The Ultimate Guide to Super Bowl LVI

*If you don't like reading, click this link to watch my YouTube channel and the episode that goes along with this article, "NFL Updates Express Super Bowl 56." You'll miss out on exclusive content though which is why you should....READ ON!

Another season down in the NFL. What a ride it was! With the "biggest season ever," we saw playoff expansion from 12 to 14 teams which created a LOT of drama. A pair of Pennsylvania teams took advantage of the new addition of the seventh seed (Eagles, Steelers) as future HOF'er Big Ben got to play in one last playoff game before heading out into the sunset. Meanwhile, Tom Brady broke more records, got revenge against his former team in primetime...oh, and he came back from a 27-3 deficit *cue shuddering Falcons fans*. Unfortunately for Brady and the Bucs, they lost that 27-3 comeback which soon became the last game of Brady's career as he officially retired from professional football on February 1st at age 44.

There were so many other exciting storylines and stat-busters in the 2021 season too. Quarterback Cam Newton said "I'M BACK" as he returned to the Panthers, Trevon Diggs had an astonishing 11 interceptions for Dallas, T.J. Watt tied Michael Strahan's seemingly untouchable sack record, and Cooper Kupp accomplished the rare receiving "triple crown," leading all pass catchers in receptions, touchdowns, and yards. With all that out of the way, it's time for Super Bowl LVI (56) and only one team can take home the league's most prestigious prize. Who's playing in the big game? Who's performing in the halftime show? Most importantly, who's winning it all? Read on to find out...

Meet the Teams

AFC Champion: #4 Seed: Cincinnati Bengals (13-7)

Last Super Bowl appearance (1988 season)- lost to San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XXIII (23); 0-2 in Super Bowls

Team comparison: 2003 Carolina Panthers (from 1-15 in 2001 to Super Bowl 38 in '03-'04 season)

This is not a drill. No, you're not dreaming. The Cincinnati Bengals are champions of the AFC for the first time in 33 years. First it was the Cincinnati Bearcats making a stunning run to the College Football Playoff and now this? What is going on in Ohio?

If you love to root for an underdog story, look no farther than the boys in orange and black. This is about as close to a Cinderella run as you will ever see in the NFL. Just last season, the Bengals finished with a paltry 4-11-1 record and still looked to be a couple of years from being a serious contender. It was clear that Cincinnati had made the right pick with their star quarterback Joe Burrow as the number one overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft. However, with a porous offensive line, the Heisman Trophy winner suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 11 of the 2020 season, casting doubt on if the Bengals would ever be able to put an adequate supporting cast around their signal caller. That's where Ja'Marr Chase comes in. Chase, who was Burrow's top target during their historic 2019 season at LSU, has blossomed into a top ten receiver in the pros.

With all the hype behind stud quarterbacks in the AFC like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Herbert, it's Burrow who rose to the occasion in his first fully healthy season as a starter. His unusual composure under pressure has helped Cincinnati end their three decade run of playoff futility. 0-7 in road playoff games? Not any more. After taking down the #1 seed Titans in Nashville, the Bengals stormed back from 18 points down in the AFC Championship Game to stun the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime.

Even the most optimistic Bengals fan couldn't have imagined a Super Bowl run or even winning the AFC North division. Now, does Cinci have a little more magic in them to stun the nation and capture the Franchise's first Lombardi?

NFC Champion: #4 Seed: Los Angeles Rams (15-5)

Last Super Bowl appearance (2018 season)- lost to New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII (53); 1-3 in Super Bowls

Team Comparison: 2020 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (head scratching losses to division rival [49ers] and a great veteran QB making Super Bowl in first season with their new team)

The NFC's representative for Super Bowl LVI is the Greatest Show on Turf, the Los Angeles Rams. Long gone are the days with Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner manning the show but instead, Matthew Stafford has done his best to bring LA back to the glory days. The Rams were recently in the Super Bowl three years ago but lost in an ugly game to New England. Now, head coach Sean McVay and Co. will be looking for redemption, playing the Super Bowl in their own home stadium. What more could you ask for? LA started the year 7-1 before losing 3 straight games. Since then, they've only had one hiccup, a Week 18 OT loss to their division rival, the San Francisco 49ers.

Most people expected LA to be in the Super Bowl mix in 2021 and they have delivered up to this point. With a top ten quarterback (Stafford), a top three receiver (Kupp), and three of the league's greatest defenders (Ramsey, Donald, and Miller), there is not much room for error on the opposing sideline. Can the Rams write a true Hollywood ending and give the franchise its first Lombardi since the 1999 season?

