The Super Bowl is tonight and the Rams and Bengals are going to be playing in the Super Bowl. The Rams and the Bengals were both the fourth seed which means they both had the worst record compared to the other division leaders. I would want the Bengals to win but I believe that the Rams will win the Super Bowl based on some factors most Super Bowl teams don’t get. The Rams will win based on the following factors: the fact they get home-field advantage, the Rams defensive line, and the number five candidate for the MVP award, Cooper Kupp.

Rams

1. Superbowl 56 will be played at SoFi Stadium which is the Rams home field This is the second team in NFL history to play the Super Bowl in their home field. The last team to do so was the 2020 Super Bowl champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers who won against the Kansas City Chiefs with a score of 31-9. It’s easier for Rams fans to come and cheer on their team, unlike the Bengals that have to go all the way from Cincinnati to Los Angeles which is 2173 miles away. Some Bengals fans will be at the game but most likely Rams fans will outnumber Bengals fans. Teams that have had a home-field advantage later in the playoffs have had a much higher chance to win the game.
2. The Rams in this Super Bowl definitely have a much better defensive line than the Bengals. The Rams have the fourth-best defensive life according to PFF. With their captain, Aaron Donald, who is a three-time defensive player of the year and eight-time pro bowl player. Aaron Donald has had 84 solo tackles, 12.5 sacks, and four forced fumbles this season for the Rams including playoffs according to ESPN. The Rams’ defense as a whole had 50 total sacks and 19 total interceptions.
3. LA also has a not-so-secret weapon on the offensive side and his name is Cooper Kupp, star Wide Receiver and fifth in the MVP race. Cooper Kupp is a wide receiver from Eastern Washington and drafted in the third round 69th pick. This season he led the league in every receiver category according to NFL.com. He led in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. No player is even close in any category; his 145 receptions puts him in first in front of Davante Adams who had 123 which is 22 off Cooper Kupp. Vikings wide receiver Justin Jefferson had 1616 receiving yards which is still 331 yards off Cooper Kupp’s 1947 yards. Touchdowns were close as Cooper Kupp’s 16 was challenged by Ja’marr Chase’s 13. Cooper Kupp was undoubtedly the most talented receiver out there and quickly earned respect from his teammates and coaches.

Bengals

1. The Bengals have the advantage of being the underdog and nobody thinks that they can win. However, all this does is motivate them. The Bengals are a 4.5 point underdog and, according to Yahoo Sports, the 18 teams in NFL history, who have been named the underdog, ended up winning the Super Bowl. The last underdogs that won were last year’s champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season while the Kansas City Chiefs were projected to win by 7.5 points.
2. The Bengals’ defense had a total of 42 and 13 total interceptions this season. The Bengals defensive line did put constant pressure on the Chiefs in the AFC championship game. They got to Mahomes three times in the AFC game and picked him off twice. They figured out the Cheifs and they are definitely going to try to figure out the Rams.
3. The Bengals have their star in rookie, Ja’marr Chase, who also has been tearing up defenses and torching teams from deep all year. Ja’marr Chase was ranked top five in receiving yards, according to the NFL, and second in touchdowns. The Rams, I feel, are ready as they have a star cornerback in Jalen Ramsay who will be guarding Chase throughout the Super Bowl. The Bengals thought they didn’t have that great cornerback and the Rams might torch them because of it. I’m going to have to give this to the Bengals though as they are healthy, and Jalen Ramsay can only guard one person, so Burrow will probably try to keep the ball away from him. So the Bengals have more side players like Tee Higgins, Tyler Boyd, Joe Mixon, and C. J. Uzomah.

Super Bowl 56 is going to be a great game. I think there will be lots of points and Cooper Kupp will do his thing. The Bengals have their weapons and so do the Rams. Both teams’ stars are mainly healthy and ready. A player to watch, I feel, is OBJ or Odell Beckham Jr., who had nine catches for over 100 yards. The last time he posted a game with over 100 yards was Oct. 13, 2019. The Rams have their stars and the Bengals have theirs but in this game, I feel the second options are going to need to play big. So for the Bengals, I’m thinking Joe Mixon, Tee Higgins, or Tyler Boyd. The Rams are going to need Stafford to play it smart, run the ball with Akers and throw it to their Tight Ends Tyler Higbee, or Kendall Blanton who really showed himself against the 49ers. The Rams need to give the ball to their two stars Cooper Kupp and OBJ if they want to win. I predict the Rams winning 31-27.

Score

Rams – 2

Bengals – 1