Everything you need to know to discuss Super Bowl LVI at a celebration

If you’re an enormous Super Bowl 2022 fan, I haven’t got to inform you that the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals are hours away from battling it out in Super Bowl LVI for the proper to name themselves champions of the 2021 NFL season. But what if you aren’t actually that into the NFL? What if, say, the solely issues you know about rams and Bengals are that they are really sheep and tigers? What if the extent of your annual engagement with the Super Bowl goes to a celebration and making an attempt to consider issues to contribute to the dialog between commercials?

In this case, we have got you coated. This is the fifth annual casual fan’s information to the Super Bowl.

Who’s taking part in in Super Bowl LVI? And why is it referred to as Super Bowl LVI?

First and foremost, it is vital to know everything about the members in the NFL’s title sport. Representing the NFC, we now have the Los Angeles Rams. They’re favored by 4 factors as of this writing. That means betting consultants at Caesars Sportsbook assume that is going to be an in-depth sport, however, the Rams are the barely higher workforce. Representing the AFC, in the meantime, are the Cincinnati Bengals. The two groups could be advised aside by their respective shade schemes. The Rams put on blue, gold, and white uniforms, whereas the Bengals are in orange, black, and white. 

It’s referred to as Super Bowl LVI as a result it is the 56th Super Bowl, and 56 in Roman numerals is LVI. The NFL has been utilizing Roman numerals for each Super Bowl (besides Super Bowl 50) since Super Bowl V (5). According to the NFL’s media information, “The Roman numerals were adopted to clarify any confusion that may occur because the NFL Championship Game — the Super Bowl — is played in the year following a chronologically recorded season. Numerals I through IV were added later for the first four Super Bowls.”

What time is the Super Bowl? Where is it?

The Super Bowl begins at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 13, 2022. The sport will probably be performed in the dwelling stadium of the Rams, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. The NFL rotates the location of the Super Bowl yearly as a result of it typically needs to present an impartial website so no workforce has home-field benefit. That had beforehand labored yearly up till final yr when the Buccaneers received the Super Bowl of their dwelling stadium. Now, the Rams have an opportunity to make it two in a row. 

And how lengthy is it going to final?

As our Cody Benjamin famous just a few years again, the common Super Bowl broadcast over the previous 20 years or so has been about three-and-a-half hours. It’s fairly lengthy. That features a halftime present that typically lasts 20 to half-hour. 

Who’s acting at halftime?

It’s a heck of a present this yr, people. Congratulations to anybody who grew up in the Nineteen Nineties and 2000s as a result of this present was principally constructed for you: It’s Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J. Blige. That’s … [checks notes] … 43 Grammy wins on one stage at a similar time, in case you’re questioning.

Who are the quarterbacks of the Rams and Bengals? 

It’s all the time an excellent guess that the quarterbacks will play an enormous position in the Super Bowl. A quarterback normally wins MVP of the sport, in any case. A quarterback has received 31 of the earlier 55 Super Bowl MVP trophies, and 14 of the final 21 since 2000.  

The quarterback of the Rams is Matthew Stafford (No. 9). This is Stafford’s first yr with the Rams. He spent the earlier 12 seasons of his profession with the Detroit Lions, who made him the No. 1 general choice in the 2009 NFL Draft. During that point, Stafford was broad thought-about an excellent quarterback caught languishing on a nasty workforce. The Lions’ resolution to embark on a rebuild matched up with the Rams’ want to improve over former quarterback Jared Goff, and the two groups agreed to the final offseason on commerce sending Goff, two first-round picks, and a third-round choose to Detroit in change for Stafford. 

He performed properly throughout his first season in Los Angeles, throwing for 4,886 yards and a career-high-tying 41 touchdowns. His arm power and willingness to throw with anticipation led to the growth of Los Angeles’ offense, which had grown a bit stale below his predecessor. His partnership with extensive receiver Cooper Kupp (extra on him under) led to considered one of the most. productive pass-catching seasons in NFL historical past. Stafford was a bit inconsistent all through this season, although, and led the league with 17 interceptions. 

