Facts to know before Bengals and Rams Super Bowl match-up

CINCINNATI —

The Cincinnati Bengals are one week away from playing in the Super Bowl after 33 years.

The Bengals have been to the big game twice already, but have yet to bring home the Vince Lombardi Trophy, now's their chance.

As we prepare for the Super Bowl, here are some interesting facts about the two teams before the game:

• The Super Bowl match-up between the Bengals and Rams marks the first time these teams have met in a championship.

• Both the Rams and Bengals originated in Ohio. The Cleveland Rams were founded in 1936. They competed in the AFL for their inaugural season before moving to the NFL in 1937. The Rams stayed in Cleveland through 1945, winning the NFL Championship Game before relocating to Los Angeles one month later.

• This is the Bengals first Super Bowl appearance since 1988, when they lost to the 49ers, 20-16.

• The Bengals have appeared in three Super Bowls total, including this one. Their first two appearances were in 1981 and 1988 and both games were against the 49ers. They lost to San Francisco both times, and each time by one score.

• The Rams are making their fifth Super Bowl appearance, and their second in the last four years.

• The Rams last appeared in the Super Bowl in 2018 when the Patriots defeated them, 13-3, in the lowest-scoring Super Bowl of all time.

• The Rams last won the Super Bowl in 1999 when they beat the Titans, 23-16. The 1999 Rams team earned the nickname "The Greatest Show on Turf" for their record-breaking offense.

• This matchup marks the first time in Super Bowl history that both teams entered the playoffs as No. 4 seeds.

• Both teams quarterbacks are former No. 1 overall draft picks.

• Joe Burrow missed the last six games of his rookie 2020 season due to a knee injury. A little over a year ago he suffered a torn ACL and MCL, as well as PCL and meniscus damage.

• Matthew Stafford, the Rams quarterback, is finishing his first season in Los Angeles. He spent the first 12 years of his NFL career with the Detroit Lions.

• Stafford appeared in three playoff games during his 12 years in Detroit, winning none of them. However, he's gone 3-0 in the post season in his first year with the Rams.

• Cooper Kupp, just finished a historic year for the Rams. Kupp's 145 catches and 1,947 receiving yards rank second all-time. Kupp is behind Michael Thomas (149 catches) and Calvin Johnson (1,964 yards).

• Kupp also broke the all-time record for most scrimmage yards by a receiver, with 1,965.

• The Bengals top receiver, Rookie Ja'Marr Chase, broke a franchise record with 1,455 yards on the season, the fourth-most among all NFL wideouts.

• Of all receivers with at least 500 yards, Chase ranked second in the NFL in yards per catch (18), behind the 49ers' Deebo Samuel. His 13 touchdowns ranked third in the league.

• Rams receiver, Odell Beckham Jr., spent the first six games of the season on the Browns.

• Rams coach Sean McVay, 36, is looking for his first Super Bowl win, and to become the youngest head coach to win the Lombardi Trophy. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin currently holds that record for winning the 2009 Super Bowl at 36.

• McVay will be up against Bengals coach Zac Taylor, 38, making them the youngest pair of Super Bowl head coaches in the game's history.

• Taylor worked under McVay before becoming Bengals coach. He spent one year as the Rams' assistant wide receivers coach in 2017 and one as the team's QBs coach in 2018.

• The Bengals, will be the official home team for the 2022 Super Bowl due to the NFL alternating the designation between conferences each year. This means they'll use the Rams home-stadium locker room during the game.

• As the official road team, the Rams will call the coin toss before the opening kickoff.