The Bengals have captured the hearts of those who love underdog stories, but their run ends Sunday night in Los Angeles, where the Rams will win Super Bowl LVI.
Sure, you can craft an argument for Cincinnati winning its first Super Bowl. Second-year quarterback Joe Burrow certainly has the "it" factor and the Bengals have high-end talent on both sides of the ball. But, when the dust settles at SoFi Stadium, it will be Sean McVay and the Rams, three years after losing in the Big Game to the New England Patriots, hosting the franchise's second Lombardi Trophy.
Here's why, in no particular order:
Experience
The Rams don't have a ton of holdovers from the team that lost Super Bowl LIII, but they're a more veteran and more all-around experienced team than the Bengals. Plus, Los Angeles in November acquired star edge rusher Von Miller, who has a Super Bowl MVP on his résumé. Experience isn't always a prerequisite for winning a Super Bowl, but it certainly helps, and the Rams have a clear edge.
Front seven
This is where the game could break for the Bengals, whose poor offensive line gave up nine sacks to the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Divisional Round. With Miller, Aaron Donald and A'Shawn Robinson -- among others -- leading the way, Los Angeles boasts by far the best front seven that Cincinnati will have faced this postseason. It's hard to envision Burrow getting the protection he needs to keep back with the Rams on the scoreboard.
Jalen Ramsey
Perhaps the best cornerback in the game, Ramsey has as good of a chance as anyone of keeping pace with rookie sensation Ja'Marr Chase. While likely getting safety help, Ramsey should do a decent enough job of bottling up Cincy's top receiver. If that happens, along with the Rams getting pressure on Burrow and doing a decent job of covering Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd, it could be a very long day for the Bengals offense.
Coaching
Zac Taylor certainly has stuck it to his many critics during the playoffs, but this still feels like a stage ripe for a major screw-up from a coach overreliant on analytics. At some point, Taylor will overthink something and kill his team. McVay had endured his own postseason meltdowns, but he remains one of the five best coaches in football and should benefit from the humbling he took a few years ago.
Complimentary football
The Rams are better in all three phases. Based on Football Outsiders' DVOA metric, Los Angeles has the edge over Cincinnati on offense, defense and special teams. That kind of complementary football usually translates in the Super Bowl, with the better all-around team typically winning.
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