The quarterback of the Bengals is Joe Burrow (No. 9). The Bengals have chosen Burrow with the No. 1 general choice in the 2020 NFL Draft after he had come seemingly out of nowhere to put collectively considered one of the biggest faculty seasons of all time, which culminated in a nationwide championship for LSU. He instantly solidified the Bengals’ offense upon his arrival and was in the midst of a robust rookie season when he tore his ACL throughout the workforce’s tenth sport of the yr. (Burrow’s ACL surgical procedure was executed by Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who additionally occurs to be the Rams’ workforce physician.) 

Burrow rehabbed his knee damage and was prepared to resume his place as the workforce’s starter by the start of the 2021 marketing campaign. He received off to a little bit of a sluggish begin as the workforce eased its manner again right into a pass-heavy offense all through the yr, however in the end had a season that’s doubtless to garner him important help in the race for Comeback Player of the Year. Burrow led the NFL in each completion proportion and yards per try regardless of being sacked a league-high 51 occasions, and he threw 34 landing passes in opposition to 14 interceptions. By making the Super Bowl in simply his second NFL season, he turned the first No. 1 general chosen quarterback to lead his workforce to a convention championship victory in both of his first two years in the league. 

With Stafford and Burrow assembly one another on this sport, this will probably be simply the second time in league historical past that two quarterbacks were taken with the No. 1 choose will sq. off in a Super Bowl. The first time it occurred was in Super Bowl 50 when Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos took on Cam Newton’s Carolina Panthers. 

Are there another notable gamers I ought to be ready to discuss about? 

Let’s begin with the Rams: 

• Defensive lineman Aaron Donald (No. 99). He is arguably the finest participant in all of soccer. Donald is a defensive sort out, which is a place the place most gamers fill a restricted position as both a run-stopper or inside pass-rusher, however Donald is the finest in the league at each of these issues. He has been in the NFL for eight seasons and has made the Pro Bowl eight occasions and the All-Pro First Team seven occasions (together with this season). Donald has received Defensive Player of the Year thrice and has by no means completed outdoors the high 5 in DPOY voting. Given the relative weak spot of the Bengals’ offensive line, there’s a distinct chance that Donald can wreck their whole sport plan by himself. 
• Wide receiver Cooper Kupp (No. 10). A former third-round pick of Eastern Washington, Kupp was the finest extensive receiver in soccer this season, and even garnered some help in the MVP dialog. He completed the common season with 145 catches (second-most all time) for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns, main the league in all three classes. By racking up 100 or extra receiving yards in every of L.A.’s final two video games, Kupp tied former Dallas Cowboys extensive receiver Michael Irvin for the most 100-yard video games in a single season (playoffs included). During the Jared Goff period, Kupp largely received by on catching quick passes in the space shut to the line of scrimmage. With Stafford on board, he expanded his position to develop into far more of a downfield menace, taking the Rams offense to an entire new stage in the course of. 
• Defensive again Jalen Ramsey (No. 5). Ramsey is taken into account arguably the finest cornerback in the NFL. He was acquired from the Jacksonville Jaguars in change for two first-round picks and a fourth-round choose again in 2019, and he has been named a First Team All-Pro in every of his full seasons with Los Angeles. This season, Ramsey’s position modified a bit below new Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris (extra on him under), who deployed Ramsey in the slot extra typically than in the previous. That allowed him to play nearer to the ball and become involved in the run sport extra typically, and injected extra unpredictability into the Rams’ defensive fronts. 
• Wide receivers Odell Beckham Jr. (No. 3) and Van Jefferson (No. 12). Beckham was traded to the Rams midseason after a high-profile fallout with the Cleveland Browns. He turned a star throughout his time with the New York Giants and was a daring acquisition for Cleveland, however issues by no means labored out for him there. He performed a small position upon his preliminary arrival in L.A., however has emerged throughout the playoff run as an integral weapon, catching 19 passes for 236 yards and a landing by means of the Rams’ first three video games. Jefferson is the workforce’s No. 3 extensive receiver, largely working as a deep menace. If Stafford throws a protracted landing move, there is a fairly good probability that Jefferson will probably be on the receiving finish of it. 
• Edge rushers Von Miller (No. 40) and Leonard Floyd (No. 54). Miller is a future Hall of Fame edge rusher who was acquired at the commerce deadline from the Denver Broncos. He has 115.5 sacks in his NFL profession regardless of lacking 1.5 seasons due to damage, He is an eight-time Pro Bowler and three-time First Team All-Pro and was additionally named MVP of Super Bowl 50 throughout his time with Denver. Floyd is a former first-round choose of the Chicago Bears, who was a little bit of a disappointing participant throughout his time there. Since arriving in L.A., although, Floyd has been a way more efficient participant. He 20 sacks throughout his two years with the Rams, in contrast with 18.5 throughout 4 years in Chicago. 
• Safety Eric Weddle (No. 20). The 37-year-old Weddle was really retired till three weeks in the past. A six-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro throughout his profession with the Chargers, Ravens, and Rams, Weddle referred to as it quits following the 2019 season. But when the Rams misplaced each of their beginning safeties to damage earlier than the playoffs, they referred to as Weddle. He performed sparingly in his first sport again, however ratcheted up to one hundred pc of the snaps in the NFC title sport. It’s a reasonably unbelievable story.
• Left sort out Andrew Whitworth (No. 77). Speaking of unbelievable tales… Whitworth is 40 years outdated and in his sixteenth NFL season. He spent the first 11 years of his profession with the Bengals, taking part in and beginning 168 of 176 potential video games and making three Pro Bowls alongside the manner. Cincinnati made the playoffs six occasions in his 11 years, however misplaced in the first spherical every time. He signed with the Rams prior to the 2017 season and has been their beginning left sort out ever since. Now, he will get to face his former workforce in the Super Bowl.
• Running backs Cam Akers (No. 23) and Sony Michel (No. 25). Akers tore his Achilles in July, but made it again in time for the finish of the common season. He has lately resumed his place as the workforce’s starter and bell-cow in the backfield, although he has not been notably efficient but. Michel started the season as the backup to Darrell Henderson (No. 27) however ultimately took over the lead position. He has been simpler than Akers throughout the postseason run, regardless of seeing his taking part in time lower. Henderson has missed the previous few video games whereas on injured reserve, however is eligible to play in the Super Bowl.

