Posted ByJohnOn Feb 14th, 2022, the 56th Super Bowl was held at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA. The southwestern LA county hosted a sporting event of this caliber for the first time. Ron Torbert was selected to be the referee, an NFL veteran with experience from 6 playoff matches. The Super Bowl LVI game was between the NFC and AFC champions, LA Rams and Cincinnati Bengals. According to the bookies, the team from Los Angeles had an advantage and won the game, 23 – 20. Playing at home definitely helped the Rams, just like the Buccaneers fans were the extra man last year when Tampa Bay defeated 31-9 Kansas City Chiefs.
This was the second NFL victory for the Rams after defeating the Titans in 2000 at Super Bowl XXXIV. Of course, they were with a different name than – St. Louis Rams, but the franchise remains the same. On the flip side, the Cincinnati Bengals AAA have been competing since 1968 and have won the American Football Conference 3 times. They also have 10 division championships and 15 playoff appearances. The team went to Super Bowl LVI as an underdog, not because they haven’t won the NFL so far. Anyway, Who Dey made a great match, and the team was close to their first title!
History of the “Big Game”
Before we get into the details, let’s take a closer look at the Super Bowl event! It has been held since 1967 and, in February 2022, was the 56th game. The New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers have won the title 6 times, while the Dallas Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers have 5 championships. In addition, the Pads from New England have appeared at the Super Bowl most often, 11 times! Besides the Cincinnati Bengals, 11 teams have never won the event, and 4 have never qualified – Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, and Jacksonville Jaguars.
From 1960 to 1967, football fans were divided between the NFL and the newly created American Football League. Both championships merged to deliver the ultimate experience. Super Bowl I was held on January 15, 1967, between the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs. The Green and Gold won 35-10, and during the next year, defeated the Las Vegas Raiders as well. However, they had to wait until 1997 to win another one! The Big Game is the world’s most-watched sporting event, with 112.3 million viewers in 2022, according to NBC Universal. The absolute record reported by the media is from 2015 – 114.4 million viewers.
NFL 2021 Regular Season Overview
To qualify for the Super Bowl LVI, the Los Angeles Rams won the NFC West with a record of 12-5. Only the Packers and Buccaneers performed better, 13-4. At the same time, the Bengals struggled to qualify for the Wild Card, ending the AFC North with 10-7, the worst score of all conference winners. Initial data suggested that the Tampa Bay team is ready for another championship after the one at Super Bowl LV. They defeated Philadelphia Eagles, 31-15, but lost the Divisional Round, 27-30, to the LA Rams. The future champion had won the Wild Card round, 34-11, against the Arizona Cardinals.
The other Super Bowl LVI participant, Cincinnati Bengals, reached the Conference phase by defeating the Las Vegas Raiders, 26-19, and the Tennessee Titans, 19-16. The last games before the big playoff final were truly fantastic! After the first half, the Bengals were losing 10-21 to the Kansas City Chiefs. However, after a great 3rd quarter, 11-0, and furious play during the 4th, 3-3, they managed to put the game into an overtime and win in the end, 27-24. The Rams faced the San Francisco 49ers, and after a terrific 13-0 last quarter, they stole the victory, 20-17.
The Big Day
Super Bowl LVI was the 5th Big Game appearance for the Rams and only 3rd for the Bengals. Bookmakers took the side of the home team, providing Over/under: 49.5 and an opening spread of Rams -3.5. The most common moneyline offer for pre-match wagering was -180 Rams/ +155 Bengals. The opening quarter was for the Rams, but not without a fight from their opponent, 7-3. Cincinnati Bengals equalized the part wins by taking the 2nd quarter, 7-6. So, the result before the halftime show was 13-10 for the Rams.
Directed by Hamish Hamilton and produced by Roc Nation and Jesse Collins, the Super Bowl LVI show between the halves was one of the most lavish and glamorous in history. Five legendary R&B and rap singers performed live in front of 70,048 exalted fans. Dr Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dog, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J. Blige sang 10 super hits, including:
- “California Love”
- “The Next Episode”
- “No More Drama”
- “Forgot About Dre”
- “Lose Yourself”
Curtis Jackson, a.k.a. 50 Cent, also went out on the stage, performing “In da Club”. After halftime, The Bengals took the initiative and won the 3rd part by 10-3, going ahead in the total score, 20-16. Nevertheless, the Rams managed to squeeze the victory with 23-20, after 7-0 in the closing quarter!
Final Lines
Super Bowl LVI was truly a memorable event, appreciated by the sports fans thirsty for entertainment after the exhausting COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. The organization was perfect, and both teams made a great show. Mickey Guyton, the 2022 Super Bowl anthem singer, was also an exceptional choice!