What Super Bowl LVI Might Look Like: Conference Championships Predictions
Championship Sunday is just around the corner. In a little over 48 hours we will know which two teams are heading to SoFi Stadium for Super Bowl LVI. On one corner we got the Kansas City Chiefs, looking to stamp their third straight trip to the Big game, going up against the upstart Cincinnati Bengals, a team nobody would have predicted would win its division, let alone make an AFC Championship Game appearance when the season began.
On the other side we have a NFC West showdown for all the marbles as the LA Rams and San Francisco 49ers meet up for the third time. And, oh, by the way the Niners have won six straight against the Rams dating back to 2019.
So what Super Bowl matchup is most enticing? Let’s grab our crystal ball, and take a look at the four potential Super Sunday matchups:
LA Rams vs. Cincinnati Bengals:
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 27: Cooper Kupp #18 of the Los Angeles Rams runs with the ball during the NFL London Games series match between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Los Angeles Rams at Wembley Stadium on October 27, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
This would be the first time Super Bowl match-up if it’s Bengals vs. Rams. These two have only met 14 times in history, with their most recent meeting coming in October of 2019 all the way over in London, England. The Rams won that game 24-10. It is amazing how different these two teams are now compared to that prior match-up. When they met in London, Andy Dalton and Jared Goff were under center for both teams. The Bengals were a woeful 0-7 en route to a 2-14 season under then first year head coach Zac Taylor. The Rams were coming off their Super Bowl loss to the Patriots the prior January, and were a mediocre 9-7 in 2019.
If this is the match-up on Super Sunday, it will be a challenging task for the young Bengals. Quarterback Joe Burrow was sacked 9 times by the Tennessee Titans in the divisional round. Assuming they advance against the Chiefs, Burrow would likely be under siege against a Rams pass rush of Aaron Donald and Von Miller. That doesn’t mean Cincy can’t make big plays. The Rams were a middle of the road team in pass defense this year, which will create an opportunity for Ja’Marr Chase to make noise.
On the flip side, it could be a big day for the Rams, who would be playing at home. Matthew Stafford, and wide receiver Cooper Kupp have been on fire of late, and they would pose a major problem for Cincinnati’s defense. The last time they met in 2019, Kupp went off on the Bengals secondary with 220 yards on seven catches.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Cincinnati Bengals:
CINCINNATI, OHIO – DECEMBER 12: George Kittle #85 of the San Francisco 49ers rushes for a fourteen-yard touchdown over Chidobe Awuzie #22 of the Cincinnati Bengals in the second quarter of the game at Paul Brown Stadium on December 12, 2021 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
If we get Niners-Bengals, it will be the third time for this match-up in the Super Bowl, tying it with the legendary Steelers-Cowboys match-up. Let’s be honest nobody had Niners-Bengals on their Super Bowl bingo card to start the year. These two teams did meet earlier this season in a classic back-n-forth affair that both teams needed in mid-December. The Bengals erased a 20-6 deficit to tie it and force overtime. The Bengals actually grabbed a 23-20 lead in OT, but the Niners won it on Brandon Aiyuk’s tip-toe in the corner of the endzone to give the Niners the win.
If we get this match-up again, it could be another Bengals – Niners classic, (see Super Bowl XXIII). Both teams are very similar. They play physical football on the defensive side, and have plenty of playmakers from George Kittle to Deebo Samuel for San Fran, to Chase and Joe Mixon for the Bengals.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs:
MIAMI, FLORIDA – FEBRUARY 02: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs shakes hands with Jimmy Garoppolo #10 of the San Francisco 49ers after Super Bowl LIV at Hard Rock Stadium on February 02, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
The Rematch. The two participants from Super Bowl LIV could potentially meet up against just two years later. That’s the shortest time frame for a Super Bowl rematch since the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills met in back to back Super Bowls in the early 90s.
