Cincinnati Bengals

Joe Burrow grew up in Ohio, graduated from the state's flagship university and is the quarterback for one of its two NFL teams. It should come as no surprise, then, that he considers himself a Buckeye even though he transferred to LSU to continue his football career.

"I'm definitely still a Buckeye," he told reporters Thursday. "I graduated from there."

Burrow arrived at Ohio State as a 4-star prospect in the class of 2015, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

He was competing for the backup job behind the entrenched J.T. Barrett in 2017 but suffered a broken hand. That allowed Dwayne Haskins to move ahead of Burrow on the depth chart.

It ended up being a critical injury because Barrett later suffered his own injury during the rivalry game against Michigan. Haskins entered and rallied the Buckeyes to a comeback victory, essentially cementing himself as the starter for 2018 when Barrett would no longer be on the team.

Perhaps if Burrow did not break his hand, he would have been the one to come in and start building his Ohio State legacy.

But Burrow transferred to LSU and won a national championship with the Tigers during the 2019 campaign. It's not like Haskins was a bad choice for the Buckeyes, though, as he set the Big Ten record for passing yards and passing touchdowns during a dominant 2018 season while Burrow was inconsistent in his first year at LSU.

The Buckeyes also landed Georgia transfer Justin Fields for the 2019 season after Haskins went to the NFL. And Ohio State nearly faced Burrow and LSU in the National Championship Game but lost to Clemson amid a couple of questionable calls in the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Burrow has been much better in the NFL than Haskins, which has fueled discussion about how things played out at Ohio State.

The No. 1 pick of the 2020 draft is now the face of the Bengals and has led them to the Super Bowl for the first time since the 1988 campaign. They will face the Rams on Feb. 13.

That has surely further endeared Burrow to football fans in Ohio—at least the ones who don't cheer for the Cleveland Browns—and he made sure to let everyone know he still considers himself a Buckeye.

The Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals both revealed their Super Bowl LVI jersey combinations Tuesday.

As noted by Cameron DaSilva of Rams Wire, Los Angeles will be wearing its modern throwback, which debuted this year. The jerseys hark back to the team's first stint in Los Angeles and the beginning of its tenure in St. Louis.

Now old and new clash in the Super Bowl, and the Rams played that up with this animation of quarterback Matthew Stafford throwing a touchdown pass to former franchise great and Pro Football Hall of Famer Isaac Bruce:

The Rams won't have to travel to play this Super Bowl, which will take place at its home field of SoFi Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m. ET.

However, the Bengals are the designated "home team" in this game. Per Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk, the Super Bowl home team alternates between conferences each year.

The 2021 season marks the AFC's turn, and that also means the Bengals got their choice of jerseys over the Rams.

Cincinnati went with the black top and white pants, like when the franchise made its first Super Bowl to cap the 1981 season.

Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay announced Tuesday that he would be sending four Cincinnati Bengals fans to Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 13 at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.

The Bengals will be facing the Rams in the big game, the first Super Bowl appearance for Cincy since the 1988 season. Between 1991 and 2020, the Bengals didn't win a single playoff game, though Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase and the rest of this year's team ended that drought.

The Bengals have never won an NFL title, though they did make two appearances in the big game in the 1980s, losing to Joe Montana's San Francisco 49ers each time.

So making it back to the Super Bowl is a huge, huge deal for the Bengals and their long-suffering fans. And at least four of those fans will have the chance to watch their team potentially win its first title, all on Irsay's dime.

After leading the Cincinnati Bengals to a comeback win over the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, second-year quarterback Joe Burrow drew the praise of one of the greatest of all time. 

Speaking on his Let's Go! podcast, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback and seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady acknowledged that he's been very impressed by Burrow in his young Bengals career. 

I think Joe's got some tools that I didn't quite have when I was his age, so super impressed by how he's kind of come into the league and went to Cincinnati, which has been a tough place to play over the years. And, you know, two years into his career, after a really tough injury last year, showed a lot of mental and physical toughness coming back and having an incredible season.

