It’s always a treat to get a rematch of a recent Super Bowl, with the powerful memories of a defining life moment ending in victory or defeat still hanging fresh in the mind of the players taking the field.

That’s exactly what we’ll get on September 25, when the Los Angeles Rams head east to take on the Cincinnati Bengals in the Queen City. The NFL’s schedule makers know just how enticing a Super Bowl rematch can be, so they’ve set the game for primetime on Monday Night Football.

While many players from that game remain on each roster, the outlook for both the Rams and the Bengals has changed quite a bit since they settled things on the field in early 2022: here’s a look at how this matchup could play out, starting with the hometown team. 

A Look at the Bengals

When it comes to roster turnover, the Bengals haven’t gone through anywhere near as much of it as the Rams have. They’re lucky enough to have superstar quarterback Joe Burrow just entering the fourth year of his rookie contract: he won’t be taking up a big chunk of the salary cap until next season when they activate his fifth-year option or hand him a contract extension that is almost certain to break records for the most expensive ever for a signal caller.

That means they’ve been able to focus on fleshing out the rest of the roster, using the money they’re saving on Burrow to ensure that he isn’t hung out to dry. By devoting that spare change to fortifying the defense or giving Burrow excellent offensive weapons to throw to, they’re making it so that he doesn’t have to do too much, allowing him to thrive as he continues to come into his own as a franchise quarterback. 

One area where they have seen turnover is at safety, where they let Vonn Bell and Jessie Bates III hit free agency: each of them was a key contributor in their run that saw Cincinnati fall just short against the Rams, so it’ll be interesting to see how they react to a new look on the back end of their defense.

The Bengals have had a shaky defense for the past few seasons, occupying a sort of ‘bend but don’t break’ mentality where they were prone to giving up big plays, but could also force enough turnovers or key stops to limit the bleeding.

Without those established contributors on the back end, that could be a weakness the Rams’ and offensive-minded head coach Sean McVay look to exploit.

On the offensive side of the ball, Cincinnati has continued to make sure Burrow has excellent protection, picking up offensive tackle Orlando Brown Jr. in their quest to keep the face of their franchise upright. 

That’ll have extra importance this season, as Burrow has already dealt with a nasty calf injury during training camp. He remains adamant that he’ll be ready to go for Week 1 of the regular season (and, by extension, when the Rams come to town in Week 3), but the Bengals will have to make sure the remaining effects of the injury aren’t exacerbated if he has to run for his life or absorb big hits on the field.

Ready to dive into the clash of titans? Join the excitement with the Bet365 Ohio Promo and back your team, whether you’re betting on the Bengals, the Rams, or any other team or league. 

A Look at the Rams

The Rams struggled to a 5-12 record in 2022: starting quarterback Matthew Stafford managed to play in just nine games because of elbow issues and a concussion, while all-world defensive tackle Aaron Donald suffered through the worst season of his professional career, making just five sacks in 11 games… pitiful numbers by his lofty standards. 

With the cupboard empty of draft picks after general manager Les Snead wheeled and dealt in pursuit of a championship, it’ll take some time for the Rams to reload, even though the long-term deal they signed with Stafford made it seem like they expected to continue to win. 

The winnowing continued this offseason, as the Rams let 25 of the 53 players on their roster hit the open market: sitting in salary cap hell, they needed to. 

They’re far from the team that won a championship during the 2021 season, but if Stafford is adequately recovered from his injuries, the Rams could keep things interesting. Donald, similarly, is the definition of a game-breaker when healthy, taking on two or three offensive linemen at a time and collapsing Burrow’s pocket. 

Who Ya Got?

This is an extremely tough matchup to gauge because Los Angeles comes in as a veritable wild card: I expect the Bengals to win, but it’s tough to say by how much. The Rams fell apart last season because of injuries to Stafford and other key contributors, with the stereotypical Super Bowl hangover hitting them harder than a punch to the gut. 

That could be the beginning of a long downward spiral as an older team’s championship window comes to a close with a whimper, or they could come back energized with adequate time to heal on their side and an added sense of motivation to prove the doubters wrong. Rams’ head coach Sean McVay has shown his ability to make something out of nothing and drag a team to success (he made Jared Goff look like an MVP candidate, for example), but bringing Los Angeles to respectability this season is a tall order.

While both rosters have seen a decent amount of turnover since the conclusion of that championship season in 2021, one can be sure that the Bengals who remain from that team will be motivated to avenge their loss on the game’s brightest stage. 

With Cincinnati playing at home, I have to pick the Bengals to win… but I wouldn’t be surprised either way if the Rams get the doors blown off them, or if they keep it interesting until the game’s final play.