Editor’s note: Reporter Eric Medina penned a column last week on why he felt the Los Angeles Rams were going to come away victorious in Sunday’s Super Bowl matchup with the Cincinnati Bengals. The Rams won 23-20. 

The Super Bowl is right around the corner.

The country is eagerly anticipating this annual event.

With the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals facing off, almost every football fan is favoring the underdog Bengals to win it all. The starting quarterback of the Bengals, Joe Burrow, has led his team while surprising everyone. In 2020, Burrow suffered from a torn ACL against the Washington Football Team. Fast forward to this year, they are looking to win their first title in franchise history. With the help of his teammate since their days in LSU, wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase, the duo has created uncanny chemistry. Even though the Bengals have the right pieces to win it all, the Rams have the better pieces. 

After a tough loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl 2019, the Rams were looking to come back stronger. Unfortunately, the offensive plays, which were constructed around Jared Goff’s passing abilities, were not enough to reach the same expectation. As they lost to the Packers in the Divisional Round of the 2020 playoffs and the falling chemistry between Goff and Rams’ head coach Sean McVay, the organization realized that it was time to move on. Following the 2020-21 season, the Rams have traded Jared Goff and some draft picks for the long-time quarterback of the Detroit Lions, Matthew Stafford. This trade shocked the NFL landscape. Stafford had proven to the league that he is one of the elite quarterbacks that they will ever see. Because of his lack of success with Detroit throughout the years, the organization granted his wishes as he was sent to Los Angeles. 

Coming into to the 2021-22 NFL season, the Rams were ranked as the 7th best team according to Bleacher Report’s Preseason Power Rankings. As the season went by, the Rams have added more power to their team by adding outside linebacker Von Miller and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. in a two-week span. This addition has benefited both their offensive and defensive lineup. It also relieves the pressure Cooper Kupp and Aaron Donald are taking during games. This team is filled with experienced and hungry players. While the Bengals had little success in the playoffs over the past decade. But through hard work and belief, the Bengals have finally reached the Super Bowl since 1981. 

Even though the Bengals have worked their way through the biggest stage, the Rams are not backing down either. As Matthew Stafford once said in a Guardian article, “I think we all are playing for not only the guys in this locker room but those who helped us get to this position.” This shows the determination Stafford has to win it all. The Bengals may have Burrow and Chase to lead the offense. But, what about the defensive end? The Rams have Aaron Donald and Von Miller to guide their defense. Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, and Odell Beckham Jr. are going to handle the offense. This is not surprising as the Rams went all out acquiring these players. Not only that, the Bengals are going to play in SoFi Stadium, home of the Rams. So, they should expect a hard welcome from the fans.

At the end of the day, this is “Rams House” and it will be the Rams hoisting the Lombardi trophy.