The Super Bowl is coming up next weekend, and this is a landmark Super Bowl, as it is the latest that it has ever occurred. An extra week was added to the season this past year, so now, seventeen games are played, as opposed to sixteen, which means that this is the first time that the Super Bowl will be played over Valentine’s day weekend. 

This year’s matchup is between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams. The Bengals have played in two previous Super Bowls, and lost both, most recently in 1988, meaning that this is the first time the Bengals have been to the Super Bowl in 33 years. The Los Angeles Rams have played in four Super Bowls, winning one in 1999. They most recently played in one in 2018, where they lost to the New England Patriots. 

Current betting odds say that The Rams are the favorites to win, however, the Bengals are no stranger to being the underdog during the playoffs. Even before the first game of the season was played, the odds were already stacked against Cincinnati. They finished the 2020 season 4-11-1, which was one of the worst in the league. They finished the 2021 regular season at 10-7, and at 1st place in the American Football Conference, or AFC, North. In the AFC Championship game against the Kansas City Chiefs, they were heavy underdogs and still pulled off the massive upset against last season’s runner-ups. Needless to say, the Bengals are not one to back down when the odds are against them. 

The Rams, on the other hand, have been the favorites to win the Super Bowl for much of the season. In the 2020 season, the Rams made it to the divisional round before falling to the Green Bay Packers. After some off-season trades, including the acquisition of former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford, who has shown his true talent this season, the rest of the league knew the Rams would be a threat. They finished the 2021 season at a strong record of 12-5 and finished first in their division. After blowing by the Arizona Cardinals in the Wild Card round, they squeaked by the Baltimore Ravens and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by three points both times, giving them strong momentum, and making them favorites to win the Super Bowl this year.  As Stafford nears retirement, many people believe this could be the Rams’ last shot at a Super Bowl. 

Joe Burrow, the quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals is quickly becoming a favorite to win Super Bowl Most Valued Player, or MVP, closely followed by Cooper Kupp and Matthew Stafford. Burrow is an Ohio native, and played three years at Ohio State University, after playing his high school football in Ohio as well. Needless to say, he is a bit of a hometown hero for many Cincinnati fans. However, many people believe that Matthew Stafford, the Rams’ quarterback, wasted much of his career and potential while playing for the Detroit Lions, and feel as though he deserves this win. All of this shows that Super Bowl 56 may just be one of the most entertaining to watch, not to mention the star-studded halftime show which includes some of Hip-Hop’s most prominent names, including Kendrick Lamar and Snoop Dogg. 

Be sure to watch the Super Bowl 56 this Sunday, February 13 at 4:30 PM, and make sure to stay tuned for the halftime show!