Super Bowl LVI: Everything you need to know ahead of Rams v Bengals

It’s that time of year again where the US goes into a Super Bowl frenzy and us Aussies are left trying to wrap our heads around what all the fuss is about.

To help get you up to speed, here’s everything you need to know ahead of the biggest annual sporting event on the planet.

CINDERELLA STORY: Epic comeback from NFL underdogs stuns US

HEARTBREAK: Aussie’s Super Bowl dream comes to an end in dramatic fashion

When is kickoff?

Super Bowl LVI kicks off at 10.30am AEDT on Monday, February 14, which as far as we’re concerned sounds like the perfect way to kick-start your Valentine’s Day celebrations.

How can I watch?

Free-to-air broadcaster Channel 7 will be showing the game live, as well as streaming it on 7Plus, while viewers can also catch all the action on ESPN via Foxtel or Kayo subscriptions.

What teams are playing?

Super Bowl LVI will see the Los Angeles Rams take on the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Rams finished the regular season top of the NFC West with a 12-5 record and booked their place in the big dance with a nail-biting 20-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship game.

It will be the Rams’ second Super Bowl appearance in the past four seasons.

The Bengals surprised many to finish the regular season top of the AFC North with a 10-7 record. Their fairytale run has continued throughout the playoffs, with a number of upsets over more fancied rivals, including an epic overtime win against the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game.

You have to go all the way back to 1989 for the Bengals’s last Super Bowl appearance.

For what it’s worth, most bookies currently have the Rams listed as -4.0 point favourites to lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Who are the key players?

Unsurprisingly, the key players to watch during the contest are the respective quarterbacks on each team.

There’s a reason why 14 of the last 21 Super Bowl MVPs have been quarterbacks and both Matthew Stafford of the Rams and Joe Burrow of the Bengals stand to have a major impact on the outcome of the game.

Stafford joined the Rams last offseason after 12 luckless seasons with the Detroit Lions, but has thrived since his arrival in the City of Angels.

Stafford has thrown for 4886 yards and a career-high-tying 41 touchdowns, while his connection with wide receiver Cooper Kupp is one of the most lethal offensive threats in the NFL at the moment.

After tearing his ACL during his rookie season last year, Burrow has set the NFL alight this campaign, earning him the Comeback Player of the Year award.

Burrow led the NFL in both completion percentage and yards per attempt despite being sacked a league-high 51 times.

Where is the Super Bowl being played?

SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles will host the game, meaning the Rams will have the rare distinction of having home field advantage for the NFL’s showpiece event.

Constructed in 2020 for the eye-watering sum of $US5.5 billion, SoFi is the most expensive stadium ever built.

Capacity will be increased from 70,000 to 100,000 for Super Bowl LVI.

Who’s performing the half-time show?

For many viewers, the half-time show is the real highlight of the Super Bowl experience.

Hip-hop legends Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Mary J. Blige and Eminem are the headline acts this time out and all signs point to a performance that has the potential to be one of the most memorable in Super Bowl history.

Click here to sign up to our newsletter for all the latest and breaking stories from Australia and around the world.