Super Bowl 56 is just hours away from kickoff. The Cincinnati Bengals head to SoFi Stadium to take on the Los Angeles Rams in the first-ever Super Bowl between two No. 4 seeds. Rams head coach Sean McVay has his squad 60 minutes away from the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in four years. On which channel can you catch McVay’s quest to seal the deal on a Super Bowl victory? Continue reading below for everything you need to know, including the start time, channel, and live stream options for Super Bowl 56 tonight.
What channel is Super Bowl 56 on today?
- Channel: NBC
- Start time: 6:30 PM ET
- Live stream:
- Peacock
- Sling
- Hulu + Live TV
- fuboTV
- YouTube TV
- Locast (selected markets)
- AT&T TV
- NFL Mobile App
What to expect from the Bengals vs. Rams Super Bowl?
If you are watching on television, your local NBC channel should carry the Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth call of Super Bowl 56. This will be Collinsworth’s fifth Super Bowl call and fourth with Michaels. It will mark the 11th time Michaels has called play-by-play of a Super Bowl. They should both be ready for dazzling performances by two top-notch wide receivers seeking postseason and Super Bowl history.
Let’s start with the man that dominated the league all season. Rams WR Cooper Kupp tore up the field and was rightfully named 2021 Offensive Player of the Year. The fifth-year WR out of Eastern Washington caught 145 passes for 1,947 yards and cashed in 16 touchdowns. Not only did he lead the NFL in all categories for WRs, but those marks set new career highs for Kupp as well.
Kupp has caught 25 passes for 386 yards in the playoffs. He has a chance to pass Chiefs TE Travis Kelce’s postseason record of 31 receptions and join Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald (546) as the only players to have 500 receiving yards in a playoff run.
His imposing presence within the Rams’ offense creates a problem for the Bengals. Cincinnati’s defense can’t afford to overload help onto Kupp when Odell Beckham Jr. is Los Angeles’ WR2. Tight end Tyler Higbee was placed on the injured reserve, which takes away a valuable target for QB Matthew Stafford. However, the group of Kupp, Beckham, Van Jefferson, and Cam Akers still provide reliable options for Stafford in Super Bowl 56.
Is the Bengals’ young crop of WRs ready for the big stage?
If the Bengals’ defense has its hands full, it will need their offensive stars to transcend on the biggest stage. The setting couldn’t be better for rookie WR Ja’Marr Chase. After some issues in the preseason, Chase dropped jaws with his next-level chemistry with QB Joe Burrow, helping him earn the 2021 Offensive Rookie of the Year award. Chase hauled in 81 receptions for 1,455 yards and 13 TDs. His first score of the postseason came against Kansas City. However, in the first two rounds, Chase had back-to-back 100-yard games.
After posting the most receiving yards ever by a rookie in the regular season and the most receiving yards by a rookie in the postseason, Chase has one more record to cross off his list: most yards by a rookie in the Super Bowl. The record currently sits at 109 yards, held by Torry Holt in the Rams’ Super Bowl 34 victory.
While it’s possible, Chase faces a challenging task, as it sounds like All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey will shadow him. That should open plenty of opportunities for WRs Tee Higgins and Tyler Boyd in Super Bowl 56. That is, if Burrow can breathe with the pressure the Rams’ defensive front will bring.
While the Bengals will play with the grit and toughness they’ve shown all postseason, their run of luck comes up just short. McVay gets the ring the second time around.
Super Bowl 56 Prediction: Rams 31, Bengals 24