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| Date | February 13, 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Kickoff time | 3:34 p.m.PST (UTC-8) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | SoFi Stadium Inglewood, California | ||||||||||||||||||
| MVP | Cooper Kupp,wide receiver | ||||||||||||||||||
| Favorite | Rams by 3.5[1] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Ronald Torbert[2][3] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 70,048 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Ceremonies | |||||||||||||||||||
| National anthem | Mickey Guyton[4] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Coin toss | Billie Jean King[5] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Halftime show | Dr. Dre,Snoop Dogg,Eminem,Mary J. Blige, andKendrick Lamar, featuring50 Cent andAnderson .Paak[6][7] | ||||||||||||||||||
| TV in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | NBC Telemundo Peacock | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Al Michaels (play-by-play) Cris Collinsworth (analyst) Michele Tafoya andKathryn Tappen (sideline reporters) Terry McAulay (rules analyst) Carlos Mauricio Ramirez (play-by-play Spanish) Jorge Andres (analyst Spanish) Rolando Cantu (analyst Spanish) Ariana Figuera (sideline Spanish) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Nielsen ratings | 36.9 (national) 36.7 (Los Angeles) 46.1 (Cincinnati) U.S. TV viewership: 112.3 million[8][9] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Cost of 30-second commercial | $6.5–7 million[10] | ||||||||||||||||||
| Radio in the United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | Westwood One | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Kevin Harlan (play-by-play) Kurt Warner (analyst) Laura Okmin andMike Golic (sideline reporters) Gene Steratore (rules analyst) | ||||||||||||||||||
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Super Bowl LVI[11] was anAmerican football game played to determine the champion of theNational Football League (NFL) for the2021 season. TheNational Football Conference (NFC) championLos Angeles Rams defeated theAmerican Football Conference (AFC) championCincinnati Bengals 23–20. The game was played on February 13, 2022, atSoFi Stadium inInglewood, California, the home stadium of the Rams, marking the second consecutive and second overall Super Bowl with a team playing and winning in its home stadium.[12]
The Rams' victory was their second overall, first as a Los Angeles-based team, and first since winning 2000'sSuper Bowl XXXIV when they were based inSt. Louis. Finishing with a 12–5 record, the Rams reached their fifth Super Bowl appearance after acquiring veteran quarterbackMatthew Stafford, who had not won a playoff game in his previous 12 years with theDetroit Lions. The Bengals, who finished with a 10–7 record, were seeking their first Super Bowl title following several decades of losing seasons and playoff struggles. They won their first playoff game since 1990, ending the longest drought in the four major North American sports, en route to their third Super Bowl appearance and first since 1988'sSuper Bowl XXIII. Each team finished the regular season as their respective conference's 4-seed, making this the first Super Bowl without a top-3 seed since seeding was introduced in1975.[13]
The game had three lead changes and was mostly kept within a one-possession margin. Los Angeles led 13–10 at halftime, but the Bengals scored 10 straight points on their first two drives in the third quarter. Trailing 20–16 in the fourth, the Rams scored a touchdown to retake the lead with under two minutes remaining and stopped Cincinnati's final drive on downs. Wide receiverCooper Kupp, who converted a fourth down on the Rams' final drive and scored the game-winning touchdown, was namedSuper Bowl MVP.
