Featuring a historic franchise starved of success and a veteran quarterback who had never felt the shine of the big game, this Super Bowl presented two of the best storylines in recent memory. 

The Cincinnati Bengals came into this game as one of the hottest teams in the NFL. Riding the back of 25- year-old superstar quarterback Joe Burrow and record-breaking rookie wide receiver Jamarr Chase, the team came into a hostile SoFi Stadium on Sunday and hoped to make history. 

However, in the end, the Bengals were just not quite good enough to hang with this Rams team. Coming off a very impressive run through the NFC, the Rams were just as hot as the Bengals after just having beaten the likes of Tom Brady and a stifling Niners defense.  They proved that if anyone was going to defeat this seemingly invincible Bengals team, it was certainly them.

Still, for a team that had been written off since the beginning of the season, the Bengals just making it into the playoffs was enough to shock sports fans all over. No one could have predicted they would be lacing up on football’s biggest stage after slaying through the behemoth that is the AFC. Their journey has been no cake walk. They defeated the hungry Las Vegas Raiders, went into Tennessee and upset the No. 1 seeded Titans, and to top it all off, they came into Kansas City and handed The Chiefs one of the biggest upsets of all time. Finally, they made their way to the Super Bowl after thirty three long years.

Going into the game, the Bengals looked sensational, and their attitude and chemistry fit their mantra. They are a young, hungry group that is willing to go toe to toe with absolutely any opponent. If they were able to hoist the Lombardi trophy, they would have been delivering on a goal that they have historically fallen short of. 

Led by veteran Matthew Stafford, Los Angeles sought redemption for their lackluster Super Bowl performance only three years ago. Though they faced much adversity throughout the course of the game, they were able to come out victorious. 

A handful of factors contributed to the success of this Rams team, but the most undeniable was the new addition of Matthew Stafford.

Throughout the years, Stafford’s talent has been undeniable. Only a handful of quarterbacks could make the throws he could, and produce the same numbers year after year. Unfortunately for him, his entire time in the NFL to this point had been spent in Detroit, where careers go to die. Getting drafted by the Lions is essentially getting thrown into a black hole of disappointment and Matthew Stafford was given the brunt of this reality. He continued to play excellently, but the teams around him were just always terrible; thus, he never received his deserved recognition.

But this season, things were different. He was on a team that had been playing extraordinarily well, and was in one of the biggest sports markets in America. Surrounded by an All-Star supporting cast that includes Odell Beckham Jr., Darrel Henderson and the best receiver in the NFL this season, Cooper Kupp, he has truly flourished as a passer and done some incredible things. 

There has never been such mutual respect amid fans for both teams in the Super Bowl. The past has been dominated by powerhouse dynasties that are forced to play the role as villain, but this time it was all different. It was refreshing to see some fresh blood compete against one another. 

Despite the underlying storyline the game itself was actually quite boring. Neither team was as exciting as they had been over the course of the playoffs and during the regular season, however it was still competitive until the very end. 

In the end, there were no real losers. Stafford and Defensive Legend Aaron Donald received their rings, and Cincinnati gave us a glimpse of the greatness they can accomplish going forward.