A 49ers-Chiefs rematch should be an incredible game. Neither roster has seen that much turnover since their last meeting two February’s ago, so a lot of the same familiar faces will be in place. When they met in Super Bowl LIV, the 49ers were enjoying a 20-10 lead late in the fourth quarter. It looked like the Niners were on their way to an uspet, as Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes struggled against San Francisco’s vaunted pass rush. One would figure that the likes of Nick Bosa, Fred Warner and company would relish a chance at the Chiefs again. Even on the flip side, one can rest assure Jimmy Garapolo, who was on his way to an MVP in that Super Bowl would relish a shot against KC again.
For the Chiefs, a rematch against the 49ers would be a stiff challenge because of the pressure they bring upfront. Yet, the Chiefs offensive line has gotten better as the year has gone along, and Mahomes along with receiver Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce have been rolling since mid-season. A second win against San Francisco in the Super Bowl would propel the Chiefs into dynasty territory.
LA Rams vs. Kansas City Chiefs:
LOS ANGELES, CA – NOVEMBER 19: Tyreek Hill #10 of the Kansas City Chiefs catches a first down catch in front of Sam Shields #37 of the Los Angeles Rams during the second quarter of the game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on November 19, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Perhaps the match-up most people would love to see in the Super Bowl. For the second straight season it would feature a team playing the Super Bowl in its own stadium, this time in the form of the LA Rams. It would feature a dynamic quarterback and offense in Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs against one of the most vicious defenses in the NFL in Aaron Donald and the Rams. You would have Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford playing the role of Jim Plunkett, a once down-trodden quarterback, who is finally getting his chance to shine on a grand stage. You would also get two of the best head coaches in the NFL going head to head in Sean McVay and Andy Reid. McVay was in this game three seasons ago when his Rams lost 13-3 to the Patriots in Super Bowl LIII. This would be a great way for him to enter into the Hall of Fame conversation at the ripe age of 36. As for Reid, he’s been here many times. It would be his fourth trip, as he looks for his second ring with K.C.
Oh, and in case you forgot, the last time these two franchises met out in LA, it was a wild Monday night game in 2018 that ended with the Rams (then led by Jared Goff) outdueling Mahomes and the Chief 54-51. If this match-up is anything like that game, it will blow up television records for years and generations to come.
Mike Cohen’s Championship Sunday Picks:
Last week: 1-3
Season: 58-30
Cincinnati Bengals @ Kansas City Chiefs: This will be a stiff test for the Bengals. While it is an incredible accomplishment for this team to go from bottom feeder to postseason contender, they are running into a buzzsaw here. It reminds me of the Jets two trips to the AFC Title game under Rex Ryan in 2009 and 2010 when they went up against Peyton Manning and the Colts, and Ben Rothlisberger and the Steelers, respectively. As great a run as it was, it was asking a lot for them to win. And they didn’t. Joe Burrow was sacked nine times last week in Tennessee and the Bengals offense hasn’t exactly been clicking this postseason. The Chiefs on the other hand, have been clicking on all cylinders. They put up 42 points in each of their last two playoff games, and Patrick Mahomes is playing on another level. Yes, the Bengals beat the Chiefs a few weeks ago, but this will be different. The Chiefs are not going to turn it over as much as Tennessee did, and it will be too much Mahomes. PICK: CHIEFS 41 – BENGALS 17.
San Francisco 49ers @ LA Rams: Great match-up. Should be a close game all the way through, and both teams are mirror images of one another. The only difference is the Rams are playing a little bit better than the 49ers are, especially offensively, and just the idea that the Rams stumbled into home field through the Super Bowl is going to help carry them. This is not to say San Francisco won’t keep it close. They will, in fact they might even have a lead late. But expect the pressure to get to Jimmy G a little bit, and for Matthew Stafford to hit a big pass in this game to either Cooper Kupp or (wait for it Giants fans) Odell Beckham Jr. PICK: RAMS 26 – 49ERS 23.