NBC's broadcast of Super Bowl LVI was the second-most watched in the game's history, marking a shift from several years of declining ratings. Seen by an average of 112.3 million total viewers on both NBC and its streaming platforms,[14] the game's ratings were up 8% from theprevious Super Bowl.[9]
In contrast to most previous Super Bowls, no bids were accepted for Super Bowl LVI. The bids forSuper Bowl LIII,Super Bowl LIV, andSuper Bowl LV were all drawn from the same pool of candidates in a meeting on May 24, 2016.Atlanta,Miami,Los Angeles, andTampa Bay were the four candidates for the three contests; Atlanta received Super Bowl LIII, Miami received Super Bowl LIV, and Los Angeles (which declined to bid on Super Bowl LIV and was not eligible for Super Bowl LIII) was granted Super Bowl LV.[15]
On May 18, 2017, authorities announced that the opening of Los Angeles's new stadium, SoFi Stadium, originally scheduled for the start of the 2019 season, had been delayed a year to 2020. As a result, at the league's owners meetings inChicago on May 23, 2017, the league re–awarded Super Bowl LV to the lone remaining candidate, Tampa Bay, and awarded Super Bowl LVI to Los Angeles.[16]
The official logo for the game was unveiled on February 9, 2021, maintaining the standard design used sinceSuper Bowl LI, but introducing sunset-themed[17] designs reflecting the landscape of the host city/region (featuring in this casepalm trees) within the traditionalRoman numerals.[18]
In early January 2022, it was reported thatAT&T Stadium inArlington, Texas, was being considered as an alternate site for the game as a contingency plan due to an increase ofCOVID-19 infections in California attributed to theOmicron variant. The stadium last hostedSuper Bowl XLV in 2011.[19] However, the NFL later confirmed on January 13 that the game would remain at SoFi Stadium, as the NFL saw an increased interest in the potential of the Rams playing a home Super Bowl game.[20]
Attendance at the game was not limited, unlike Super Bowl LV in 2021, which was played with an audience at 37% of the capacity.[21][22] Fans who went to the Super Bowl festivities prior to the game and those who attended the Super Bowl received a freeKN95 mask.[23] PerLos Angeles County public health orders, those attending the game were required to showproof of vaccination, a negativePCR test that was taken within 48 hours, or a negative antigen test that was taken within 24 hours.[21][24] The proof of vaccination requirement had been implemented for large outdoor events in Los Angeles County since October 2021.[25]
Those requesting media accreditation for the Super Bowl and playoffs were required to be fully vaccinated and have received at least one booster dose of vaccine.[26]
The Los Angeles Rams finished the 2021 season with a12–5 record under fifth-year head coachSean McVay.[27] This was their fifth Super Bowl appearance, third as a Los Angeles–based team, and second under McVay.[28] The franchise held a 1–3 Super Bowl record prior to the game, winningSuper Bowl XXXIV in 1999 as theSt. Louis Rams.[29] They also won two pre-Super Bowl era championships in1945 as theCleveland Rams and1951 during their first stint in Los Angeles.[30]
After the Rams lost 2018'sSuper Bowl LIII, quarterbackJared Goff suffered a decline in production, which led to tension between Goff and McVay.[31] Ahead of the 2021 season, the Rams traded Goff, two first-round picks, and a third-round pick to theDetroit Lions in exchange for 12-year veteran quarterbackMatthew Stafford.[32] Selected first overall by the Lions in the2009 NFL draft, Stafford held an 0–3 playoff record, but ranked in the top 20 of major passing categories and was considered more suited to Los Angeles' offense.[33] The team made another significant acquisition midway through the season when they traded a second- and third-round draft pick to theDenver Broncos for eight-time Pro Bowl linebackerVon Miller.[34] A few weeks later, they signed free agent wide receiverOdell Beckham Jr., a three-time Pro Bowl selection, after he was released by theCleveland Browns.[35]
The Rams offense ranked ninth in yards (6,325) and tied with the Bengals for eighth in points scored (460).[36] Stafford had career highs in touchdowns (41) and completion percentage (67.2), although he led the league in interceptions (17).[37] He also set franchise records for single-season pass completions (404) and passing yards (4,886), while tying the passing touchdowns record.[38] Wide receiverCooper Kupp became the fourth NFL player and first since 2005 to obtain the receiving triple crown by leading the league in receptions (145), receiving yards (1,947), and receiving touchdowns (16).[39] TheOffensive Player of the Year, his receiving yards and receptions were both the second-most in a season.[40][41] Kupp was joined by wide receiverVan Jefferson, who had 802 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns, and tight endTyler Higbee, who had 560 receiving yards.[27] Beckham added 537 yards and 5 touchdowns, helping fill the absence of the injuredRobert Woods.[42] The team's leading rusher at 845 yards was running backSony Michel, who was acquired in a trade with theNew England Patriots afterCam Akers missed most of the regular season with anAchilles tendon injury.[43][44] Akers returned to the active roster ahead of the playoffs.[45] Running backDarrell Henderson added 688 rushing yards until he suffered a season-ending injury in Week 16.[46] The Rams' offensive line was led by 16-year veteran tackleAndrew Whitworth, who spent his first 11 seasons with the Bengals.[47]
