This year's NFL offseason will start on March 16, although free agency talks have already begun. Prior to that, let's look at the recently concluded Super Bowl 56.
The Super Bowl 56, was played on February 13, 2022, between the Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium, the home turf of the Rams in Inglewood, California. In this game, the Rams defeated the Bengals by a score of 23–20.
Here is a quick recap of everything that happened in Super Bowl 56!
Honorary Coin Toss of Billie Jean King
Allen J. Schaben/Getty
Billie Jean King flipped the coin at Super Bowl 2022 to kick off the match between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals. She is one of the most remarkable tennis players and the first woman to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
After the referee said that the Super Bowl 56 logo would be heads and the AFC and NFC Championship logos would be tails, the Rams protested and claimed tails. King then stepped up to flip the coin and it landed on heads, initiating the Super Bowl with the Bengals starting. This was taken as a bad omen since others who won the coin toss in the previous games lost the Super Bowl.
She stood alongside student-athletes during the coin toss. She found the invitation to be an honor for the message it sends on gender equality in sports.
Victory for the Rams
Rob Carr/Getty
The Rams are Super Bowl champions with a score of 23-20. This makes it their second victory in the Super Bowl franchise history and the first one in the City of Angels. Quarterback Matthew Stafford led a late drive to defeat the Cincinnati Bengals. He had 26 of the 40 passes achieved for 283 yards as well as two interceptions and three touchdowns.
At the game's final quarter, the Rams found themselves trudging the Bengals by four. A weary second half followed three consecutive three-and-outs until Stafford. However, on what would be their final drive of the game, the offensive sprang to life.
The Rams made a 79-yard drive downfield. The go-ahead score was secured when Stafford connected with wide receiver Cooper Kupp. With a few seconds remaining on the clock, Cincinnati would have the ball back, but defensive tackle Aaron Donald slammed the door shut. On fourth-and-1, the Rams' star pass rusher came up with a key pressure on Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, turning the ball over on downs and securing the title for the Rams!
Cooper Kupp is MVP
Kevin C. Cox/Getty
In a stunning and incredible performance in the 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp was awarded the Super Bowl MVP. He pulled in eight receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns in the game, including the game-winning score to cap a 15-play, 79-yard drive with 1:25 left on the clock. He is the eighth receiver to win the Super Bowl MVP award since Super Bowl LIII was accomplished by Julian Edelman. At a postgame interview he had after the Rams lost Super Bowl 2019, he said he saw a vision that his team could come back to the big game and he'd be the MVP.
Youngest Coach to Win a Super Bowl
USA TODAY Sports
Sean McVay, this year's Los Angeles Rams head coach, just became the youngest coach to have won a Super Bowl in NFL history. It was a record previously attributed to Mike Tomlin of the Pittsburgh Steelers who won Super Bowl XLIII just before he turned 37 years old. It was his second season as the head coach for the Steelers who won against the Arizona Cardinals.
McVay broke the record in his fifth season of being in charge of the Rams when the team won Super Bowl LVI. He achieved this win at 36 years old. It could have been done years ago when the Rams went up against the New England Patriots but he came up short then.
The team celebrated their victory on the field while forming a circle and dancing. At the center, McVay held the Vince Lombardi trophy. After, they celebrated with a 1.1-mile parade from the Shrine Auditorium to the LA Memorial Coliseum.
The mayor of Los Angeles then handed three keys to the city over to Matthew Stafford (quarterback), Aaron Donald (defensive tackle), and Cooper Kupp (wide receiver) of the Rams. The team expressed their gratitude to their teammates and fans while holding up the trophy.
Winning Super Bowl Ads
Polestar was the top-performing ad, according to an advertising analytics company. It promoted their startup electric vehicle company with a 30-second spot, "No Compromises," while poking fun at how its competitors, Tesla and Volkswagen, make their ads and brand promises. They position themselves to have unconventional choices for their products and an uncompromising attitude.
Shaving became less observed because of the COVID-19 pandemic and Gilette is hoping to change that now that quarantine restrictions have mostly been lifted. Procter & Gamble’s ad features GilletteLabs’ with Exfoliating Bar which showed the use of razor as simply quick and easy to get customers to shave again. It received criticism for falling flat.
Cue Health presented its at-home COVID testing device, Cue. The spot shows a mom telling her kid to take a Cue test because his friend just tested positive. The home's smart devices spot the Cue and they wonder what it's for. Gal Gadot as the voiceover for the Cue starts introducing herself and the other devices welcome it into the home.
Disney also promoted the next in line for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness." It deals with the aftermath following the spell that Doctor Strange cast in “Spider-Man: No Way Home” for Peter Parker. To fight villains that have emerged on their timeline, he teams up with Wanda Maximoff.
House Party with Hip Hop Legends
Talking about the Super Bowl can't be complete without talking about the halftime show. This year was a love letter to the Los Angeles hip-hop scene. Legends Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, Mary J. Blige, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent and Anderson Paak gave us an energizing showdown filled with nostalgic hits like “In Da Club,” “Lose Yourself,” and “Still D.R.E.” At the centerstage was a set that recreated a poppin’ LA block party.
Watch the Super Bowl Halftime Show here:
Catch the following setlist you'd want to add to your playlist:
- The Next Episode – Snoop Dogg
- California Love – Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg
- In Da Club – 50 Cent
- Family Affair – Mary J. Blige
- No More Drama – Mary J. Blige
- M.a.a.D City – Kendrick Lamar
- Alright – Kendrick Lamar
- Forgot About Dre – Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem
- Lose Yourself – Eminem
- Still D.R.E. – Dr. Dre with Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, and Eminem
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