium, Los Angeles, with kickoff set for 6:30 p.m.
The game will feature a USF alumnus, Bengals tight end Mitch Wilcox (#84). During his five seasons with the Bulls (2015-2019), Wilcox caught a record-breaking 100 passes for 1326 yards and 11 touchdowns, according to USF athletics. He also set single season records for a tight end in receptions (43), receiving yards (540) and receiving touchdowns (5). Wilcox looks to make an impact for his team in the Super Bowl, especially with Bengals’ starting tight end C.J. Uzomah coming off an injury.
Quarterback comparison: Joe Burrow (CIN) vs. Matthew Stafford (LAR)
Prior to the 2021-2022 season, the Bengals hadn’t won a playoffs game in 31 years, and after going 4-11-1 last season, most analytics considered the team still in the “rebuilding era.” Nonetheless, sophomore quarterback Joe Burrow is only one win away from bringing the Bengals their first ever championship title.
Following a devastating knee injury in 2020, Burrow returned in record-breaking fashion and proved his No. 1 draft pick title. Burrow led the league in completion accuracy (70.4%) and became Cincinnati’s franchise leader in single season passing yards (4,611) and touchdowns (34), according to ESPN.
Burrow and the Bengals finished the season 10-7, earning them a divisional title and the No. 4 seed in the playoffs. Since then, the team defeated the No. 5 Oakland Raiders in the Wild Card Round, upsetting the No. 1 Tennessee Titans and stunning the No. 2 Kansas City Chiefs in a 27-24 overtime thriller, resulting in Cincinnati’s first American Football Conference (AFC) championship title since 1988.
Burrow now has the opportunity to become the first player ever to win the Heisman trophy, the College Football National Championship and the Super Bowl.
On the other side of the field, veteran quarterback and fellow No. 1 draft pick Matthew Stafford looks to lead the Rams to a Super Bowl victory in his first season with the team.
Stafford spent the first 12 years of his career with the lowly Detroit Lions, resulting in a 74-90-1 record and 0-3 in the playoffs. When the Rams acquired him at the beginning of the 2021-2022 season, Stafford threw for 4,886 yards and 41 touchdowns.
Stafford and the Rams finished the regular season with a division-winning 12-5 record and earned the No. 4 seed in the playoffs. Los Angeles has since blown out the Arizona Cardinals in the Wild Card Round, upset Tom Brady’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and defeated the San Francisco 49ers for the National Football Conference (NFC) title.
Stafford and the Rams will also have the luxury of playing the Super Bowl in their home stadium, becoming the second team in NFL history to do so alongside the 2020-2021 Buccaneers.
Wide receiver comparison: Ja’Marr Chase & Tee Higgins (CIN) vs. Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. (LAR)
Super Bowl LVI will feature no shortage of talent in the wide receiver department.
During the regular season, Bengals’ duo Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins combined for 2,546 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns, according to ESPN. Chase is the front-runner for Rookie of the Year, as he broke the franchise record for most receiving yards in a single season (1,455) and the NFL record for most receiving yards in a single game by a rookie (266).
Rams’ duo Cooper Kupp and Odell Beckham Jr. (OBJ) combined 2,484 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns during the regular season, despite OBJ joining the team midway through the year. Kupp had a record-shattering season and earned himself the receiving “Triple Crown” title, leading the league in receptions (145), total yards (1,947) and touchdowns (16). He also became the first player ever to rack up over 2,000 receiving yards throughout the regular season and postseason.
Defense comparison:
The Bengals young defense averaged around the middle of the league throughout the season in terms of points allowed, total yards allowed, tackles for loss, sacks and interceptions. It wasn’t until the playoffs that the team proved their Super Bowl worthiness, forcing seven turnovers over a three-game span and holding the Chiefs, Titans and Raiders under 24 points respectively.
On the other hand, the Rams have had statistically one of the top performing defenses in the league for years now, led by three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year Aaron Donald, All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey and newly acquired Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller. This star-studded defense poses a heavy threat to the Bengals susceptible offensive line.
Other players to watch:
Rookie kicker and University of Florida alumni Evan McPherson has been perfect for the Bengals this postseason, nailing 12 out of 12 field goal attempts, two of which were game winners. The 22-year-old now holds the NFL record for most field goals made in a single postseason without a miss. Running back Joe Mixon has also been a vital part of Cincinnati’s offense and could see some touches in the red zone.
The Rams look to utilize their one-two punch backfield with running backs Sony Michel and Cam Akers. Akers, a Florida State University alumni, is back on the field after making one of the most remarkable comebacks this season, as he suffered a torn Achilles tendon only last July. The two backs will play a crucial role in establishing the run game and posing as checkdown options.