I always love watching quarterbacks, and certainly young quarterbacks cuz I feel like, you know, there's certain ways to play the game, and to play the game at a high level requires a huge commitment. I think Joe, even from when I saw him at LSU, you know, he makes that commitment. So it's really a great thing for me to see as, you know, someone who's played this game a long time. So really happy for Joe and his team.

Since Cincinnati's win over Kansas City, Burrow has been drawing comparisons to Brady. One similarity between the two is that they both made the Super Bowl during their second season as a starter in the NFL.

Brady took over for an injured Drew Bledsoe in 2001 and led the New England Patriots to a Super Bowl XXXVI win. 

Burrow and Brady are also the only two quarterbacks to beat Patrick Mahomes in the postseason. 

ESPN analyst and former NFL head coach Rex Ryan is just one of many who have dropped a Burrow-Brady comparison. He did so Monday during an appearance on ESPN's Get Up.

He reminds me of Tom Brady. …I've went against Tom Brady more than any coach. … That's who this kid is. This is a hired killer. And when you see him right there, he's got it all. And when the Bengals came out, and I said take him one, even though I like Herbert better, I'll take him one. Why? He's a local kid, and he's a leader. This dude right here is going to take your whole football team and say, 'You know what? Let's go.'

Can they beat anybody? Yeah, because of this guy. This guy is amazing.

Burrow has had an unbelievable second season in the NFL after missing six games during his rookie campaign with a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee.

He completed a league-best 70.4 percent of his passes for 4,611 yards and 34 touchdowns against 14 interceptions despite leading the league in sacks taken (51). He also rushed for 118 yards and two scores. 

The 25-year-old also led the Bengals to their first NFC North title and playoff appearance since 2015 and first Super Bowl appearance since the 1988 season.

The LSU product has been just as good in the postseason. Before defeating the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, Burrow completed 70.6 percent of his passes for 244 yards and two touchdowns in a Wild Card Round win over the Las Vegas Raiders.

He then completed 75.7 percent of his passes for 348 yards, no touchdowns and an interception in a divisional-round win over the Tennessee Titans. 

While Burrow is rising the ranks, there have been rumors about whether or not Brady will retire this offseason.

If the veteran officially hangs up the cleats, Burrow would be one of several players ready to take over as the face of the league. While the torch might be passed to Burrow, he has a long way to go to reach Brady's status. 

Cincinnati Public Schools will be affording the day after Super Bowl LVI the respect it properly deserves.

CPS announced it is canceling classes Feb. 14, the day after the Cincinnati Bengals play the Los Angeles Rams in the Super Bowl. That will allow students and staffers to either bask in the glory of a victory or lament yet another heartbreaking championship defeat.

The Bengals overcame a 21-3 deficit to the Kansas City Chiefs to win their first AFC title since 1988. Joe Burrow threw for 250 yards and two touchdowns in the victory, while Evan McPherson nailed the game-winning field goal in overtime.

Cincinnati is looking for its first Super Bowl title, having fallen twice to the San Francisco 49ers in its previous trips. Burrow and his cohorts are a four-point underdog against the Rams at DraftKings Sportsbook.

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The Los Angeles Rams will get a chance to play in their home stadium for Super Bowl LVI, but they will still be considered the "road" team against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

As Ian Rapoport of NFL Network noted, the NFL alternates the home designation between the AFC and NFC each year, regardless of where the game is being played. The NFC champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the home team last year in their win against the Kansas City Chiefs, which coincidentally took place in their own Raymond James Stadium.

It was the first time a team ever played the Super Bowl in its home stadium, a feat that will now be replicated by the Rams in SoFi Stadium.

The road designation means the Bengals will get first choice on jerseys, but the Rams get to call the coin toss. The latter could be especially important if the game goes to overtime, as we have seen during these playoffs.

On the plus side, the Rams will still get to use their own locker room for the game, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. The Bengals will use the Los Angeles Chargers locker room. 

Super Bowl LVI is set.

The Cincinnati Bengals pulled off an improbable comeback victory over the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Rams scraped by the NFC West foe San Francisco 49ers to earn a chance at the sport's largest prize.

The Rams opened as 4.5-point favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook, which is an even bigger advantage than they had hosting the NFC Championship Game against the 49ers. While the game will be played at Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium, the ticket distribution will—at least theoretically—not favor either side.

