Sport
Super Bowl 56 Preview: Bengals and Rams set for fireworks in LA
After a rollercoaster ride of play-off thrills and spills, it all comes down to the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals as they face off for all the marbles at the Super Bowl.
It all goes down in California this Sunday, and we’ve previewed the action for you below.
Rams ready to defend home territory?
The Los Angeles Rams will have to try and make the most of home-field advantage when they face Cincinnati in the 2022 Super Bowl.
The Bengals, who were 10-7 in the regular season, play without fear and are strong under pressure. They beat the Las Vegas Raiders 26-19 to win their first play-off game in 31 years, then held their nerve to shock the Titans on the road 19-16, before doing the same to Patrick Mahomes’ Chiefs 27-24 in the AFC championship game.
The Rams, 12-5 in regular season, roared past an Arizona side in freefall in the Wildcard round prior to ending Tom Brady’s career with a 30-27 win in Tampa, before being gifted a 20-17 win over their rivals, the 49ers, in the NFC championship game. Yet they lost three on home turf this season and face a team who love being on the road (5-3 in the regular season, 7-3 including play-offs).
Los Angeles – and coach Sean McVay – will be desperate to make up for their last Super Bowl appearance three years ago, a deflating 13-3 loss to the Patriots.
The Battle of the Quarterbacks
Both the Rams’ Matthew Stafford and the Bengals’ Joe Burrow have had their first run through the play-offs to the Super Bowl.
Stafford, surrounded by his team’s star-studded supporting cast and coaching staff, has proved his regular season authority, and showed off his big arm and downfield eye in the play-offs. He has been helped by Sony Michel and Cam Akers on the ground and the brilliance of Odell Beckham Jr out wide and all-action superstar Cooper Kupp through the middle. Expect a few bombs but he is no stranger to throwing himself into trouble too so the Bengals secondary will be on their toes.
Burrow led the all-conquering LSU Tigers to the national championship before being drafted to the Bengals last season. He showed plenty of promise in his rookie year before his injury exploded this season – despite the fact the Heisman Trophy winner has been hit more times than any other quarterback.
However, he has been unfazed by the pressure and there is no cooler QB in the pocket. He can beat teams on the ground with his athleticism scrambling or through the air with his power and accuracy.
In short, Burrow is box-office, he has it all. Not short of options he will find former LSU team-mate Ja’Marr Chase, as well as Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins. Joe Mixon is also a reliable pass-catching threat out of the backfield.
Victory would make Burrow the first quarterback to win college football championship, the Heisman and the Super Bowl and cap an incredible three years to global stardom.
Will Defence reign supreme?
Perhaps the greatest advantage on paper is the Rams’ defence – led by Aaron Donald, Von Miller, Jalen Ramsey and Leonard Floyd – one of the all-time great line-ups.
The Bengals allowed an NFL-high 51 sacks in the regular season which has been a major liability throughout, so to do what Burrow has done despite the lack of protection only adds to his status as the game’s biggest rising star.
Thankfully, the Bengals have fared better in the play-offs. He was sacked three times and hit ten times in the wins over the Raiders and the Chiefs, but Donald and Miller will be licking their lips at this prospect.
The Rams ranked third in the NFL with 50 sacks during the regular season and had 11 players who were credited with at least two.
Who wins the Super Bowl?
Overall, McVay’s team are more well-rounded, and this franchise is built to be Super Bowl champions, if they can grab an early lead, Burrow and Cincinnati may be in trouble.
But, if there was ever a team of destiny, the Bengals are it.
They also have nerveless kicker Evan McPherson, known as ‘Money Mac’, who is 12 from 12 in field goals in the play-offs and if you see him trotting out in the last seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime, you will know the result.
Expect a tight contest. Rams are 1/2 favourites on the Money Line with the Bengals 33/20. The points spread is 48.5 but given there is so much at stake and with two Super Bowl rookies in the middle it will surely be lower.
However, the way this post-season has gone it would be no surprise to see overtime (enhanced to 9/1 from 7/1).
