Donald
Burrow
Kupp
Chase
How the Bengals and Rams became Super Bowl contenders
Mixon
Stafford
McPherson
Miller
Did anyone think the Super Bowl would come down to the Rams and Cincinnati Bengals?
The hometown Rams haven’t been this hot since their Super Bowl LIII loss to the Patriots three years ago. Since their league-best 13-3 record during that season, they went 9-7 and 10-6. The Rams earned a wild-card playoff in 2020 but lost to the Packers in the divisional round.
The Bengals fared much worse. The team from the Queen City managed a league-worst 2-14 record only two seasons ago. Using the overall No. 1 draft pick in 2020, Cincinnati drafted Athens, Ohio, native Joe Burrow, the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback from LSU. Burrow suffered a season-ending knee injury during Week 11 of his rookie year and the Bengals finished the season with a record of 4-11-1.
Many of these starters arrived in the last few years
Drafted
Free Agency / waived
Trades
Rams
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2014
2015
Bengals
Drafted
Free Agency / waived
Trades
Rams
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2014
2015
Bengals
Drafted
Free Agency / waived
Trades
Rams
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Bengals
The Bengals, who played in a series of one-and-done wild-card games between 2011 and 2015, are virtually unrecognizable today compared to those teams. Only one starter remains from that era: C.J. Uzomah, who was drafted in 2015 out of Auburn.
The Bengals tight end may have been a rookie in 2015, but he’s been a major factor during this year’s playoffs, on and off the field.
The Rams have only eight starters left from their last Super Bowl appearance just three seasons ago.
Many of those holdovers, such as defensive tackle Aaron Donald, drafted in 2014 out of Pittsburgh, and wide receiver Cooper Kupp, drafted in 2017 out of Eastern Washington, have been focal points of the Rams’ defense and offensive, respectively, for the past few years.
Rams reloaded via free agency and trades, Bengals rebuilt with draft picks
Rams starters
Bengals starters
Draft
Free agency / waiver
Trade
Cam
Akers
Joe
Mixon
RB
RB
Offense
Offense
C.J.
Uzomah
Tyler
Higbee
Odell
Beckham Jr.
Tyler
Boyd
TE
TE
Joe
Burrow
Matthew
Stafford
QB
QB
WR
WR
Cooper
Kupp
Rob
Havenstein
Tee
Higgins
Quinton
Spain
Jonah
Williams
Ja'Marr
Chase
Austin
Corbett
Brian
Allen
David
Edwards
Andrew
Whitworth
Van
Jefferson
Isaiah
Prince
Hakeem
Adeniji
Trey
Hopkins
RG
C
OG
OT
OT
OT
WR
WR
OG
C
OG
WR
WR
OT
Defense
Defense
DE
DT
DT
DE
DE
DE
NT
A'Shawn
Robinson
Greg
Gains
Aaron
Donald
Sam
Hubbard
D.J.
Reader
B.J.
Hill
Trey
Hendrickson
CB
CB
CB
CB
Eli
Apple
Chidobe
Awuzie
Darious
Williams
Jalen
Ramsey
LB
LB
LB
LB
LB
LB
LB
Von
Miller
Leonard
Floyd
Logan
Wilson
Markus
Bailey
Germaine
Pratt
Ernest
Jones
Troy
Reeder
S
S
S
S
Jessie
Bates III
Nick
Scott
Taylor
Rapp
Vonn
Bell
Rams starters
Draft
Free agency / waiver
Trade
Offense
Cam
Akers
RB
Matthew
Stafford
QB
Tyler
Higbee
Odell
Beckham Jr.
Rob
Havenstein
Austin
Corbett
David
Edwards
Andrew
Whitworth
Cooper
Kupp
Brian
Allen
WR
TE
OT
OG
Van
Jefferson
C
OG
OT
WR
WR
Defense
DE
DE
NT
Aaron
Donald
Greg
Gains
A'Shawn
Robinson
CB
CB
LB
LB
Darious
Williams
Jalen
Ramsey
LB
LB
Leonard
Floyd
Von
Miller
Ernest
Jones
Troy
Reeder
Nick
Scott
S
Taylor
Rapp
S
Bengals starters
Joe
Mixon
RB
Offense
Joe
Burrow
C.J.