Defensively, the Rams ranked 17th in yards allowed (5,863) and 15th in points allowed (372).[48] Named to the Pro Bowl were defensive tackleAaron Donald (eighth selection), who led the team in sacks (12.5), and cornerbackJalen Ramsey (fifth selection), whose 4 interceptions were tied with safetyTaylor Rapp for the most on the team.[27] LinebackerLeonard Floyd complemented Donald with 9.5 sacks and Miller had 5 sacks after joining the team. The safety tandem of Rapp (64 solo tackles, 94 total) andJordan Fuller (63 solo tackles, 113 total) had the most solo and combined tackles for the Rams, respectively.[44] After an injury in the regular season finale forced Fuller to miss the playoffs, Los Angeles signed six-time Pro Bowl safetyEric Weddle out of retirement, who last played for the Rams in 2019.[49][50] On special teams, placekickerMatt Gay earned Pro Bowl honors after leading the league in field goal percentage (94.1).[51]
The Cincinnati Bengals finished the season with a10–7 record under third-year head coachZac Taylor.[52]This was their third Super Bowl appearance, following 1981'sSuper Bowl XVI and 1988'sSuper Bowl XXIII. After losing both, the Bengals saw little success and had not won a playoff game since the1990 season, which was the longest active drought in thefour major North American sports.[53]
Entering the 2021 season, the Bengals were considered unlikely to make the Super Bowl.[54] They finished the previous three seasons at the bottom of theAFC North and had not made the playoffs since2015. Cincinnati was also only two years removed from aleague-worst 2–14 record during Taylor's first season. This finish granted the Bengals the first overall pick of the2020 NFL draft, which they used to selectHeisman Trophy-winning quarterbackJoe Burrow.[55][56] Burrow posted strong numbers as a rookie, but won only two games before his season was cut short by a knee injury. In thefollowing year's draft, Cincinnati used the fifth overall pick on wide receiverJa'Marr Chase, who was Burrow's teammate atLSU.[57][58] The team also drafted placekickerEvan McPherson in the fifth round.[59] On defense, the Bengals signed free agent defensive endTrey Hendrickson, who was coming off a breakout season with theNew Orleans Saints.[60] Defensive tacklesLarry Ogunjobi andB. J. Hill were also acquired through free agency and a trade with theNew York Giants, respectively.[61][62][63]
The reunion of Burrow and Chase brought success to the Bengals, whose offense went from 29th in yards (5,116) and points scored (311) the previous season to 13th in yards (6,145) and eighth (tied with the Rams) in points scored (460).[64][36] In his first full season, Burrow led the league in completion percentage (70.4) and yards per attempt (8.9), despite also leading the league in sacks taken (51).[65][66] He set the season franchise records for passing yards (4,611) and touchdowns (34), along with the franchise record for single-game passing yards (525), and was namedComeback Player of the Year.[67][41] Chase was fourth in receiving yards (1,455) and third in receiving touchdowns (13), both of which led the AFC.[68] TheOffensive Rookie of the Year, his receiving yards were the most for a rookie in the Super Bowl era and he set the rookie record for receiving yards in a game (266).[69][70] Complementing Chase was wide receiverTee Higgins, who obtained 1,091 receiving yards, making the Bengals one of only five teams with two 1,000 yard-receivers.[71][68] Wide receiverTyler Boyd further bolstered the receiving corps with 828 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns.[72] Tight endC. J. Uzomah, who missed most of the previous year with a torn Achilles, had a breakout season by setting career highs in receiving yards (493) and touchdowns (5).[73] Pro Bowl running backJoe Mixon was third in the NFL in rushing yards (1,205) and fourth in rushing touchdowns (13), while also recording 314 receiving yards and 3 receiving touchdowns.[74]
Cincinnati's defense was 18th in yards allowed (5,964) and 17th in points allowed (376). Hendrickson ranked fifth in sacks (14), earning him his first Pro Bowl selection.[75] Rounding out the defensive line, Hill had 5.5 sacks and 50 combined tackles, Ogunjobi had 7 sacks and 49 combined tackles, and defensive endSam Hubbard had 7.5 sacks and 62 combined tackles.[52] LinebackerLogan Wilson led the team in interceptions (4) and combined tackles (100), while safetyJessie Bates had the most solo tackles (62).[71] McPherson, who was named to the 2021PFWA All-Rookie Team, set the franchise records for the most 50-yard field goals converted in a season (9) and the longest field goal converted (58).[76]
