Storylines to keep an eye on for Super Bowl LVI

The home team didn't make it to the first 54 Super Bowls, but that trend has changed quickly. This will be the second consecutive Super Bowl in which the home team (Rams) have hosted after the Buccaneers reached and won the Super Bowl in Tampa Bay last season.

Rams fans were clearly outnumbered in the NFC Championship, as 49ers fans showed up in droves. It remains to be seen if Bengals fans will come out in similar numbers.

Cincinnati's defensive adjustments were one reason they were able to orchestrate a comeback in the second half against Kansas City in the AFC Championship. Anarumo showed that he could adjust to Patrick Mahomes, but can he make similar adjustments to beat the Rams offense?

Akers tore his Achilles in the preseason, but he's completed an amazing return to the field as LA's bell-cow running back during the playoffs. Winning a Super Bowl would be quite a story for his medical miracle.

After his release from Cleveland, Beckham agreed to a contract heavy on playoff incentives with the Rams. He has a chance to reach all of them with a win in Super Bowl LVI before heading into free agency.

The Bengals are one of 12 teams that have never won a Super Bowl, though they did appear in the big game in 1989 and 1982. They're hoping to make history after an incredible turnaround in 2021.

Cincinnati's offensive line has been much maligned for the entire season, including allowing nine sacks to the Titans in the Divisional Round. Somehow the team has been able to overcome, but the challenge in stopping Aaron Donald, Von Miller, and company couldn't be greater.

Burrow won the Heisman Trophy and National Championship with LSU in 2019. After injuring his knee in his rookie season, he now finds himself in the Super Bowl with the Bengals. It would be one of the most incredible three-year runs in football history if he's able to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

Donald is a generational talent, being named an All-Pro for the seventh consecutive season. He now has a chance to win his first Super Bowl after coming up short against the Patriots three years ago.

The Rams and Bengals offenses are known for operating primarily in "11 personnel" with three wideouts. That's expected to continue to the playoffs with both squads sporting excellent trios at wideout.

Both teams have major injury questions at tight end coming into the Super Bowl with C.J. Uzomah and Tyler Higbee suffering knee injuries in the Conference Championships. The Rams also have issues in their secondary, as safety Taylor Rapp has missed the playoffs with a concussion but could return for the big game.

Burrow isn't the only player from the 2019 LSU squad making an appearance in the Super Bowl. Ja'Marr Chase was his favorite receiver for the Tigers and is now in Cincinnati, and the duo has been almost unstoppable this season. They hope to have some magic left for the Super Bowl.

Hendrickson has fought through injury in the playoffs to wreak havoc on opposing offenses. He's recorded 2.5 sacks in the playoffs after tallying 14 sacks during the regular season, and the Rams could have a tough time stopping him.

Kupp had a historic season for the Rams, leading the NFL in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. That production has continued in the playoffs with nearly 400 yards and four touchdowns. Cincinnati had an effective plan to stop Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce in the AFC Championship and will need to do even more to stop Kupp.

Bengals head coach Zac Taylor served as the Rams quarterbacks coach before he was hired by Cincinnati. He returns to his former stomping grounds to face his former boss, McVay, in the Super Bowl. The pair's familiarity should be a popular story leading up to the game.

Cincinnati was criticized for selecting a kicker in the fifth round of the draft, but McPherson has proven to be a great find by the Bengals. He's made game-winning kicks in back-to-back games after an excellent rookie season. Does McPherson have any magic left?

Miller was the MVP of Super Bowl 50 when Denver's defense dominated, and he's getting another shot with the Rams. The 32-year-old future Hall of Famer had a streak of six consecutive games with a sack before the NFC Championship and hopes to make a big impact in the Super Bowl again.

The Rams franchise has clearly been all-in on winning a Super Bowl this year, trading significant draft capital in recent seasons to acquire Jalen Ramsey, Matthew Stafford, and Von Miller. Anything short of a Super Bowl win could be considered a failure, considering the team might not have the draft and salary cap resources to match the talent of the 2021 squad anytime soon.

Stafford is in the playoffs for only the fourth time in his 13-year career and never won a playoff game until he joined the Rams this year. He rarely received the accolades he deserved while playing for the futile Lions organization, but has a chance to completely change his career storyline by winning a Super Bowl.

Weddle retired following the 2019 season, but the 37-year-old safety has made an incredible return to the field in the playoffs for the Rams. Winning a Super Bowl in that return would be quite the capper to Weddle's career.