The football highlight of the year: The Los Angeles Rams meet the Cincinnati Bengals in Inglewood. Who will succeed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and win the Super Bowl?
The grand finale, the endgame, the crowning glory of the season: Super Bowl LVI in Inglewood, California. The Los Angeles Rams, the local heroes, meet the Cincinnati Bengals in their own stadium. It’s also quarterbacks Matt Stafford versus Joe Burrow. No Tom Brady with his Tampa Bay Buccaneers, no Aaron Rodgers with his Green Bay Packers, no Patrick Mahomes with his Kansas City Chiefs – the big megastars didn’t make it into the final. Very few expected the pairing of Rams and Bengals beforehand.
There will definitely be an unfamiliar new champion – the Rams (then still based in St. Louis) last won the Superbowl in 1999, the Bengals have never won a final in their long history.
Follow Super Bowl LVI here in the live ticker.
4th quarter, 2:00: It goes into the Two Minute Warning. The Rams have possession, but now they have to move quickly if they want to turn the game around in the last second. Rams coach Sean McVay runs back and forth on the sidelines.
4th quarter, 11:55: The next sack against Burrow. This time it’s Rams star Von Miller who gets him. The 25-year-old is simply not well protected today – just like he has been throughout the season.
3rd quarter, 00:00: This is how it goes in the final quarter. Everything still seems open here. Can the Rams still make the turnaround? Or will the Bengals secure their first title in history?
3rd quarter, 2:55: Almost the same game on the other side. Bengals defensive tackle DJ Reader sacks Stafford, Hekker punts and the Bengals have possession again. Score 16:20
3rd quarter, 5:24: The next short drive. Burrow is sacked by Rams linebacker Ernest Brown, making it the fourth sack against Burrow in the game. The next pass is too short, Cincinnati has to punt. Score 16:20
3rd Quarter, 5:58: Field Goal Rams. After all: L:A. gets his first points in the second half with the next drive. Stafford attempts a pass to the completely exposed Kupp, but completely overthrows. The Rams missed a great opportunity. Gay is doing damage control with his field goal from 41 yards. Score 16:20
3rd Quarter, 10:15: Field Goal Bengals. Cincinnati currently has the upper hand. At least Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald can prevent even worse with a sack against Burrow. So Cincy “only” finishes with a field goal. McPherson converts from 38 yards. Score 13:20
3rd quarter, 13:09: Now it’s getting heated. Burrow can’t find a pass collector and starts the run himself – and is rudely pushed wide by Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald. Players from both teams immediately rush in, pushing and shoving, almost fist punches. The referees intervene. Score 13:17
3rd quarter, 14:44: Interception! Total false start by the Rams. After the Bengals touchdown, the next blow for the hosts: Stafford wants to pass wide receiver Ben Skowronek, but Bengals cornerback Chidube Awuzie is wide awake and intercepts the pass. Immediately ball possession Bengals again. Score 13:17
3rd quarter, 14:48: Touchdown Bengals! What a start to the 2nd half! Burrow finds Higgins with a 75 (!) yard pass, who beats Ramsey and runs through to the Rams end zone. But: Ramsey is pissed off and complains – Only in slow motion does it become clear: Higgins grabbed his opponent into the grille of his helmet to gain an advantage – a clear violation of the rules, an “offensive pass interference”. But the officials didn’t see the foul – the touchdown counts. If that scene ends up being game-changing, then we’ve got a scandal. McPherson answered with a field goal. Score 13:17
2nd quarter, 00:00: That’s how it goes in the half-time break. A gripping first half, everything still seems open. Now the halftime show is waiting – it should be spectacular: none other than Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige and Kendrick Lamar will perform.
2nd quarter, 3:54: Shock moment for the Rams: Odell Beckham Jr. wants a pass from Stafford, but comes up with his left knee and collapses immediately. That doesn’t look good at all. His teammates kneel anxiously next to the wide receiver, who is being treated on the field. Then a slight sigh of relief: Beckham Jr. can get up, leaves the field supported by two supervisors and disappears into the catacombs. Whether he can intervene again in the game is questionable. That would be a huge drain on LA Score 13:10
The Rams players kneel around the injured Beckham Jr. (Credit: Robert Hanashiro/Reuters)
2nd Quarter, 5:47: Touchdown Bengals! we have a game Burrow finds Joe Mixon and Cincinnati is in half the Rams. Then the third down – and a real trick play: Mixon gets the ball and immediately finds Tee Higgins in the Rams end zone! They caught LA off guard. McPherson converts the extra point. Score 13:10
2nd Quarter, 12:51: Touchdown Rams! LA hits back right away. First Stafford finds Beckham Jr. for 35 yards, then Darrell Henderson for 25 yards – and the Rams are already at the 11-yard line! After a time out, Stafford finds Cooper Kupp right in the end zone! But: The special team misses the extra point – memories of the Packers from the game against the 49ers! Score 13:3
1st quarter, 0:28: Great pass from Burrow over 46 yards to Ja’Marr Chase! Incomprehensible! Chase slips away from Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey – and catches the ball with one hand! After that, however, the Bengals miss out on scoring in the red zone. Three times “incomplete” – Burrow does not get through. After all, Evan McPherson’s field goal from 29 yards to make it 3:7 from a Cincinnati perspective. Score 7:3
1st Quarter, 2:23: But in return, the Rams can not score. Stafford too hesitant in passing, Johnny Hecker punts Bengals to regain possession of the ball. Score 7:0
1st Quarter, 4:54: How are head coach Zac Taylor’s Bengals reacting? Not quite right yet. An incomplete pass from Burrow to Chris Evans leads to the next punt. Not much is going on there. Score 7:0
1st Quarter, 6:22: TOUCHDOWN! The direct acknowledgment from the Rams. Stafford finds Beckham Jr. deep right in the end zone! What a pass, what a catch! Matt Gay converts the extra point. Score 7:0
1st quarter, 10:00: But what are the Bengals doing there? Cincinnati is already at the center line but can’t make anything out of it. Burrow’s fourth try is parried and the Rams have the ball again! Score 0:0
1st quarter, 13:27: We have the first bag of the game. Trey Hendrickson catches Rams QB Stafford at 29 yards. The subsequent 3 and 17 leads to nothing. Punt Rams – and now the Bengals have possession. Score 0:0
1st quarter, 0: 0: Here we go! Kickoff Bengals, the Rams around QB Matt Stafford now have possession at the 25-yard line.
00:32: Once again, nothing is saved. Hollywood star Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson really heats up the audience right before the kickoff.
If you smeeeeell… Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson shortly before kickoff. (Source: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)
00:28: Tennis legend Billie Jean King performs the traditional coin toss. The Bengals win – and opt for possession after the second half.
Handshake before the coin toss: Stafford (left) and Burrow. (Source: Mario Anzuoni/Reuters)
12:18 am: Mickey Guyton’s national anthem rocks the stadium. Of course, the Air Force jets flying over the stadium shouldn’t be missing either.
00:15: It starts. A moving obituary for coaching legend John Madden gets the evening off to a good start. Madden died on December 28 at the age of 85.
11:48 p.m.: Super Bowl LVI in Inglewood will also be a field-side gathering of stars. Hip-hop grande Jay-Z has already taken a look around the lawn.
11:45 p.m.: Star wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. is already in form…
11:40 p.m.: Rams vs Bengals – who would have guessed? Read what finals mean for both teams, why Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow made an amazing comeback, and what the Rams’ clear advantage is here.