The Rams won their Wild Card matchup against the NFC West rivalArizona Cardinals in a 34–11 rout, marking the first career postseason win for Stafford.[77] In the Divisional Round, the Rams took a 27–3 lead against the defending Super Bowl LV championTampa Bay Buccaneers, but committed a series of fumbles that led to the Buccaneers tying the game with 42 seconds remaining. Nevertheless, Stafford drove the Rams 63 yards off two passes to Kupp, which allowed Gay to kick the game-winning field goal as time expired.[78] TheNFC Championship Game pitted the Rams against the NFC West rivalSan Francisco 49ers, who swept them in the regular season and held a 6–0 record in games with quarterbackJimmy Garoppolo.[79] Los Angeles trailed 17–7 entering the fourth quarter, but scored 13 consecutive points to take the lead with under two minutes remaining. The rally was marked by San Francisco committing several miscues, including 49ers safetyJaquiski Tartt dropping a potential interception.[80] On the 49ers' final drive, Donald forced a pass from Garoppolo that was intercepted by linebackerTravin Howard to secure the 20–17 victory.[81] Higbee suffered a knee injury during the game that forced him to miss the Super Bowl.[82]
The Bengals defeated theLas Vegas Raiders 26–19 in the Wild Card Round for their first playoff victory since 1990, ending the longest drought in the four major North American sports.[83] However, Ogunjobi suffered a foot injury that ruled him out for the remainder of the postseason.[84] Their victory also came with controversy when a touchdown pass from Burrow to Boyd appeared to be whistled dead by an official before Boyd caught the ball.[85] Cincinnati defeated the top-seededTennessee Titans in the Divisional Round 19–16 off a last-second field goal by McPherson, which was the franchise's first away playoff win.[86] The victory occurred despite Burrow being sacked nine times, tyingWarren Moon's 1993 postseason record and making him the most-sacked quarterback to win a playoff game.[87] McPherson also became the first kicker to convert four field goals in separate rounds of the same postseason.[88] In theAFC Championship Game against the two-time defending AFC championKansas City Chiefs, Cincinnati fell into a 21–3 deficit during the first half, but rallied to take a 24–21 lead in the fourth quarter. The game went into overtime, in which safetyVonn Bell intercepted Chiefs quarterbackPatrick Mahomes on the first drive and McPherson converted a 31-yard field goal to send the Bengals to their first Super Bowl since 1988.[89] Cincinnati's 18-point comeback was tied with the2006 Indianapolis Colts for the largest in a conference championship.[90][91]
This was the first Super Bowl to be played on the second Sunday in February, following the adoption of a 17-game schedule in 2021. From the 2003 to 2020 seasons, all Super Bowls were played on the first Sunday in February.[92] This was the second warmest Super Bowl on record with a kickoff temperature of 82 °F (28 °C), behindSuper Bowl VII.[93]
The Rams became the first NFL team to have their home stadium host both a conference championship game and the Super Bowl in the same season.[94] However, the Rams were the designated visiting team as the home team alternates between the two conferences annually. Nevertheless, they still used their home locker room. The Bengals used the home locker room of theLos Angeles Chargers, who share the stadium with the Rams.[95] This was the Rams' second Super Bowl in their home market, along with 1979'sSuper Bowl XIV, which was played at theRose Bowl inPasadena, California.[96]
As the designated home team, the Bengals chose to wear their home black jerseys with white pants. The Rams selected newly unveiled alternate white jerseys with yellow pants.[97]
The Bengals were the third team to make the Super Bowl after having the league's worst record two years earlier, following the1981 San Francisco 49ers and the2003 Carolina Panthers.[54]
With McVay at age 36 and Taylor at age 38, Super Bowl LVI featured the youngest pair of head coaches in Super Bowl history and was the first to have both under 40.[98] They were the two youngest head coaches in the league during the 2021 season. Taylor served on the Rams coaching staff under McVay from 2017 to 2018 and was hired as Cincinnati's head coach after Super Bowl LIII.[99] Whitworth, at age 40, was the first player in a Super Bowl to be older than both head coaches.[100]
This was the first Super Bowl in which both starting quarterbacks held career losing records.[101] It was also the second in which both were first overall selections in theNFL draft, along withSuper Bowl 50. Burrow reached the Super Bowl faster than any previous quarterback taken first overall by doing so in his second season.[102]
