The stage is set for the 2022 Super Bowl between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, California Sunday afternoon.
This will be only the second time in history that an N.F.L. team will host their own Super Bowl as the Bengals visit the Rams’ $5.5 billion stadium in Southern California. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the first team to host a Super Bowl just last season.
After a wild month of playoffs, two 4-seeds will play in the Super Bowl which is the first time since the NFL merger that a 1-seed, 2-seed, or 3-seed did not advance to the Super Bowl.
Los Angeles’ loaded roster pushed the team past Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in the N.F.C. Championship to reach the Super Bowl. Before facing the Bucs, they took down division-rival foes Arizona and San Francisco on the N.F.C. side of the bracket.
The Rams were riding on a “Super Bowl or bust” year after acquiring quarterback Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions in exchange for quarterback Jared Goff, two first-round picks, and a third-round pick.
Stafford has multiple weapons on the offensive side, highlighted by wide receiver Cooper Kupp.
Kupp won the Offensive Player of the Year after gaining the second-most receiving yards in a season in N.F.L. history. He also won the receiving triple crown by leading the league in catches, receiving yards, and touchdown catches.
Stafford’s offensive arsenal also includes wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. and Van Jefferson. The ground game is led by running back Cam Akers, who added a spark to the offense in the second half of the season after returning from injury.
On the opposite side of the ball, the Rams’ defense looks equally formidable. The team traded for 2016 Super Bowl M.V.P. Von Miller to bolster an already-elite defense: defensive lineman Aaron Donald is a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, while prolific cornerbacks Jalen Ramsey and Leonard Floyd round out the defensive lineup.
The Bengals, representing the A.F.C., shocked the football world by beating the top-seeded Tennessee Titans. Cincinnati continued its surprise run when they took out 2-seed Kansas City to reach their first Super Bowl in 33 years. Quarterback Joe Burrow quickly acquired a newfound fanbase after knocking out another popular quarterback in Patrick Mahomes.
Burrow will compete in the Super Bowl in his second N.F.L. season, making him the seventh-ever quarterback to do so. He won the Comeback Player of the Year award in 2021 for his recovery from a knee injury in his rookie season.
Receiver Ja’Marr Chase broke the most receiving yards by a rookie in N.H.L. history, earning the Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2021.
Having already achieved victory with Burrow on LSU’s 2020 National Championship Team, the pair are one win away from exhibiting the same success with the Bengals. Burrow will need to find the same chemistry with Chase, or other offensive weapons like Joe Mixon, Tee Higgins, and Tyler Boyd, in order to come out victorious.
Kicker Evan McPherson has seen nationwide status after converting 12 field goals in the postseason, the most for a rookie, including game-winning field goals against both the Titans and the Chiefs.
With a high population of Lipscomb University students from the south, what do our own students think about the upcoming matchup? Lumination Network’s Instagram and Twitter pages asked students their thoughts.
Who Will Win the Super Bowl?
With the Rams currently as a four-point favorite, the game is looking to be a close contest, and it seems the results replicate that. On Instagram, 56% believe the Bengals will win, while Twitter shows the Rams winning at 67% of the votes. These results reveal how divided the country is on who will win the game, a different feeling compared to past years. The Rams are the slight favorite with Lipscomb students as well.
Who Does Lipscomb Want to Win?
With the Bengals being the Cinderella story, it looks like Cincinnati is Lipscomb’s team to root for, despite the fact that it was the Bengals who beat the Titans here in Nashville. The Bengals won 65% of votes on Instagram and 75% of votes on Twitter. From InsideHook’s article on the same question, America thinks the Rams will win, but a majority are rooting for the Bengals–similar to how Lipscomb students voted.
Who Will Win the M.V.P.?
According to Lumination’s social media poll, tied for first were votes for Cooper Kupp, Matthew Stafford, and Evan McPherson. Caesars Sportsbook has Stafford favored to win with Burrow and Kupp trailing right behind. Overall, it seems like it’s a quarterback’s award to lose, but a receiver still has a real shot.
Lumination’s Picks
It’s a tough decision, but it is hard not to believe this will be a game where all the stars will shine. Stafford will connect with his weapons, Burrow will continue his magic, McPherson will hit his field goals, and Donald will be a great disruption up front.
In the end, it’s the Rams’ game to lose, and a pressure-free matchup for Burrow should be scary for opposing teams. It’s hard to pick against the Bengals in the playoffs since Burrow has proven so many wrong this postseason, but the belief in the Rams’ “win-now” strategy in preseason has been believed by many since before a game was even played.
Burrow’s play will almost surely be elite Sunday afternoon, but the major worry for the Bengals’ is their offensive line. They face a matchup in the Rams that features elite players across the defensive line. The Titans were not able to convert enough points from their defensive stops against the Bengals, but the Rams will be more efficient in that area.
Lumination predicts the Rams will win Super Bowl LVI and Matthew Stafford will win the M.V.P. award. The final score will be 27-23 after the final whistle in Inglewood.
Television coverage of the game will be provided by N.B.C. and will start at 5:30 p.m. central time.