Why Rams Are Road Team vs. Bengals Despite Super Bowl Being Played in L.A.
January 31, 2022
The Los Angeles Rams will get a chance to play in their home stadium for Super Bowl LVI, but they will still be considered the "road" team against the Cincinnati Bengals.
As Ian Rapoport of NFL Network noted, the NFL alternates the home designation between the AFC and NFC each year, regardless of where the game is being played. The NFC champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the home team last year in their win against the Kansas City Chiefs, which coincidentally took place in their own Raymond James Stadium.
It was the first time a team ever played the Super Bowl in its home stadium, a feat that will now be replicated by the Rams in SoFi Stadium.
The road designation means the Bengals will get first choice on jerseys, but the Rams get to call the coin toss. The latter could be especially important if the game goes to overtime, as we have seen during these playoffs.
On the plus side, the Rams will still get to use their own locker room for the game, according to Ben Volin of the Boston Globe. The Bengals will use the Los Angeles Chargers locker room.