Country singerMickey Guyton performed "The Star-Spangled Banner", making her the first black female country singer to perform the national anthem at the game. She was backed by several background singers and a pianist.Jhené Aiko, accompanied by harpist Gracie Sprout, performed "America the Beautiful".Sandra Mae Frank performed both songs inAmerican Sign Language alongside Guyton and Aiko, with full coverage of the ASL performance available on the NBC Sports app.[103]Mary Mary, accompanied by the Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles, performed "Lift Every Voice and Sing". Electronic music producerZedd served asDJ during pre-game warmups.[104] The flyover was conducted by a 5-plane formation by the USAFAir Combat Command demonstration teams with anA-10 Thunderbolt II, anF-16 Fighting Falcon, anF-22 Raptor, and anF-35 Lightning II as well as aP-51 Mustang representing the Air Force Heritage Flight.[105] Former tennis playerBillie Jean King then participated in the coin toss ceremony, honoring the 50th anniversary ofTitle IX, the federal civil rights law prohibiting sex discrimination in education programs.[5]Dwayne Johnson introduced both teams using his persona as The Rock from theWWE.[106]
This was the final halftime show to be sponsored byPepsi. The halftime show was headlined byDr. Dre,Snoop Dogg,Eminem,Mary J. Blige, andKendrick Lamar, and it was widely praised.[107][6] Surprise appearances were made by50 Cent andAnderson .Paak.[108] Deaf rappersSean Forbes andWarren Snipe performed in American Sign Language during the show; this was the first time that American Sign Language was used during a halftime show at the Super Bowl.[7] Described as a "legends of hip hop" performance, evoking nostalgia and localizing the globally broadcast game toSouthern California with Dre's performance, it was the third show in partnership withJay Z'sRoc Nation.[109][110] Eminemknelt after his set as a tribute toColin Kaepernick. A rumor claimed that Eminem had been told by the NFL to stand up rather than kneel.[109] However, an NFL spokesman toldThe New York Times that officials watched the taking the knee gesture "during rehearsals this week."[110][111] A list inRolling Stone byRob Sheffield praised the performance as an "old-schoolWest Coast rap history lesson" and ranked it as the fourth-bestSuper Bowl halftime show of all time, behind those byBeyoncé,U2, andPrince. He wrote that Kendrick Lamar deserved his own full-length performance which would eventually come to fruition in 2025 when he received his stand alone halftime show in Super Bowl LIX, which featured Samuel L. Jackson, SZA, Serena Williams and DJ Mustard.[112]
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Super Bowl LVI was televised byNBC, as part of a one-time modification to the annual cycle among the three main broadcast television partners of the NFL.[113] Under the normal cycle the game would have been televised byCBS. However, in order to avoidcounterprogramming the2022 Winter Olympics inBeijing—which aretelevised exclusively by NBC—the NFL announced on March 13, 2019, that NBC had agreed to trade 2021's Super Bowl LV to CBS in exchange for Super Bowl LVI.[114][115] This trade gave NBC the rights to both events and the network planned to maximize the advertising revenue from both events (as it did for Super Bowl LII prior to the 2018 Olympics).[114][115] NBC subsequently announced in November 2021 that a block of primetime coverage for the Winter Olympics wouldair in its entirety after Super Bowl LVI in lieu of new entertainment programming.[116]
This situation was also codified and eliminated the issue in the NFL's new 11-year media contracts taking effect in the2023 season (which expands the Super Bowl rotation to four networks), where the cycle is aligned to give NBC or any other network that airs the Winter Olympics rights to the Super Bowl in the future Winter Olympic years of2026,2030, and2034.[117][118][119]
NBC's broadcast featuredAl Michaels as the lead play-by-play broadcaster withCris Collinsworth as the color commentator.Michele Tafoya reported from the Rams' sideline withKathryn Tappen reporting from the Bengals’ sideline. This was Michaels' eleventh Super Bowl as a broadcaster, tying him withPat Summerall for the most Super Bowls on television play-by-play. Collinsworth worked his fifth Super Bowl as an analyst, and his fourth since replacingJohn Madden as lead color commentator. This would be the final game at NBC for both Michaels and Tafoya; following the game, Tafoya announced that she would be leaving her position outright to pursue other interests outside of sports broadcasting,[120] andAmazon Prime Video announced that Michaels would move toThursday Night Football in the 2022 season while staying on NBC in an emeritus role.[121][122] NBC employed additional goal line, sideline and end zone camera angles, and a new on-air graphics package. The broadcast featured a special introduction starring actressHalle Berry.[123]
AsMike Tirico was the studio host for both the NFL and the Olympics, he traveled back from Beijing part-way through the Games' opening week, and briefly hosted its primetime coverage from NBC Sports' headquarters inStamford, Connecticut (using a redecorated version of theFootball Night in America set) before flying out to Los Angeles for Super Bowl weekend. Tirico then presented the Games' primetime coverage from NBC's lakeside set on the SoFi Stadium grounds, before returning to Stamford after the Super Bowl.[124][125][126]