Uzomah
Tyler
Boyd
QB
Tee
Higgins
Hakeem
Adeniji
Trey
Hopkins
Quinton
Spain
Jonah
Williams
Isaiah
Prince
TE
WR
OT
Ja'Marr
Chase
OT
WR
RG
C
OG
WR
Defense
DE
DT
DE
DT
B.J.
Hill
D.J.
Reader
Sam
Hubbard
Trey
Hendrickson
CB
CB
Eli
Apple
Chidobe
Awuzie
LB
LB
LB
Markus
Bailey
Logan
Wilson
Germaine
Pratt
Jessie
Bates III
S
Vonn
Bell
S
Rams starters
Draft
Free agency / waiver
Trade
Offense
Cam Akers
RB
Tyler
Higbee
Matthew
Stafford
Odell
Beckham
Jr.
TE
QB
WR
Rob
Havenstein
Brian
Allen
Andrew
Whitworth
OG
OT
C
OG
OT
WR
WR
Cooper
Kupp
Van
Jefferson
Austin
Corbett
David
Edwards
Defense
DE
NT
DE
A'Shawn
Robinson
Greg
Gains
Aaron
Donald
CB
CB
Darious
Williams
Jalen
Ramsey
LB
LB
Leonard
Floyd
Von
Miller
LB
LB
Ernest
Jones
Troy
Reeder
Nick
Scott
S
Taylor
Rapp
S
Bengals starters
Draft
Free agency / waiver
Trade
Offense
Joe Mixon
RB
C.J.
Uzomah
Tyler
Boyd
Joe Burrow
TE
QB
WR
Isaiah
Prince
Hakeem
Adeniji
Trey
Hopkins
Quinton
Spain
Jonah
Williams
WR
RG
OT
C
OG
WR
OT
Tee
Higgins
Ja’Marr
Chase
Defense
DE
DT
DE
DT
Sam
Hubbard
D.J.
Reader
B.J.
Hill
Trey
Hendrickson
CB
CB
Eli
Apple
LB
LB
Chidobe
Awuzie
LB
Markus
Bailey
Logan
Wilson
Germaine
Pratt
Jessie
Bates III
S
Vonn
Bell
S
The Bengals focused on the draft to build their team. Out of the 22 starters on offense and defense this season, 14 of them came from the 2020 and 2021 drafts.
Two of Burrow’s former teammates from his LSU national title team joined him this season: wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase and defensive tackle Tyler Shelvin. Chase exceeded expectations with a Pro Bowl berth, and may even win rookie of the year honors.
Rookie kicker Evan McPherson, drafted out of Florida, has been perfect this postseason, making all 12 of his field goal attempts. He scored the game-winning points in the Bengals’ last two playoff games. Running back Joe Mixon, who was drafted from Oklahoma in 2017, has been crucial for the run game, and got his first Pro Bowl berth this season.
The Rams used their draft picks to drive major trades. They sent franchise quarterback Jared Goff, the first overall pick in the 2016 draft, and three draft picks to Detroit for Matthew Stafford. Stafford, himself an overall top pick in 2009, was brought in to reinvigorate an offense that ranked 15th in passing yards last year.
Stafford dazzled in Sean McVay’s offense, passing for more than 800 yards than his last season in Detroit. His pairing with Kupp, who’s leading the league in yards, touchdowns, and receptions, has been a nightmare for the top defenses in the NFL.
The Rams traded two picks in 2019 for five-time Pro Bowler Jalen Ramsey and three more picks this year for Super Bowl 50 most valuable player linebacker Von Miller. These two, combined with Donald, form one of the most productive defenses in the league, ranking sixth in rushing yards allowed.
The Rams also acquired starters through the waiver wire and free agency, most notably wide receiver Odel Beckham Jr. and offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth.
How it’s turned out so far
Neither team was favored by oddsmakers to make it to Super Bowl LVI. Rams were listed as +1500 and the Bengals were near the bottom as +12000. The conference favorites, AFC’s Kansas City Chiefs and NFC’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers were listed as +500 and +650 respectively.
Both teams won their divisions. In the first round of the playoffs, the Bengals defeated the Raiders, and the Rams easily handled Arizona. Both were underdogs in the divisional round. The Bengals bested the Tennessee Titans despite nine sacks on Burrow, and then toppled the Super Bowl favorite Chiefs in overtime the following week. Rams took out the defending Super Bowl champs Tampa Bay and then division rival San Francisco in the NFC championship game.
The Rams are favored to win by four points in their home stadium. But considering that these Bengals have been beating the odds all season, what’s one more time?