Another NFL season has come to an end, this time with a Super Bowl matchup I don’t think many people expected going into the year. The Bengals, led by sophomore sensation Joe Burrow, was coming off a torn ACL, still relatively unproven at quarterback, but still led the Bengals to a division title and the Super Bowl. However, their match was met with the Rams, who, led by new quarterback Matt Stafford, finally erased their Super Bowl woes to capture their second Lombardi Trophy, as well as Stafford’s first having never won even a playoff game before this season. 

The Rams, having earned the fourth seed in the NFC by winning the West, went through division rivals in the Cardinals and 49ers, as well as the Bucs, to get to the big game. Their solid offensive play led by likely OPOY and Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp and their always steady defense led by Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey helped get the Rams to this point, and they did not stop there. Kupp had two touchdowns, including the game winner on a pass from Stafford late in the 4th quarter to propel the Rams to the win. Donald had 2 of the Rams’ plethora of sacks, taking advantage of the suspect Bengals offensive line en route to a Super Bowl Victory. This, however, did not come without a costly price to pay. Midseason pickup Odell Beckham Jr. tore his ACL in the second quarter of the contest after having scored the first touchdown of the game in the first, and while he and the Rams are likely to work out a new deal in the offseason, his health now renders him as concerning heading into next season.

Although the Bengals came up just short in the end, they have a lot to be excited for. Their Cinderella run includes wins over the Titans, Chiefs, and Raiders, in which their offense was nothing short of spectacular. Offensive Rookie of the Year JaMarr Chase came up clutch all postseason, making huge catches and having a signature Superbowl moment with his 67 yard haul from Burrow to set the Bengals up in the red zone. Joe Mixon steadied the run game for the Bengals with huge performances throughout, and Burrow lived up to his newfound “Sheisty” moniker. The Bengals defense was solid as well, but average secondary play hindered them in the end. Also, their offensive line did not do their part in protecting Burrow, comparable to their regular season play.

With the NFL season now over, the offseason and draft look to add excitement to the 2022-23 NFL Season. Will the Rams repeat? Will a new team take the crown? We will have to wait until next September to watch it all unfold.