The game was broadcast in Spanish by NBC's sister networkTelemundo, the first time that a dedicated Spanish-language telecast aired on broadcast television. Carlos Mauricio Ramirez handled play by play duties whileJorge Andres andRolando Cantu handled in-booth, pre-game and post-game analysis. Ariana Figuera was the reporter on the field and Miguel Gurwitz led supporting pre-game, halftime and post-game coverage.[127] Alongside NBC's presences in and around SoFi Stadium, Telemundo originated a pre-game show fromPlaza México inLynwood to showcaseCalifornia's Latino community.[128]
NBC charged $6.5–$7 million for a 30-secondcommercial at Super Bowl LVI; CBS was paid $5.5 million the previous year for Super Bowl ads.[129]Budweiser,Coca-Cola,Hyundai, andPepsi were among the sponsors that returned after skipping the previous Super Bowl due to the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.[130]Universal Pictures,Paramount Pictures,HBO Max,Netflix,Disney,Sony Pictures,Warner Bros.,Peacock,AMC+, andAmazon Prime Video promoted their upcoming films and series during the game. These includedJurassic World Dominion,Nope,Ambulance,The Lost City,Sonic the Hedgehog 2,Winning Time,The Adam Project,Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,Moon Knight,Uncharted, theDC Extended Universe's 2022 film slate,Bel-Air,Joe vs. Carole, andThe Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.[131][132][133]
The advertising during the game stood out for a high number of celebrity cameos and advertisements for futuristic technology, particularly for products likeelectric vehicles,virtual reality andcryptocurrency.[134][135][136][137] There were many cryptocurrency-related ads drawing comparisons todot-com commercials during Super Bowl XXXIV in 2000,[138][139] leading some to refer to the game as the "Crypto Bowl".[140][141] Critics echoed their reception of the halftime show performance said a number of ads prominently referenced media from the 1990s and 2000s, geared to evoke nostalgia amongGeneration X andMillennial audiences.[142]
TheSuper Bowl Ad Meter survey conducted byUSA Today was won byRocket Mortgage for their ad featuringAnna Kendrick advertising aBarbie toy house while facing the grim realities of the modern housing and real estate market.[143]
Super Bowl LVI was streamed on NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app, andPeacock Premium. This was the final game under the NFL's deal withVerizon (following the gameNFL+ would be required to watch local games beginning in the 2022 season), as the game was also available on the NFL mobile app and theYahoo! Sports mobile app for free.[144] As part of its partnerships with the league, Verizon offered "5G Multi-View" features for attendees at SoFi Stadium.[145]
The nationwide radio coverage was carried byWestwood One Sports.Kevin Harlan was the play-by-play commentator with analysis fromKurt Warner.Laura Okmin, andMike Golic were the sideline reporters for each team, andGene Steratore served as the rules analyst for the broadcast.Scott Graham served as pregame and postgame host, withWillie McGinest as his co-host.
The broadcast of Super Bowl LVI drew thesecond-largest Super Bowl audience in history, tied withSuper Bowl 50, reversing several years of decline with a total of 112.3 million viewers. About 101.1 million viewers watched Super Bowl LVI onlinear television in theUnited States, representing an 8% increase fromthe previous year's game. The broadcast on NBC had 99.2 million viewers and 1.9 million viewed the Spanish-languageTelemundo broadcast which was the first Spanish-language broadcast to carry the Super Bowl. According to NBC, it was the largest audience in U.S. Spanish-language history.[14]
11.2 million viewers watched via streaming services (including co-viewing from connected devices), nearly doubling the record set by Super Bowl LV the year before which had 5.7 million viewers via streaming.[146]
While viewership was uphousehold ratings were nearly at an all-time low. The game's overall rating of 36.9 was the lowest sinceSuper Bowl III (36.0) and the third-lowest Super Bowl of all time.[147]
The Bengals won thecoin toss and deferred to the second half; the Rams received the opening kickoff.[166] After forcing Los Angeles to punt on their opening possession, Cincinnati received the ball at their own 42-yard line but could only gain 9 yards; instead of punting on 4th-and-1, they chose to go for it, but linebackerErnest Jones knocked down quarterbackJoe Burrow's pass to wide receiverJa'Marr Chase, giving the ball to the Rams at midfield.[167] A 3rd-and-4 was converted with a 20-yard completion from quarterbackMatthew Stafford to wide receiverCooper Kupp. Three plays later, the game's first score came by way of a 17-yard touchdown pass from Stafford to wide receiverOdell Beckham Jr. to take a 7–0 lead. Following an exchange of three-and-outs,Johnny Hekker's punt was returned 20 yards to the Cincinnati 30-yard-line by wide receiverTrent Taylor, where the Bengals started their possession. Running backJoe Mixon started the drive with a 13-yard run, then a 46-yard pass from Burrow to Chase advanced the ball to the Los Angeles 11-yard-line. However, three straight incompletions forced a 29-yard field goal by kickerEvan McPherson to cut Cincinnati's deficit to 7–3.
