One-half of the Super Bowl LVI matchup has been finalized. The Cincinnati Bengals beat the Kansas City Chiefs 27-24 in overtime on Sunday afternoon, punching their ticket to the big game at SoFi Stadium on February 13. Next, they will face the winner of the NFC Championship Game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams, scheduled to kick off at 3:40 p.m. PT—also from SoFi Stadium.
Should the 49ers win, it would be the team's second Super Bowl appearance in three years. They face the Los Angeles Rams for the third time this season, having won the two regular-season games and hoping to win their seventh consecutive win against the NFC West rival. The 49ers and Rams have met just once before in the postseason—a January 14, 1990 matchup in the NFC Championship Game with the Niners coming out on top 30-3 and moving on to win Super Bowl XXIV.
George Kittle is on the brink of making good on his promise from two years ago. #49ers pic.twitter.com/kEp65W6WtL
— 49ers Webzone (@49erswebzone) January 30, 2022
The 49ers felt they had a championship-caliber team returning in 2020, but injuries devastated the roster, resulting in a six-win campaign. San Francisco rallied from a 3-5 start this season to clinch a playoff berth in overtime of the regular-season finale against the Rams. The team went on to knock off two division winners—the Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers—in playoff road games, setting up a rematch with the Rams.
The Bengals victory over the Chiefs sets up a Super Bowl rematch against the 49ers. San Francisco beat Cincinnati 26-21 in Super Bowl XVI and 20-16 in Super Bowl XXIII.