NFL: The Cincinnati Bengals amaze and return to a Super Bowl after 33 years | sports

The narrative of the NFL drinks from the exploits. That of the Bengals can boast of being one of the last. In 2020, the team was the underdog of their division. They had spent more than three decades as one of the losingest franchises in the entire NFL. The American Football League allows the worst performing teams to be the first to pick the best college talent. There they found Joe Burrow, an interesting quarterback. In 2020, their star tore ligaments in his left knee and missed the season. This year he came back like a star and has led his team to play the Super Bowl against the Los Angeles Rams.

The Bengals pushed the NFL title favorites, the Chiefs, out of the way. In Kansas City they were well led by the figure of today, Patrick Mahomes. Cincinnati has wandered the playoffs this season as the weak team. In the wild card round they took the purse from the favorites, the Raiders. In the divisional round they defeated the Tennessee Titans in the last minutes. Against the Chiefs everything was against him. Even at halftime the board said that the advantage was for Mahomes 21-10. The Bengals were saved from another touchdown before going to the locker room and that bad decision by the Kansas quarterback marked the game. In the second part, the feline team was reborn and devoured their rivals.

Mahomes, called to take over from Tom Brady, had an erratic second half of the game, as if the soul had stayed in the locker room. In the third quarter he saw how the Bengals added 11 points. Already in the last quarter, the quarterback again missed key passes, tried unsuccessfully to run alone with the ball and was caught by his muscular rivals. Nothing came of it, although he forced the game into overtime. He even won the coin toss to start the attack and get a big lead. One of his passes was intercepted and bye. Joe Burrow didn’t miss out. His passes, effective rather than showy, managed to take the ball to the field goal area and that is what happened. A kick from rookie Evan McPherson (22 years old) gave them the victory that credited them as champions of the American Conference and their place in the Super Bowl.

The great American football game will be played in Los Angeles, where this sporting spectacle began in 1967. The Rams, the home team, will also be there. The ram team knocked out another California team, the favorites San Francisco 49ers (20-17). The team, which lost the Super Bowl in 2019 against the Patriots, rearmed itself with the quarterback Matthew Stafford, a 33-year veteran, and Odell Beckham Jr., one of the most powerful receivers in the league. However, the defense shone to tear Jimmy Garoppolo’s men to pieces in the final minutes.

The revelry of the NFL stopped in its tracks when ESPN reported that the greatest active legend, Tom Brady, had decided to retire at the age of 44. However, the player’s agent and father denied this. Neither the NFL nor his team, Tampa Bay, confirmed it. The winner of seven Super Bowl rings has extended his career, however, he has made public his desire to enjoy his private life.

The Vince Lombardi Trophy will be played on Sunday, February 13. The Rams will get an extra boost with the fans in the stands, the Bengals will have the fighting spirit on their side that has carried them to the top in more than 30 years.

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