The Rams started the second quarter with Stafford's 35-yard pass to Beckham on 3rd-and-11, followed by a 25-yard reception by running backDarrell Henderson, who then picked up 5 yards before Stafford passed to Kupp for an 11-yard touchdown. On the extra point attempt, Hekker fumbled the snap, then threw an interception to linebackerGermaine Pratt, keeping the Los Angeles lead at 13–3.[166] The ensuing kickoff was a touchback, and the Bengals advanced the ball 75 yards in 12 plays, with Burrow completing all five of his pass attempts for 38 yards while Mixon rushed 6 times for 26 yards. On the last play of the drive, Mixon took a pitch from Burrow and then passed to wide receiverTee Higgins with ahalfback pass for a 6-yard touchdown, cutting the Bengals' deficit to 13–10 with 5:47 left in the half. On the Rams' next drive, Stafford completed a 13-yard pass to wide receiverVan Jefferson, then later completed a 16-yard pass to tight endBrycen Hopkins to reach the Cincinnati 39-yard line. After a knee injury to Beckham, which sidelined him for the rest of the game,[168] Stafford threw a deep pass intended for Jefferson that was intercepted in the end zone for a touchback by safetyJessie Bates at the two-minute warning. The Bengals were assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for excessive celebration, forcing them to start at their own 10-yard line. The teams then exchanged punts to end the half.[166]
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Cincinnati immediately took their first lead of the game on the first play of the second half when Burrow threw a deep pass to Higgins near the left sideline, who was tangled up with cornerbackJalen Ramsey just before catching the pass and taking off for a 75-yard touchdown reception. Replays showed Higgins grabbing Ramsey's facemask before the catch, but no penalty was called and the touchdown stood, giving the Bengals a 17–13 lead.[169] The Rams began to lose momentum on the first play of their opening possession when Stafford threw a pass that bounced off the hands of wide receiverBen Skowronek and was intercepted at the Los Angeles 32-yard-line by cornerbackChidobe Awuzie. Despite being pushed back by a 9-yard sack by defensive tackleAaron Donald, the Bengals were able to capitalize on the turnover with McPherson's 38-yard field goal, increasing their lead to 20–13. Shortly into Los Angeles' next drive, they faced a 3rd-and-8, which they converted for 15 yards with a pass from Stafford to Henderson. Overall, the drive covered 10 plays and 52 yards, almost all of which came from Stafford completing four of six passes before kickerMatt Gay's 41-yard field goal cut the score to 20–16 with 5:58 left in the third quarter. Going into the fourth quarter, the next seven possessions would result in punts.[166]
Receiving the ball on their own 21-yard line with 6:13 left in the game, the Rams found themselves facing 4th-and-1 just four plays into the drive, but a 7-yard run by Kupp on an end-around converted it for a first down. They crossed midfield four plays later. Back-to-back passes from Stafford to Kupp for 30 yards advanced the ball to the Cincinnati 16-yard line. Following an 8-yard run by running backCam Akers to set up 1st-and-goal for the Rams, the Cincinnati defense stood their ground, but a holding penalty on linebackerLogan Wilson on third down gave Los Angeles a first down. After a 4-yard touchdown reception by Kupp was nullified by offsetting penalties against both teams, cornerbackEli Apple was called for pass interference in the end zone, giving Los Angeles another new set of downs at the 1-yard line. Two plays later, Stafford finished the 15-play, 79-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown pass to Kupp, giving the Rams a 23–20 lead with 1:25 left on the clock. With the hopes of their first Super Bowl title on the line, the Bengals got the ball on their own 25-yard-line with the chance to either win the game with a touchdown or force overtime with a field goal. Burrow quickly gained 26 yards with a 17-yard pass to Chase and a 9-yard pass to wide receiverTyler Boyd. After an incomplete pass, Donald and nose tackleGreg Gaines tackled running backSamaje Perine for no gain, bringing up 4th-and-1 with 43 seconds left. After taking a timeout, the Bengals decided to pass the ball for a first down, but Donald wrapped Burrow up before he could make the throw. Burrow still managed to attempt a desperation pass to Perine as he was being taken down, but the pass hit the turf before reaching Perine and was incomplete, causing a turnover on downs and enabling Los Angeles to run out the rest of the clock with a quarterback kneel.[166] Kupp was named theSuper Bowl MVP, with eight receptions for 92 yards and two touchdowns, including four receptions and a touchdown (as well as one carry for seven yards) on the Rams' game-winning drive.[170][171] So far, this is the most recent Super Bowl to not have a quarterback as an MVP.
