The 2021 NFL season officially came to a close with the Los Angeles Rams beating the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in the league’s 56th Super Bowl. The game was played at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and featured two illustrious quarterbacks, explosive wide receivers, controversial penalties, a collapsed offensive line, a failed Super Bowl-famous “Philly Special” and a who’s who of celebrity attendants.
The Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl victory was buoyed by several key performances. Rams wide receiver Cooper Kupp was awarded Super Bowl MVP after an astonishing display, capping off a historic and record-breaking season that many tout as one of the greatest ever for a wide receiver. Alongside being named Super Bowl MVP, Kupp earned the Triple Crown for receiving (league leader in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns), a feat only three other wide receivers have accomplished, and Offensive Player of the Year (OPOY).
With these achievements, Kupp’s name is next to that of Jerry Rice, the only other NFL receiver to win the receiving Triple Crown, OPOY and Super Bowl MVP. In the Super Bowl, Kupp had eight receptions, 92 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns, one of which gave the Rams the lead in the final minutes of the game.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, who had been relegated to 12 seasons of despair in Detroit, without a single playoff victory prior to the 2021 season, threw for three touchdowns, 283 passing yards, and two costly turnovers, one of which the Bengals converted into a field goal. Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow had a less electrifying performance, only throwing for one touchdown and 266 passing yards.
Burrow’s performance was hindered by a porous offensive line, allowing the 25-year old quarterback to be sacked a Super Bowl record-tying seven times. Burrow was no stranger to the failures of his offensive line, being sacked a total of 70 times throughout the entire season, the third-most ever.
The Rams’ defense, led by Aaron Donald, had an exceptional impact, stifling the Bengals’ offense throughout much of the second half. Donald led the way with four tackles and two sacks, landing a crucial quarterback hit against Burrow in the final seconds of the game on a 4th down conversion attempt to force an incomplete pass and to end the game.
From a numbers standpoint, this year’s Super Bowl was a bonafide success. The broadcast drew 112.3 million viewers, a 10% increase from last year’s game for NBC, accumulating its best ratings in five years, with the halftime show attracting one of its largest audiences as well, averaging 103.4 million viewers. The show featured a host of award-winning artists, including Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent and Mary J. Blige.
With 30-second ad slots selling at an estimated $7 million each, and considering 70 advertisements were featured during the broadcast, this year’s Super Bowl generated roughly $500 million in advertising revenue, an increase from $434.5 million the previous year.
Compared to 2021, Super Bowl LVI hit a new betting record as well, with 11 states reporting a combined $512.8 million in handle and $41.2 million in revenue. Given the annual steady increase, this trend is expected to continue for Super Bowls to come.
The Rams winning their first Super Bowl title since the 1999 NFL season, denying the Bengals what would have been their first Super Bowl in franchise history, was the culmination of a truly unique and extraordinary championship game. Whether or not a fan of the outcome, this year’s Super Bowl was both entertaining and exciting to watch.