Early money seems to indicate bettors feel the line was too favorable on the Rams' side. The Bengals are currently listed at -115 to cover the 4.5-point spread, meaning the line could soon drop to four points if action keeps pouring in.

Cincinnati enters the Super Bowl with a 13-7 record against the spread, the NFL's third-best winning percentage. By contrast, the Rams are an even .500 against the spread this season.

Taking the Bengals moneyline currently pays out at +165 versus -195 for the Rams. 

If you're looking for hints regarding the 49.5-point total number, good luck. The Rams are 10-9-1 hitting the over (seventh in NFL) and the Bengals are 8-12 (tied for 28th), making the overall odds slightly favor the under but not by much. It's worth noting only two of the six total games for the Rams and Bengals in these playoffs would have hit a 49.5-point over.

There are few clues we can pick up from recent Super Bowls, either. Six of the last 10 Super Bowls have hit over 49.5 points, making the difference a negligible one game. 

In a nutshell: This is not going to be an easy Super Bowl from a betting perspective. Early money on the Bengals suggests the line was set a half-point or full point too high, but they're also generating a ton of public support due to their rabid fanbase that's finally getting a winner and Joe Burrow's burgeoning star power. 

Underlying numbers suggest the Rams are a better team. They're certainly more experienced, with the front office pushing their chips to the middle of the table to build a veteran-laden roster designed to win now. The Bengals are two years ahead of even their most optimistic expectations. 

The Rams are a deserving favorite, but those were the same words uttered heading into the AFC Championship Game before Kansas City fell apart in the second half. 

If you're willing to take slightly worse odds—and are a Same Game Parlay fiend—bumping the line up to Bengals +7.5 and the under to 56.5 points would pay out at +115 and seem like a safe bet. 

For all the latest betting information and reaction, check out B/R Betting.

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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow has been getting attention for his swagger both on and off the field.

After leading the Bengals to a win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday's AFC Championship game, Burrow got a shoutout from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson for his pregame attire. Burrow wore a similar outfit to The Rock's famous black turtleneck look.

Burrow was asked if the diamonds in his chain were real, to which he responded, "They're definitely real. I think I make too much money to have fake ones."

Burrow threw for 250 yards, two touchdowns and an interception to help lead the Bengals to their first Super Bowl appearance since 1988. Cincinnati will face the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI on Sunday Feb. 13.

Evan McPherson's winning field goal in overtime of Sunday's AFC Championship Game was bad news for the Kansas City Chiefs.

It was also bad news for the wall near one particularly enthusiastic Cincinnati Bengals fan.

After McPherson's kick went through the uprights to clinch a 27-24 victory, one fan donning a Bengals helmet ran headfirst into the wall and left quite the dent:

Frankly, the fan likely would have thought a damaged wall was a minuscule price to pay if he were told the Bengals would reach the Super Bowl after finishing last in the AFC North in each of the previous three seasons.

But that is life with franchise-savior Joe Burrow, who helped Cincinnati overcome a 21-3 deficit in Kansas City to secure the team's first Super Bowl appearance since the 1988 campaign.

The Bengals have never won a Super Bowl and are one victory over the Los Angeles Rams away from changing that after Sunday's developments.

One shudders to imagine what the celebration at this residence will look like if Burrow is lifting the Lombardi Trophy in two weeks.

Move over, Nostradamus. You may have some company.

While most bettors were likely looking at moneyline gambles or point spreads during Sunday's conference championship games, one bettor attempted to predict the scores right for both games. It turns out this bettor has quite the eye for the future, and the result was a two-leg parlay that turned $20 into $579,000.

All it took for the Cincinnati Bengals to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs 27-24 was Joe Burrow and Co. overcoming a 21-3 deficit while the visitors' defense held Patrick Mahomes and his mighty offense to three points in the second half.

Oh, and a victory in overtime thanks to Evan McPherson's field goal.

And then all it took for the Los Angeles Rams to defeat the San Francisco 49ers 20-17 was Matthew Stafford directing three scoring drives in the fourth quarter as the home team overcame a 10-point deficit.

The result was quite the day for one fortunate gambler.