As the regular season ended, and the best teams in the NFL headed into the playoffs, one team is looking to win it all and be Super Bowl Champions. Currently, there are two teams left and one big game until one team is crowned champion. One unlikely Super Bowl contender is the Cincinnati Bengals, who prior to this season, many analysts believed would end with less than 5 wins. However, led by star quarterback Joe “Brrrr” Burrow, who connected with rookie receiver Ja’Marr Chase 81 times for 1,455 yards, the team garnered 10 wins and made the playoffs. They upset the Tennessee Titans, who earned a first-round bye. The Titans are the new home of Atlanta fan-favorite, legendary receiver Julio Jones.
On the other side of the NFC, the Buffalo Bills were matched up against the Kansas City Chiefs. Quite frankly the Chiefs have been unexciting this year, although players like tight end Travis Kelce and kicker Harrison Butker have had great seasons. Patrick Mahomes has not lived up to his hype this season. After signing a long-term contract worth more than half a billion dollars, he has not met the expectations of the fans, coaches or organization. However, the Bills were outstanding this season, driven by quarterback Josh Allen, who is unmatched in both passing and running the pigskin. The Wyoming Alum is a fan-favorite of the so-called “Bills Mafia,” and this was his year to win. However, due to horrific overtime rules, lack of defense, and bad special team play-calling, the Bills lost a devastating game to the Chiefs.
As for the NFC, the Los Angeles Rams played against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium in Florida. The Rams have great players, including 4th quarter specialist Matthew Stafford, Pro-Bowl kicker Matt Gay, all-star defensive end Aaron Donald and superb coach Sean McVay. These players lead the Rams to victory in this game. This is because the Buccaneers did not perform. With strong offensive players in tight end Rob Gronkowski and receiver Mike Evans coupled with an experienced and strong defense, this is an all-around very strong team. However, the best player of all time and arguably cheater, Tom Brady, did not perform at his best. With a game-ending field goal from Matt Gay, the Rams advanced to the next round. where they faced off against the San Francisco 49ers. With a mediocre performance from Niners quarterback, Jimmy “G” Garoppolo, San Francisco fell short to the Rams. The Rams’ wide receiver, Cooper Kupp, played an outstanding game, recording 142 yards and two touchdown receptions. In the end, a clutch kick from Gay and an interception from Travin Howard sealed the game and bought them a ticket to the Super Bowl.
The fan-favorite, the Green Bay Packers, had a stellar season, primarily due to Aaron Rodgers, one of the best defenses in the league and phenom wideout, Davante Adams. Earlier this year, the Packers ran into some issues with COVID-19. Rodgers explained to the media that he’s “been immunized” and did as much as he could to keep his team’s season alive. However, Rodger’s did not perform in the postseason and lost to San Francisco.
The Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams are set to play each other at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 13 in SoFi Stadium. However, this means the Rams will be playing at home, in Inglewood, California, with home-field advantage. However, this will not matter for Burrow’s Bengals; this team is used to playing under pressure and not on their home turf, and they have been successful, shown by their 5-3 away record. Although Matthew Stafford for the Ram’s has had a strong season, the Bengals are playing phenomenally this year, and have something to prove. I predict it will be a close, hard-fought game, but the Bengals will walk away with a victory. The Halftime Show for Super Bowl LVI is stacked with performances from Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem and Kendrick Lamar, surely better than previous shows. Nonetheless, this is Burrow’s year, and he will thrive and take control of the game, putting a ring on his and his teammates’ finger.