The Los Angeles Rams are Super Bowl LVI Bound After 20-17 Win Over Niners

For the second straight season, the NFC Champion will play on their home field in the Super Bowl. 

The Los Angeles Rams will be squaring off against the AFC Champion Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium on Sunday, February 13th for the Lombardi Trophy, after the "biggest NFL season ever" gave us one of the most absolutely thrilling playoff brackets in the history of the league. To phrase it quickly, both of the conferences respective champions overcame a double-digit deficit to win their championship games. 

The Rams did so against bitter NFC West rival, the San Francisco 49ers. The Niners, the same team that the Rams failed to rid of in week 18, the last week of the regular season. A win then would've effectively ended the Niners hopes at a playoff berth. That win would also be the 6th straight against the Rams. It seemed all but certain that the Niners would come into SoFi Stadium (which was covered in red) and make it a seventh, on their way to their seventh Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. It looked bleak for the Rams in the NFC Championship as they were down by 17-7 heading into the fourth quarter. After a touchdown by wideout and Offensive Player of the Year Cooper Kupp, the lead slimmed to 3.

The right amount of positive plays were made in all three phases for L.A. QB Matthew Stafford was incredible, throwing a monstrous 45 passes for 31 completions for 337 yards, 2 scores and just one pick that came in the red zone early in the game. It very easily should've been two intercepted passes as Niners Safety Jaquiski Tartt dropped an undoubted gimme of a turnover that would ultimately be SF's last real chance to put the Rams and the Championship game away.

On the Special Teams side, Matt Gay was 2/3 on field goal attempts and made the ones that counted the most, with 1:46 left to take the lead.

With a 3 point lead, out came SF's last gasp as QB Jimmy Garoppolo and his offensive weapon in wide receiver Deebo Samuel. The Rams defense kept it's intensity up as it did throughout the whole post season. 3 defensive plays, an Aaron Donald rush-down of Garoppolo on third down would force an errant flick-pass over the head of half-back Elijah Mitchell straight to Rams safety Travin Howard for the easy interception and a trip back to SoFi Stadium in two weeks.

That win puts the Rams against the incredible story of the Bengals, who, like the Rams, entered the postseason as the 4th seed. The Bengals overcame the Las Vegas Raiders at home in the wildcard round, stunned the one seed in the Tennessee Titans in the divisional and overcame a 21-3 deficit to beat the reigning AFC Champions in the Kansas City Chiefs, sending Cincinnati to their first Super Bowl since 1989. It'll be the third appearance for Cincy in franchise history. The Bengals started and ended the 80's decade with losses to the Joe Montana-led 49ers dynasty.

With 25 year old phenom Joe Burrow as the Bengals quarterback, coming back from a horrific ACL injury suffered during his rookie season, has made this offense a fully loaded weapon. With the help of longtime Bengals back Joe Mixon, rookie wideout and former teammate of Burrow's at LSU in Ja'Marr Chase, who has had an absolutely dominant Rookie of the Year-esque season. Aiding the wide receiver room is Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins and there's simply no overlooking tight end C.J. Uzomah, who will provide outstanding pass-catching as well as blocking support in helping stopping this Rams pass rush which is simply the most dominant in the league.

The stage is set for a beautiful and sunny 3:30 California kick-off as the best of the NFC and the AFC face off for league dominance. Matchups will be seen and plays will be made and the Rams have to feel comfortable to be playing at home, now it's time to prepare for a Super Bowl game-plan to be studied to bring the Rams their first championship in 22 years.