Well, that was a night to remember! The NFL hit the headlines for all the right reasons last night as the Los Angeles Rams beat the Cincinnati Bengals out in LA to claim Super Bowl LVI.
With an action-packed evening that was full of highlights, here’s how it all went down…
The Biggest Stage of All
Following late wins for both teams in the previous rounds of the playoffs, the Super Bowl final was no different as the Rams scored a late touchdown to beat the Bengals 23-20.
With the game held at the SoFi Stadium, the Rams had home advantage over the Bengals, and became only the second team to win the Super Bowl in their own ground.
Packed out to the max, it was a game of the underdogs versus the all-stars, as the Rams went in as hot favourites with the likes of Matthew Stafford at quarterback, Von Miller at linebacker, as well as the versatile and ultra-talented Odell Beckham Jr, whom they picked up as a free agent this season.
Bringin’ both Stafford and Beckham back into career-best form this season, the Rams opened an early 13-3 lead in the second quarter following scores from Beckham and the in-form Cooper Kupp. However, the tides began to turn as the Tee Higgins took a routine catch to make it 13-10, before Beckham himself went off injured and didn’t return.
Things got worse for the Rams, as a blatant facemask grab from Higgins was missed by officials, allowing him to coast through for a 75-yard touchdown.
Now up 20-13, the Bengals tightened the defence screw on the Rams, making crucial intercepts to halt any thought of an LA comeback in the final quarter.
But with little time left on the clock and just 4 points in it after a field goal for the Rams, 34-year-old Stafford found the ever-reliable Kupp five times on the drive, finishing the play off with his third touchdown pass of the night to put the Rams back ahead at 23-20.
And the score line stayed that way! Aaron Donald made a huge hit to stop the Bengals getting a first down, forcing Joe Burrow to throw the ball away on the fourth down, securing the Rams as Super Bowl champions!
Halftime Showstoppers
We all know the Super Bowl isn’t just about the on-field action between teams, this year’s half-time show was on another level!
Switching it up with five joint headliners – Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Dr Dre, Mary J Blige and Snoop Dogg – the hip-hop half-time show was packed with as many mega hits from these icons as possible!
Not stoppin’ at five headliners, 50 Cent made his Super Bowl debut by hanging upside down to recreate the legendary music video for his most famous song, In Da Club.
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Exclusive Access with JD!
Didn’t manage to stay up and catch the big event last night? We’ve got you! After recently teamin’ up with NFL UK (@nfluk) as an official partner for this year’s Super Bowl, we brought you tonnes of behind-the-scenes content over on @jdsports – make sure you’re following!
Sending our guy Josh Denzel (@joshdenzel) out on the ground in LA, he followed every twist and turn live from the SoFi Stadium, while Kelechi Dyke (@kelechidyke) and David Alorka (@davidalorka) sat down at the NFL Academy screening in London to watch the action live!
Not only that, we linked up with ex-pro baller Jason Bell (@jasonbell33) to give you a beginner’s guide to the NFL, breaking down the format, how the game works and loads more inside info!
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With all your American Football essentials right here from jerseys to balls, plus the latest LA Rams Super Bowl champs tees and hoodies, get ready to back your side next season in the bid to win Super Bowl LVII.
