The matchup for Super Bowl 56 was set Sunday, with the Cincinnati Bengals and Los Angeles Rams surviving another pair of nail-biters to win a shot at NFL history.
The Bengals, who have never won a Super Bowl and last made it to the NFL championship game in 1988, edged out the heavily favored Kansas City Chiefs, 27-24 in overtime. Hours later, the Rams outlasted the San Francisco 49ers — who have beaten the Bengals twice in the Super Bowl, to punch their ticket for the Feb. 13 game.
Cincinnati won when rookie kicker Evan McPherson hit a 31-yard field goal in overtime. The game-winning kick capped a wild second half rally that saw the Bengals erase an 18-point halftime deficit.
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The winning drive was set up after Cincinnati safety Vonn Bell intercepted Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“I think if you would have told me coming into the league when I got drafted that we’d be here this year, obviously it would be a shock,” Bengals second-year quarterback Joe Burrow said after the game. “But like I said earlier, no, I’m not surprised.”
Burrow finished 23-of-38 for 250 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception.
In the nightcap, the Rams rode a strong performance by Matthew Stafford, who the team acquired from Detroit before the season, to win by a 20-17 margin.
Stafford finished 31 of 45 for 337 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
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It will be the Rams’ fifth appearance in the Super Bowl, with their only win coming in 1999 against the Tennessee Titans.
The Super Bowl will take place in LA’s SoFi Stadium — the Rams’ home field and the site of their win on Sunday.