Halftime Show

Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar

Game Analysis

It's "Who Dey vs. LA!" The 56th installment of the biggest game in American Sports is here as the NFC's Los Angeles Rams take on the AFC's Cincinnati Bengals for the right to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

Now I'm not going to lie, it still feels weird to see the "Bengals" and "Super Bowl" in the same sentence but yet...here they are. Led by quarterback Joe Burrow, he's brought a new vibe to Cincinnati and helped completely change the culture almost overnight. It's not just the quarterback position that has improved but an overall roster overhaul which has now paid dividends much earlier than expected.

On offense, the Bengals have a trio of dynamic receivers. Most notably, rookie Ja'Marr Chase has exploded onto the scene, posting 81 receptions for 1,455 yards and 13 touchdowns. With his solid speed and ability to win jump balls in the end-zone, the Rams will have their hands full with the former LSU star. Second-year pro Tee Higgins isn't too shabby himself posting an 1,000 yard season and veteran Tyler Boyd had been crucial in the slot and providing yet another option for Burrow. Their starting tight end, C.J. Uzomah, was seen in crutches during the second half of the AFC Championship which means Boyd and Higgins may be counted on even more if Uzomah doesn't play. Finally, running back Joe Mixon posted a career-best season, reaching paydirt 13 times and rushing for over 1200 yards.

Defensively for Cincinnati, look to defensive ends Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard. Hendrickson quietly racked up 14 sacks this season while Hubbard has been a steady contributor on the team since being drafted in the third round in 2018. In the secondary, the Bengals have a top flight safety in Jessie Bates III out of Wake Forest. He'll be super important to not let the Rams receivers break through.

Speaking of the Rams receivers, they have an explosive trio that will cause all sorts of trouble. Receiver Robert Woods tore his ACL in a mid-November practice but Odell Beckham Jr has picked up the slack. After a few mediocre years with Cleveland, OBJ looks to be back in form once again. He won't quite have all the spotlight as he did with the New York Giants as there is an even bigger threat that will be on the field with him. His name is Cooper Kupp. As previously mentioned, Kupp accomplished the rare "triple crown," illustrating how dominate he's looked all season long. Finally, Van Jefferson is fully capable of taking the top off of the Bengals as well and must be accounted for.

Who will be throwing them the ball? That would be veteran Matthew Stafford. He has been a fantastic quarterback for the large majority of his career but was hindered by the ineptitude that is the Detroit Lions franchise. Sorry Lions fans. After being 0-3 in the playoffs throughout his car, Stafford and Co. powered through Kyler Murray, Tom Brady, and Jimmy Garoppolo to get to the big game. This game is huge for Stafford's legacy and Hall of Fame chances and undoubtedly, he'll be well-prepared to win in his biggest moment of his prolific career.

How do the Rams win this game? It's pretty simple. The biggest weakness for the Bengals is clearly their o-line. In the Divisional Round contest against the number one seeded Tennessee Titans, Burrow was sacked an astonishing NINE times. It's almost a given that Cinci's offensive line will be unable to hold up against the Rams ferocious pass rush tandem. LA's defense sports three-time defensive player of the year Aaron Donald and Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller. With that said, it will be up to Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan to scheme quick passes to avoid getting sacked. Offensively, just get the ball to Cooper Kupp. Don't overthink it. Kupp is going to win the majority of his battle so the Bengals have to limit the damage and not let him go "Beast Mode."

On the flip side, the Bengals need to find a way to move the ball on offense if Ja'Marr Chase is locked down. Jalen Ramsey has been one of the best cornerbacks in football since entering in the league and the question for LA will be: "Can he stop Chase from taking over the game?" If Ramsey wins the battle, can Burrow shift his focus to Higgins and Boyd in the passing game. Cincinnati likely won't have much success rushing the football as the Rams are top five in the league at stopping the run (95.8 rushing YPG). Joe Mixon and backup Samaje Perine are obviously capable backs but I doubt it'll be their focus in this one. Expect a quick strike passing attack from Burrow.

When the dust settles, who will win Super Bowl 56? Will it be a "Ram Redemption" or a "Bengal Breakthrough?" In my eyes, this game could go either way. The Bengals haven't performed well in the first half of games this year so expect Los Angeles to get out to an early lead. However, that doesn't mean that hope is lost for the Bengals. All the hype is around Los Angeles' vaunted defense and rightfully so. However, I think it will be the unheralded stars on Cincinnati's defense that will make adjustments in the second half and make the game interesting similar to how the Chiefs game went.