And what about the Bengals? 

• Wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase (No. 1), Tee Higgins (No. 85), and Tyler Boyd (No. 83). This trio of gamers offers the Bengals considered one of the league’s finest pass-catching corps. Chase, the No. 5 general choose in the 2021 NFL Draft, was Burrow’s teammate at LSU. The pair’s chemistry with friendship performed a big position in the Bengals selecting Chase with that choose. He had a implausible rookie season, catching 81 passes for a rookie-record 1,455 yards  and 13 touchdowns. He was named Offensive Rookie of the Year, in addition to a Pro Bowler and Second Team All-Pro. Higgins was Cincinnati’s second-round choose in the 2020 NFL Draft, and he’s thought-about a prototypical “X” receiver, which implies he typically aligns on the perimeter and attracts protection from the opposing workforce’s finest outdoors cornerback. He completed the season with 74 catches for 1,094 yards and six touchdowns regardless of taking part in in solely 14 of 17 video games. The veteran in Cincinnati’s receiver room, Boyd is a slot receiver who largely catches quick passes over the center of the subject to assist transfer the chains when Burrow doesn’t have time to fireplace the ball deep to considered one of the extra explosive targets. 
• Defensive ends Trey Hendrickson (No. 91) and Sam Hubbard (No. 94). Hendrickson signed a big-money free-agent take care of the Bengals final offseason after a breakout season with the New Orleans Saints. He adopted up his 13.5-sack 2020 season with a 14-sack yr in 2021, and completed fourth in the NFL in complete pressures. Hubbard performs throughout the line of scrimmage from Hendrickson, and completed this season with 7.5 sacks. He made two of the largest performs of the AFC title sport, sacking Patrick Mahomes on back-to-back performs late in the fourth quarter and serving to ship the sport to extra time, the place the Bengals in the end received.
• Running again Joe Mixon (No. 28). Mixon was a high operating again prospect throughout his collegiate profession and has been a stable starter in the NFL. His position has been diminished a bit throughout the Burrow period as the workforce has utilized pass-catching operating backs to spell him on event. 
• Safety Jessie Bates III (No. 30). Bates is a fourth-year security who has develop into a star over the final two years. He’s thought-about considered one of the largest snubs from the Pro Bowl and All-Pro groups. He made considered one of the largest performs of the AFC Championship sport, knocking a Patrick Mahomes move out of the air and into the arms of teammate Vonn Bell. Given the Rams’ propensity for throwing deep down the subject, Bates is bound to play an vital position in the Super Bowl. 
• Offensive linemen Jonah Williams (No. 73), Quinton Spain (No. 67), Trey Hopkins (No. 66), Hakeem Adeniji (No. 77), and Isaiah Prince (No. 75). The Bengals’ widely-criticized offensive line allowed the most sacks in the NFL this season, and yielded a ton of stress on Burrow. Cincinnati famously handed on choosing an offensive lineman at No. 5 general so as to reunite Burrow and Chase, which labored out fairly properly. This group is probably going overmatched in opposition to the Rams’ defensive position, but it surely was additionally overmatched in opposition to the Raiders, Titans, and Chiefs, and the Bengals nonetheless received every of these video games to advance to the Super Bowl. 
• Cornerbacks Mike Hilton (No. 21), Eli Apple (No. 20), and Chidobe Awuzie (No. 22). Hilton is the Bengals’ slot nook, which makes him a vital participant on this sport as he was draw the majority of the protection accountability on Kupp. He’s an excellent slot nook, however Kupp is arguably the hardest participant in the league to cowl. Apple and Awuzie have performed much better than anticipated in Cincinnati, surpassing their efficiency from earlier of their careers. They will doubtless spend most of their time defending Beckham and Jefferson on the outdoors. 

