🏈🏈 Super Bowl LVI Preview 🏈🏈

             

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Super Bowl LVI

Los Angeles Rams vs. Cincinnati Bengals
Sunday, February 13, 2022 6:30pm EST, 3:30 PM PST
SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

Los Angeles Rams 

vs 

Cincinnati Bengals

And then there were two.

This was an unusual season, with a lot of unpredictable twists and turns. There were some great games, even at least one that is already considered one for the ages, with some suggesting it was the greatest playoff game in NFL history. All of it was played for the right to play in this particular game, of course.

Yes, I am obviously talking about the Super Bowl. It is just four days away now!

The Bengals and the Rams. Two teams that most people would not have figured would necessarily reach this far. Certainly, I cannot claim that either of those two teams would be representing their conference in this year’s Super Bowl.              

Still, there are degrees moderating the level of surprise. To illustrate that point, I would suggest that the Rams making it was a relatively mild surprise. Sure, they did not look like they were as good as either the Buccaneers or the Cowboys or the Packers, and that the 49ers seemed to own them. Still, they were in the Super Bowl just a few years ago, and actually were competitive in it, to boot. So it was not exactly a shock to see them there.              

Now as for the Bengals, that was rather shocking to see them make it this far, and go to the Super Bowl. I thought that they would likely improve, particularly because Joe Burrow is developing nicely into an elite quarterback. However, he really improved by leaps and bounds this season. Who knew that it would help propel this team to three playoff wins, two of them on the road (the first playoff road wins in franchise history) and set a club record for biggest comeback in a playoff game, as well as most wins in a single postseason?              

Yet, here we are. The Bengals first knocked off the Raiders in the Wildcard round, which was not a shock. Then, they stunned the top seeded Titans in Tennessee, and that was rather surprising, although not a shock. But I did not figure them to have much of a chance at all against the Chiefs at Arrowhead, and frankly, I would have put their chances at just next to zero to come back against KC after they fell behind, 21-3. I work overnights, and figured it was safe to turn off the television sets, as Warner Wolf used to say, and go ahead. When I woke up and checked the score, it was mostly to see how badly the Chiefs had beaten the Bengals, because it sure looked like the route was on.              

Then, seeing that Cincinnati had come all of the way back to win it? That truly was a stunner, something completely unforeseen. I had underestimated them, and their composure. I had expected home field advantage and a ton of playoff experience to count for a whole lot more for the Chiefs.         

So yes, I was wrong. But a lot of people were wrong right along with me. The Bengals have apparently been fitted with the Cinderella slippers for this postseason. The question is, will the bell toll midnight for them on Super Bowl Sunday, or will they live happily ever after with their storybook season ending with the first ever Lombardy Trophy for the franchise? 

Who has the advantage heading into the big game?              

Well, the Rams statistically have the more productive offense. This postseason, they averaged just shy of 400 yards per game, and put up impressive numbers with their passing game, and decent numbers with their running game. In addition, they averaged 28 points per game. So this is not the “Greatest Show on Turf” version of the Rams offense, not a video game offense. But they can move the ball efficiently, and they can score. In the regular season, Los Angeles 460 points, averaging just over 372 yards and 27 points per game.              

The Bengals offense averaged just over 337 yards per game during their playoff run. Their passing offense was good, as was their ground game. They averaged 24 points per game in these playoffs. In the regular season, Cincy scored 460 points, averaging just over 361 yards and 27 points per game.              

On defense, the Rams were very solid in these playoffs. They allowed an average of just over 274 yards per game, and were very tough for opposing teams to run on. On average, they allowed just over 18 points per game. As for the Bengals, they allowed on average 371 yards per game, but were a little more vulnerable against the run. Opponents averaged just under 20 points per game against them. In the regular season, the Bengals had some lapses on defense, but the defense stepped up in a very big way in this postseason. Ask the Raiders. Or the Titans. Or the Chiefs.              

Now, while those statistics may seem favorable to one or another team, it should be remembered that they faced very different opponents. Remember, the Rams faced and defeated the Cardinals and 49ers at home, and the Bucs in Tampa Bay. The Bengals beat the Raiders at home, and then defeated the Titans and then the Chiefs on the road.            

Here’s the thing: the Rams sure seem to be the better overall team. That almost always would go a long way in this biggest game of all. Los Angeles still has undeniably more experience, and most likely, they also have the better overall talent. Also, they sure looked like they were playing their best in these playoffs.              

But how much does that matter? After all, I would have said the exact same thing heading into last weekend’s game for Kansas City, and look how that one turned out. Right now, truth be told, the Bengals almost seem like a team of destiny. The ball seems to be bouncing in their direction, and they just kind of feel like the type of team where everything keeps going their way. Of course, the question is whether or not that will be enough not just to take them to the Super Bowl, but to hoisting that elusive trophy at the end of the big game.

