Super Bowl LVI: Rams’ expectations vs. Bengals’ unexpected run

Earlier than he joined the Rams, Matthew Stafford had by no means received a playoff sport.

Earlier than this season, the Cincinnati Bengals had gone 31 years with out successful one. It was the longest energetic postseason drought of the 4 main skilled sports activities.

Speak about colliding Hollywood tales.

The Rams and Bengals will meet in Tremendous Bowl LVI on Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium, the glistening $5-billion palace that performed host to Sunday’s NFC championship sport.

“It’s past surreal,” mentioned Rams govt Kevin Demoff, ducking out of the locker room delirium to talk to a reporter. “We dream of transferring this staff again to Los Angeles, constructing this stadium, internet hosting a Tremendous Bowl, internet hosting the championship, and we beat the 49ers to make the Tremendous Bowl in your individual constructing? It’s unbelievable.”

To Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, it was all a phenomenal thriller.

“I don’t understand how just like the logistics of it work,” Ramsey mentioned. “Hopefully we are able to get our locker room. I don’t understand how all that stuff works, however hopefully we may be up in our locker room and have the music taking part in and form of get a vibe and hopefully L.A. comes and packs the stadium out. I imply, simply taking part in within the Tremendous Bowl regardless.”

The Rams had misplaced six in a row to San Francisco however washed that each one away Sunday with a 20-17 victory that secured them a spot on the NFL’s largest stage. The Rams would be the second staff to play the Tremendous Bowl on their house subject after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did so a season in the past.

Within the earlier sport Sunday, the Bengals denied the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs a 3rd consecutive journey to the Tremendous Bowl with a 27-24 upset at Arrowhead Stadium.

Each groups needed to overcome large deficits. The Bengals had been down 18 factors earlier than rallying to win in additional time. The Rams trailed within the second half, 17-7, earlier than clinching the win with 13 unanswered factors.

That arrange a showdown between two groups led by quarterbacks chosen No. 1 total, Stafford and the Bengals’ Joe Burrow, and two head coaches who used to work facet by facet.

Bengals coach Zac Taylor, proven holding the Lamar Hunt trophy given to the AFC champion, was an assistant coach for the Rams the final time they went to the Tremendous Bowl.

(Charlie Riedel / Related Press)

Cincinnati’s Zac Taylor was an assistant large receivers coach in Sean McVay’s first season with the Rams, then quarterbacks coach on the 2018 Rams staff that misplaced within the Tremendous Bowl to New England.

“Nice resilient staff,” McVay mentioned of the Bengals. “It didn’t look good for them, and so they’ve simply continued to point out why they’re a mentally powerful outfit. I feel that’s mirrored by their head coach. I do know what an ideal coach he’s.

“They’ve achieved an ideal job this 12 months. We’ve crossed over with them a bit bit however I’m wanting ahead to diving into the tape and determining how we are able to put collectively a great sport plan to attempt to see if we are able to end this factor off.”

One of many gamers who voiced a convincing advice for Taylor was Rams sort out Andrew Whitworth, who spent his first 11 seasons with the Bengals and final 5 in Los Angeles.

“And not using a query, a bit piece of me remains to be there with them,” Whitworth mentioned. “After which clearly right here and every little thing I’ve given to this place. It’s a scenario I didn’t dream of ever attending to do, so it’s going to be such a cool, unbelievable second.”

Cincinnati is 0-2 in Tremendous Bowls, dropping to the 49ers on the finish of the 1981 and ’88 seasons.

Boomer Esiason was Cincinnati’s quarterback within the second of these, when Joe Montana directed a 92-yard drive within the remaining three minutes, throwing the successful landing go to John Taylor with 34 seconds left.

In a textual content Sunday night time, that former Bengals quarterback in contrast the present one to a different NFL nice.

“Burrow’s bought some [Tom] Brady-like tendencies,” Esiason wrote.

Burrow has two excellent receivers in rookie Ja’Marr Chase — his former teammate at Louisiana State — and Tee Higgins.

However the Rams have two star receivers of their very own who performed large roles in getting them this far. Cooper Kupp, who made a powerful case for this season’s NFL most-valuable-player award, scored each touchdowns for the Rams on Sunday. And Odell Beckham Jr. made 9 catches in opposition to the 49ers, a number of of them crucial.

Requested about Stafford, Beckham mentioned: “It’s every little thing you’d hope and want for. He had that look in his eyes all sport. He motivated us. He pushed us. One play at a time. He drove us down. And he’s been doing that each one postseason. All season, actually, since I’ve been right here. He’s had that look on him. Simply glad that we may get him up to now.”

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