Super Bowl Among A City Of Stars…

As I sit here from my hotel in Los Angeles, I won’t sugar coat it. I’m geeked out.

It’s my first ever Super Bowl Week. I’m thrilled that I took my podcast New York, New York on the road where it belongs at the Super Bowl.

There’s a sense of anticipation, there’s a buzz and rightfully so. Sunday’s matchup between the Bengals and the Rams is unique. It’s a very different Super Bowl match up, which is exactly what the league is looking for. Being here out in LA, it’s all about the story line.

The story line to me is a simple one.

A changing of the guard at the quarterback position across the league. The NFL has said goodbye to a good amount of Hall Of Fame quarterbacks over the past six seasons. Manning, Brees, Manning & now Roethlisberger and Brady have sailed off into the sunset. The next generation of quarterback is front and center with Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals.

Burrow won a National Title at LSU and in his second season has taken the Bengals to the Big Dance. He has poise, yet is full of swagger and has been a joy to watch over the course of the season. His career trajectory goes to a different level if he is able to lead the Bengals to their first ever Super Bowl.

For the Rams, it’s pretty simple.

They’re all in. They went all in the minute they traded for Matthew Stafford in the off season. It’s no secret, they wouldn’t be in the Super Bowl without that trade. In addition, the mid-season moves of Von Miller and our old pal Odell Beckham Jr. have taken their team to the next level throughout the postseason.

The Rams knew they were close, they needed the right veterans to push them over the top. We will see if that validation is there come Super Sunday. I find myself conflicted for Super Sunday. I’ve picked every Rams correctly throughout the postseason, but on the flip side I’ve been on the wrong end of every Bengals game.

I’m banking on the Rams pass rush to be the difference in the game.

I’ll take the Rams laying the points and won’t think twice.