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams (NFC) | 7 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 23 |
| Bengals (AFC) | 3 | 7 | 10 | 0 | 20 |
atSoFi Stadium,Inglewood, California
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| Statistic | Los Angeles Rams | Cincinnati Bengals |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 18 | 15 |
| First downs rushing | 2 | 5 |
| First downs passing | 14 | 10 |
| First downs penalty | 2 | 0 |
| Third down efficiency | 6–15 | 3–14 |
| Fourth down efficiency | 1–1 | 1–3 |
| Total net yards | 313 | 305 |
| Net yards rushing | 43 | 79 |
| Rushing attempts | 23 | 20 |
| Yards per rush | 1.9 | 4.0 |
| Yards passing | 270 | 226 |
| Passing–completions/attempts | 26–41 | 23–34 |
| Times sacked–total yards | 2–13 | 7–43 |
| Interceptions thrown | 2 | 0 |
| Punt returns–total yards | 4–25 | 2–28 |
| Kickoff returns–total yards | 1–17 | 0–0 |
| Interceptions–total return yards | 0–0 | 2–1 |
| Punts–average yardage | 6–43.5 | 6–43.3 |
| Fumbles–lost | 0–0 | 0–0 |
| Penalties–yards | 2–10 | 4–31 |
| Time of possession | 30:47 | 29:13 |
| Turnovers | 2 | 0 |
| Records set[173][174][175] (Unless noted as "NFL Championships", "Single Postseason" or "Pro Football History", all records refer only to Super Bowls) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Youngest head coach, winning team | 36 years, 20 days | Sean McVay (Los Angeles) |
| Lowest yards per carry, winning team | 1.9 | Los Angeles |
| Most sacks in any quarter | 5 (third quarter) | Los Angeles |
| Records tied | ||
| Most sacks, team | 7 | Los Angeles |
| Fastest second half touchdown | 0:12 | Tee Higgins (Cincinnati) |
| Most sacks, player, career[176] | 4.5 | Von Miller (Los Angeles) |
| Rams passing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/ATT1 | Yds | TD | INT | Rating | |
| Matthew Stafford | 26/40 | 283 | 3 | 2 | 89.9 |
| Cooper Kupp | 0/1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.6 |
| Rams rushing | |||||
| Car2 | Yds | TD | Lg3 | Yds/Car | |
| Cam Akers | 13 | 21 | 0 | 8 | 1.6 |
| Cooper Kupp | 1 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7.0 |
| Darrell Henderson | 4 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 1.8 |
| Matthew Stafford | 3 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 2.0 |
| Sony Michel | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1.0 |
| Rams receiving | |||||
| Rec4 | Yds | TD | Lg3 | Target5 | |
| Cooper Kupp | 8 | 92 | 2 | 22 | 10 |
| Brycen Hopkins | 4 | 47 | 0 | 16 | 4 |
| Van Jefferson | 4 | 23 | 0 | 13 | 8 |
| Darrell Henderson | 3 | 43 | 0 | 25 | 5 |
| Cam Akers | 3 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 4 |
| Odell Beckham Jr. | 2 | 52 | 1 | 35 | 3 |
| Ben Skowronek | 2 | 12 | 0 | 7 | 5 |
| Matthew Stafford | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Bengals passing | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C/ATT1 | Yds | TD | INT | Rating | |
| Joe Burrow | 22/33 | 263 | 1 | 0 | 100.9 |
| Joe Mixon | 1/1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 131.2 |
| Bengals rushing | |||||
| Car2 | Yds | TD | Lg3 | Yds/Car | |
| Joe Mixon | 15 | 72 | 0 | 14 | 4.8 |
| Ja'Marr Chase | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4.0 |
| Joe Burrow | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1.5 |
| Samaje Perine | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| Bengals receiving | |||||
| Rec4 | Yds | TD | Lg3 | Target5 | |
| Ja'Marr Chase | 5 | 89 | 0 | 46 | 8 |
| Tyler Boyd | 5 | 48 | 0 | 16 | 6 |
| Joe Mixon | 5 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| Tee Higgins | 4 | 100 | 2 | 75 | 7 |
| C. J. Uzomah | 2 | 11 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| Mike Thomas | 1 | 17 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| Chris Evans | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Samaje Perine | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
1Completions/attempts
2Carries
3Long gain
4Receptions
5Times targeted
Super Bowl LVI featured sevenofficials. Continuing a practice instituted the previous year an alternate official was assigned for each position of an official on the field and the replay official. The numbers in parentheses below indicate their uniform numbers.[2]
The2022 Rams finished 5–12, setting the records for the most losses, lowest winning percentage (.294), and longest losing streak (six games) for a defending Super Bowl champion since the1999 Denver Broncos.[178] They were also the first defending Super Bowl champion to miss the playoffs since the2016 Denver Broncos and first to have a losing record since the2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[179][180]
The2022 Bengals tied their franchise-best 12–4 record[a] and clinched the franchise's first consecutive division title.[181][182] They won a playoff game in consecutive seasons, another franchise first, before being defeated by the eventualSuper Bowl LVII championKansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.[183][184][185]
NBC executives have promoted this as a "once in a lifetime" day. However, it is about to become a common occurrence. When the NFL's 11-year television contract starts in 2023, NBC's spot in the Super Bowl rotation lines up the same year as the Winter Olympics.