There are clearly extra notable gamers, however, this record is an efficient beginning.  

Who are the coaches of the Rams and Bengals? 

The head coach of the Rams is Sean McVay. At the time he was employed, McVay was the youngest head coach in the trendy NFL historical past. He has been L.A.’s head coach for 5 seasons, and he’s nonetheless the youngest head coach in the league. (McVay simply turned 36 years outdated.) He is broadly thought-about considered one of the finest offensive designers and play-callers in the NFL and has already spawned a somewhat giant teaching tree for somebody as younger as he’s. There was a time only a few years in the past the place seemingly half the league was making an attempt to discover “the next Sean McVay,” and many groups around the league have merely settled on hiring considered one of his assistants. 

One of McVay’s former assistants is Bengals head coach Zac Taylor. He served as a large receivers coach and then quarterbacks coach below McVay in L.A. earlier than he was named as the successor to longtime Bengals coach Marvin Lewis. The workforce was dreadful throughout Taylor’s first two seasons, going simply 6-25-1, however turned issues around this yr thanks to the mixture of Burrow and Chase, together with their offseason acquisitions that helped rebuild the protection.  

The Rams and Bengals additionally each have a number of well-known assistant coaches, every of whom has been thought about a candidate for obtainable head-coaching jobs this offseason.

The Rams’ offensive coordinator is Kevin O’Connell. A former NFL backup quarterback, O’Connell is the newest in a line of McVay’s underlings to be thought about a future head coach and it’s anticipated that the Vikings will rent him. In addition to Taylor, Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur and Los Angeles Chargers coach Brandon Staley are former McVay coordinators. Packers defensive coordinator Joe Barry and Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron are additionally former McVay assistants, having labored as place coaches in L.A. O’Connell is predicted to develop into the subsequent head coach of the Minnesota Vikings, although his hiring can’t be made official till after the Super Bowl.

L.A.’s defensive coordinator is Raheem Morris. The former head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, this was really Morris’ first season as a full-time defensive coordinator, although he has been a high assistant in a number of stops. He included most of the scheme utilized by his predecessor (Staley), although did incorporate some tweaks to make it his personal. As beforehand talked about, Morris deployed the versatile Ramsey in the slot extra typically; and his sport plan in opposition to the 49ers in the NFC title sport helped the Rams snap a six-game shedding streak to their division rivals. Morris has interviewed with the Minnesota Vikings for their open head-coaching place, however, his relative lack of interviews in contrast with different candidates was newsworthy as additional proof of the lack of alternatives for Black coaches. 

The Bengals’ defensive coordinator is Lou Anarumo. A longtime defensive backs coach in faculty and the professionals, Anarumo turned a coordinator for the first time when he joined Taylor in Cincinnati. His defenses have been largely unremarkable throughout his first two years in the job, however, he garnered more reward this season for getting extra out of his defenses than the sum of its components. His sports plan in opposition to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game garnered important reward, notably for the workforce’s second-half changes. Anarumo was a candidate for the New York Giants’ head-coaching job earlier than it will definitely go to former Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. 