Ultimately, I think the Los Angeles Rams are the better team in this matchup...but the better team doesn't always win the Super Bowl. I expect a semi low-scoring game which means one mistake could be the difference. In a classic game, Stafford will throw a costly interception, setting up the Bengals to have the ball last with the game tied at 20. Joe Burrow, who reminds me a lot of a more athletic Tom Brady, will set up kicker Evan McPherson for a game-winning field goal attempt. McVay will try and ice McPherson. Similar to the Patriots first Super Bowl against Kurt Warner and the Rams in 2001, Burrow will become "that guy" and help complete the Cinderella run as time expires and finally end Cincinnati's title drought once and for all. At long last, the "Bungles" no more.

Cincinnati Bengals 23, Los Angeles Rams 20

Super Bowl MVP: Joe Burrow, QB, Bengals

Game Projection

1st Quarter

Evan McPherson 39 yard FG- 3-0 Bengals

Odell Beckham Jr 11 yard TD- 7-3 Rams

2nd Quarter

Matt Gay 52 yard FG- 10-3 Rams

Evan McPherson 37 yard FG- 10-6 Bengals

HALFTIME: Rams 10, Bengals 6

3rd Quarter

Tyler Boyd 5 yard TD- 13-10 Bengals

Tee Higgins 26 yard TD- 20-10 Bengals

4th Quarter

Cooper Kupp 58 yard TD- 20-17 Bengals

Matt Gay 46 yard FG- 20-20 tie

Evan McPherson 51 yard FG- 23-20 Bengals

FINAL SCORE: Bengals 23, Rams 20

The X-Factor

Trey Hendrickson, DE, CIN- The first X-Factor is one of the most underrated pass rushers in the NFL. The fifth year pro has been a late-bloomer as far as production and opportunities go. 27.5 of his 34 career sacks have come in the last two seasons. He didn't become a full time starter until 2020 with the Saints where he racked up 13.5 sacks and followed it up this year with 14. Now, Hendrickson has his biggest task yet of getting by the likes of former Bengal and four-time Pro Bowler, Andrew Whitworth, at left tackle. If he can cause havoc in the pocket on Stafford and speed up his progressions, it should help the Bengals secondary hold up for all four quarters.

Leonard Floyd, OLB, LAR- The second X-Factor is another pass rusher but one you may not expect. With Von Miller and Aaron Donald likely commanding the most attention for the Bengals O-line, I believe that Floyd, who has 9.5 sacks on the year, could burst onto the scene and make life miserable for Burrow's offense. There is only so much scheming you can do to stop the pressure and having three capable defenders that can get to the passer may give LA a huge advantage.

Tyler Boyd/Tee Higgins, WR, CIN- It's no secret that Ja'Marr Chase is a BEAST but let's give some love to the other two Bengals receivers that have made plays all season long. Boyd, the longest tenured receiver on the team, has been very consistent in the slot. He's had an 1,000 yard season in two out of the last four seasons and has a knack for finding the end-zone. As the third option in the passing game in 2021, his numbers are down slightly but has a touchdown in four out of the last six games. Don't be surprised to see him score a touchdown in the Super Bowl. Meanwhile, Higgins has great ability to high point the ball with his lengthy frame. After a one-catch dud in the Wild Card round, the Clemson product has posted a combined 13 catches for 199 yards in the last two weeks. With superstar corner Jalen Ramsey covering Chase, it will be up to Boyd and Higgins to deliver the goods.

Cam Akers, RB, LAR- The last X-Factor is Cam Akers, the second-year pro out of FSU. First of all, what a remarkable return for Akers who tore his achilles tendon in July. Now, he's somehow returned for the playoffs and has helped add another dynamic dimension to the Rams already potent offense. The one issue for Akers is a tendency to put the ball on the ground. Against Tampa Bay, he fumbled twice in key situations which nearly cost Los Angeles the game. It will be important for Akers and his running mate Sony Michel to take advantage of a Cincinnati defense that allows an average of 127 yards per game on the ground throughout the playoffs. If the Rams reach or eclipse that average allowed, it's almost certain that the Lombardi will be theirs.

Bold Predictions

Bengals receiver Tee Higgins outgains Ja'Marr Chase in total yardage
Both starting running backs (Akers, Mixon) fail to run for 75 yards
Matthew Stafford commits three turnovers
Rams defenders Aaron Donald, Von Miller, and Leonard Floyd combine for six sacks on Burrow
Bengals kicker Evan McPherson kicks game-winning field goal as time expires in regulation
Cincinnati Zoo's own "Harambe" will be mentioned during NBC's Super Bowl broadcast