Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) throws a pass during Super Bowl 56, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2022, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. Los Angeles Rams defeated Cincinnati Bengals 23-20. Nfl Super Bowl 56 Los Angeles Rams Vs Cincinnati Bengals Feb 13 2022 Albert Cesare 5850
NFLBy Michael Grant on

If you’re eager for a Super Bowl rematch, don’t bet on it. There’s a solid chance that neither the Los Angeles Rams nor the Cincinnati Bengals will be back next year. Let’s take it a step further: The Rams and Bengals might not even repeat as division winners.

After the wildest playoffs we’ve seen in a long time, it’s clear that reaching the Super Bowl has become even harder. A longer regular season coupled with an expanded postseason means more opportunities for upsets.

The top-seeded Green Bay Packers and Tennessee Titans were both knocked out in the divisional round. Of the four teams with the highest average scoring margin —the Buffalo Bills (+11.5), the Dallas Cowboys (+9.2), the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+9.0), and the New England Patriots (+7.2) — only the Bills won a playoff game.

The Rams (12-5) and the Bengals (10-7) were not the best teams in the regular season. Super Bowl LVI was a matchup of No. 4 seeds. Both were talented, but they were also fortunate. Who knows what kind of matchup we’ll see in Super Bowl LVII?

The biggest problem for the Rams and Bengals is that they both play in the most competitive divisions in their conferences.

In the NFC West, three of the four teams reached the postseason and one the one that didn’t — the Seattle Seahawks (7-10) — has the best quarterback in Russell Wilson. In the AFC North, all four teams won at least eight games and the one that finished last — the Baltimore Ravens (8-9) — was 8-3 before stumbling as Lamar Jackson missed the final four games with an ankle injury.

Let’s look at L.A. first.

The Rams went all-in for this season and were rewarded with a Super Bowl. Right now, they’re the odds-on favorite to represent the NFC next year. But they will have challenges. L.A. doesn’t have any draft picks in the top-100 and won’t select until the third round. The Rams might have a revamped offensive line with three players set to become free agents and left tackle Andrew Whitworth possibly retiring. According to Spotrac, the Rams are projected to be $10 million over the cap, ranking No. 28 in available salary cap space for 2022.

Assuming Sean McVay returns, despite rumors that he might retire at 36 and go into the broadcast booth, McVay will have to replenish his staff. The most notable departure is offensive coordinator Kevin O’Connell, who’s the new Minnesota Vikings coach. And what about the turnover in on-the-field personnel?

The good news is that the Rams should still be able to attract veterans who are willing to play at a discount. But as successful as this season was, the San Francisco 49ers swept the Rams during the regular season and came close to beating them for the NFC Championship. The Niners have the best defense in the division, and if they’re able to upgrade at quarterback (Jimmy Garoppolo is on his way out), this could be the best team in the NFC West.

Now let’s look at the Bengals.

Cincinnati got hot at the right time, and its decision to draft Offensive Rookie of the Year wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase over an offensive lineman turned out to be their best off-season move. But after a storybook postseason, returning to the Super Bowl will be extremely difficult. The Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills are the favorites to represent the AFC.

The Bengals’ most notable free agents are safety Jessie Bates. tight end C.J. Uzomah, and defensive lineman Larry Ogunjobi. However, priority No. 1 must be fixing the offensive line. Joe Burrow was sacked a record 19 times in the postseason. That figure was so alarming that some analysts brought up Andrew Luck, whose poor protection led to injuries and an early retirement.

The Bengals have the money to build a better line. They have the fourth-most cap space in the league at $48 million. Will they spend it? Owner Mike Brown has the reputation of being frugal. However, he’s 86 years old. Considering how close the Bengals were to a championship, he might be more motivated to pay up.

Cincinnati won the division primarily because it swept the Ravens. Baltimore figures to be a lot better after a season of being ravaged by injuries. The Ravens ended the season with 20 players on injured reserve, the second-most in the league. A healthy Lamar Jackson makes them a playoff team. And that Ravens defense Burrow shredded (941 yards, seven touchdowns, and one interception over two games) should be significantly better. Also, you can’t count out the Pittsburgh Steelers. If they can land a better quarterback to replace the retired Ben Roethlisberger, they’ll be in the mix.

Since the 2000 regular-season, only three franchises have made consecutive Super Bowl trips: the New England Patriots (2003-04 and 2016-17-18), the Seattle Seahawks (2013-14), and the Kansas City Chiefs (2019-20).

Maybe the Rams or Bengals will return. The journey will be tougher.

About Michael Grant

Born in Jamaica. Grew up in New York City. Lives in Louisville, Ky. Sports writer. Not related to Ulysses S. Grant, Anthony Grant, Amy Grant or Hugh Grant.

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