Cincinnati’s offensive coordinator is Brian Callahan. The son of legendary offensive line coach Bill Callahan, Callahan spent a number of years as an assistant coach with the Denver Broncos earlier than changing into a quarterbacks coach with the Detroit Lions (the place he helped coach Stafford) and Oakland Raiders, then got here to Cincinnati with Taylor. Callahan interviewed for the Broncos’ head-coaching place earlier this cycle earlier than the workforce, in the end, tabbed former Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett for the position. 

What’s an attention-grabbing speaking level to deliver up with followers of every workforce? 

• Rams followers: It’s our time! (The Rams moved to Los Angeles in 2016, then misplaced in the Super Bowl two years later. Now, they’re again.)
• Bengals followers: It’s our time! (The Bengals have by no means received the Super Bowl and haven’t been to one since the 1988 season.)

Before I begin watching, are there any vital guidelines I ought to know about?

Sure! It’s tough to know which guidelines will probably be vital and why earlier than the sport really begins, but it surely’s a reasonably secure guess that you’ll hear not less than one thing about some or all of those: 

• Pass interference. (This rule is precisely what it feels like. It’s when one participant intervene’s with one other’s means to catch a move.) When move interference is dedicated by the protection, the offense will get a primary down at the spot of the foul. When it is dedicated by the offense, they lose 10 yards and have to replay the down. It’s the most certainly penalty to be argued about throughout the sport. Illegal contact is a much less severe model of move interference as a result of it typically happens earlier than the ball is thrown and interferes with a participant’s means to run his route, not catch the ball. It’s a five-yard penalty that additionally ends in a primary down. Enforcement of this penalty is extraordinarily inconsistent throughout the league. 
• False begin and offside. These are pre-snap calls that end in five-yard penalties for the offense (false begin) and protection (offside). A false begin requires that the play be blown useless instantly, however there are a number of model of offside penalties, considered one of which doesn’t require that the play be blown useless and as a substitute ends in a free play for the offense. 
• Holding, unlawful block in the again, unlawful blind aspect block and unlawful palms to the face. Each of those penalties are precisely what they sound like. It’s unlawful for gamers to seize maintain of one another’s jerseys and impede the opposition’s means to make a play. Offensive holding is a 10-yard penalty that necessitates a replay of the down, whereas defensive holding is a five-yard penalty that ends in a primary down for the offense. An unlawful block in the again will most frequently be referred to as throughout a kick or punt return, and it is a 10-yard penalty from the spot of the foul. An unlawful blind-side block happens when a participant is dealing with backwards towards his personal finish zone and forcefully blocks a defensive participant. Illegal palms to the face penalties are normally referred to as both on offensive or defensive linemen when they’re making an attempt to both block or get off a block, or on a cornerback making an attempt to jam a large receiver at the line of scrimmage. When referred to as in opposition to the offense, it ends in a 10-yard penalty and replay of the down, and when referred to as in opposition to the protection, it is a five-yard penalty and automated first down for the offense. Enforcement of those penalties is extraordinarily inconsistent throughout the league. 
• Roughing the passer. Again, this penalty is precisely what it feels like. It’s when a defensive participant engages in a tough or harmful play in opposition to the quarterback. Hitting him too low or too excessive or too late or too laborious or in too unusual a manner can and normally will outcome on this penalty being referred to as. Enforcement of the penalty is extraordinarily inconsistent throughout the league. It’s a 15-yard penalty and ends in an automated first down. 
• Delay of sport. The offensive workforce has to snap the ball inside a chosen period of time. In normal, that’s 40 seconds after the finish of the earlier play. There are sure conditions (like after timeouts) the place the play clock is 25 seconds, however on most performs, it’s 40. There will probably be occasions the place the play clock on display reveals 0 seconds and the refs nonetheless don’t name a delay of sport penalty, as a result of for some purpose, the NFL permits groups an additional beat after the expiration of the play clock to snap the ball. Sometimes. Enforcement of this penalty is extraordinarily inconsistent throughout the league. 

When will folks begin caring about subsequent yr’s Super Bowl? 

Literally the precise second this sport ends. Get prepared.