Super Bowl Quick Prep
Super Bowl 56 will soon be underway this Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, where the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams will go head to head.
Los Angeles Rams:
After many trades and arguably building a super team, the Rams were able to make it to the Super Bowl for the second time under Coach Sean McVay. The Rams will be the second team in NFL history that has home advantage in the Super Bowl, the first being last year when Tom Brady did it with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This Super Bowl is also a big deal for Rams quarterback, Matthew Stafford. After 13 years spent in Detroit with the Lions, he was 0-3 in his playoff appearances. However, in his first year with the Rams, he has made it to the Super Bowl, going through a tough Cardinal’s defense, Tom Brady, and the stunning 49ers team that had beaten them twice before the championship matchup.
The Rams are the favorites to win with all the additions they have been able to acquire during the season. They are the team that has the most pressure. Players like Von Miller, Odell Beckham Jr, and Stafford are just some players that have enhanced the overall team.
Miller has been recently reported to say that he went to LA because he got traded, not necessarily because he wanted to leave Denver, according to ESPN. On the other hand, Beckham Jr had a huge rollercoaster ride to get to where he is today. He was young and reckless with his drafting team, the New York Giants, and was not used to his maximum potential in Cleveland with the Browns. Many people are rooting for him and recognize his tough path in getting to a team where he is a great fit.
During the season, Stafford had 4,886 passing yards, Beckham Jr finished the season with five touchdowns, and cornerback Jalen Ramsey had 4 interceptions, all according to ESPN. This team is balanced out on both the offensive and the defensive sides. However, they did close out the regular season with a loss that had a lot of people questioning how far they would go into the playoffs.
For the Rams, it will ultimately come down to whether they show up to play to their full potential or will it be a replay of their last regular-season game.
Cincinnati Bengals:
With the second-year quarterback, Joe Burrow, and the offensive line that allowed nine sacks in a Divisional Round game, the Cincinnati Bengals are in the Super Bowl for the third time in franchise history.
After Burrow went down last season with a torn ACL, there was speculation on whether he was going to come back stronger or, like many others, not have a comeback at all. However, in his first season back from injury, he led his team to a win over the Kansas City Chiefs twice in the regular season and in the championship game, to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
If the Bengals win this will be the franchise’s first ever Super Bowl title. Joe Burrow will also become the first to win the National Championship, the Heisman Trophy, and the Super Bowl in three years. There is a lot at stake for both the franchise and the stud quarterback that has stunned the league.
Wide receiver, Ja’Marr Chase and the defense led by cornerback Eli Apple, will also be winning their first title. This team is the opposite of the Rams, as they have no veterans that have made the Super Bowl trip before. They are mostly all no-names or players that are just getting their career started. They are young and new, but they are hungry and have shown nothing less during their playoff run.
The Bengals were the underdogs and the team nobody really watched out for during the playoffs. In years past, they were known to not get past the first round. However, with Burrow, the whole atmosphere surrounding the team changed. The sophomore player stunned the Las Vegas Raiders in the first round. The defense dominated in the divisional round to take the ewin, despite Burrow taking nine sacks. In the conference championship round, they cleaned up the offensive line, and despite being down 21-10 at halftime, kept their cool, recollected and came back to win.
This team has overcome a lot of diversity in their run, but they have been commended on how confident and calm they remain in any and all of the situations they have been in during games. For this Bengals team, the focus will be how resilient and patient they are with one another. The key is not letting this big stage intimidate the way they play and trust each other.
This Sunday will be an exciting one with two of the top teams in the NFL going head to head in the world’s biggest stage. Don’t miss out on the game of the year on NBC at 6:30 p.m eastern/5:30 p.m central time.