How the Bengals and Rams became Super Bowl contenders

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.

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 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.

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 t