On a personal note, I was particularly glad to see the Cincinnati Bengals qualify for the Super Bowl for the third time in franchise history. They played in the first Super Bowl that I ever watched, back in January of 1982. I was pulling for them back then, most likely mostly because I liked their uniforms. But they lost. Then, I was pulling for them again when they made it back to the big game in January of 1989, in a rematch against the 49ers. Once again, they lost.

Also, I am pulling for the Bengals for another reason, and it is one that fans of other sports teams from smaller markets and cities can likely relate to. The city of Los Angeles is hardly starving for sports championships. If the Rams win, this would be the third major sports title for Los Angeles in a span of just over a year and a half or so, because the Lakers won the NBA title in 2020, and then the Dodgers won the World Series a few months after that. And the city of Los Angeles has possibly won more major sports titles since the 1980’s then any other city. The Lakers alone have won 11 NBA titles, more than any other franchise in any major sport during that span (I could go the rest of my life without seeing them win another, quite frankly). The Dodgers won three World Series during that span (1981, 1988, and 2020), and the Kings won two Stanley Cup titles (2012 and 2014). Finally, the city even won a Super Bowl title, back when the Raiders played for the city following the 1983 season. Add that up, and it is 17 major sports titles. The only cities that I can think of which might even come close to competing with that would be New York, Chicago, and Boston, and maybe the San Francisco Bay area, if you include Oakland teams as well.              

Cincinnati? Well, they only have two major sports teams in town, the Bengals and the Reds. The Reds won the World Series in 1990, and I actually remember them winning it all that year. They also won two straight World Series back in the mid-seventies. And that’s it for the Cincinnati region for major sports titles since World War II. It is a small city, and they do not even see their teams make it to such a lofty platform very often. Remember, the Bengals had not won a single postseason game in well over three decades prior to this postseason. They did make it to the Super Bowl twice in the eighties, but lost both to the same team, and the last one was in particularly heartbreaking fashion. That’s it. Three major titles in the past half century, and not one single championship in over 30 years. Hell, this appearance by the Bengals marks the first time a Cincinnati team has even made it to the big stage in either sport since the Reds won that title in 1990.              

So yeah, I kinda wanna see the Bengals win it, and win it all finally, once and for all. Who knows when, or even if, they will get the chance again, especially if they fall short again this time around.        

Well, they are back in it again. And guess what? Yes, I am pulling for them again. 

In part, I am pulling for them because the city of Cincinnati, which I found to be pleasant, is largely considered part of "fly over country." By contrast, Los Angeles has a ton of stuff that makes it appealing for many people, and makes it an appealing destination for both tourists and those who want to move somewhere with hopes of better opportunities. It is a sunny city with what I understand is supposed to be ideal weather almost all year long. They have pristine beaches and streets lined with palm trees. They have Hollywood and the boulevard with all of those movie stars on the sidewalk. It is considered the entertainment capital of the country, if not perhaps even, arguably, the world. Los Angeles has songs sung about it from bands like Guns 'n Roses and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. In short, this city has plenty already. They don't need another major sports title to enhance the city's image.

Cincinnati is a lot less famous and glamorous, although I actually enjoyed my visit to the city. It is an attractive enough city, with a very cool bridge that reminded me of the Brooklyn Bridge. Also, it has the spectacular Fountain Square in the city center, which was both my son and my own favorite spot during our too brief visit to the city, and that would not look out of place as an attractive tourist destination in some famous European city. It has an impressive zoo and botanical garden, an art museum that helps the city's reputation, and a pretty decent aquarium, as well. I heard that they have some charming neighborhoods, although my time visiting the city was a bit too short to get to know that side of it, unfortunately. 

Yet nobody talks about Cincinnati, and it is not usually regarded as some kind of major tourist destination, or necessarily regarded as an ideal place to live. Maybe it does not have the harsh reputation of it's sister city in the northeastern part of Ohio, nor is it compared with Detroit. In fact, a lot of people seem to love it. But it is overlooked, and if anything, the Cincy sports teams, far from bringing positive attention, almost seems to reinforce the city's virtual anonymity of a national level. A major sports championship - the first for the city in over three decades - might do wonders for the city, and the people living in and around it. It would bring positive attention, and would likely help the community in a number of ways, not least of all with pride. They only have two sports teams, so championships tend to be few and far between. This is a rare opportunity, only the third time that this franchise has ever made it to the Super Bowl. The previous two appearances were heartbreaks, especially the second one. Hopefully, the third time is the charm.

My pick: Cincinnati