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Super Bowl features pair of gritty teams

Two years ago, the Cincinnati Bengals were the NFL’s worst team. Now they’re headed to the Super Bowl to play the Los Angeles Rams – in the Rams’ home stadium.

Matching the biggest comeback in an AFC championship game, the Bengals rallied from an 18-point hole to stun Kansas City 27-24 in overtime Sunday for their first trip to the big game since the 1988 season. The team that won only two games in 2019, earning them the top overall draft pick that they used on quarterback Joe Burrow, pretty much dominated the Chiefs after the first quarter.

Rookie Evan McPherson made a 31-yard field goal to win it.

Then the Rams overcame a 10-point second-half deficit and took the NFC crown with a 20-17 victory over San Francisco when Matt Gay made a 30-yard field goal with 1:46 remaining. Los Angeles (15-5) had lost six consecutive times to the 49ers (12-8), but the visitors couldn’t slow All-Pro receiver Cooper Kupp. Safety Jaquiski Tartt dropped a certain interception in the fourth quarter that helped LA tie the game.

Kupp finished with 11 catches for 142 yards and two touchdowns.

In a brutally physical game also highlighted by some clutch plays from Kupp and fellow All-Pro receiver Deebo Samuel of the 49ers, Matthew Stafford went 31 for 45 for 337 yards passing to get to his first Super Bowl. The Rams got there in the 2018 season, but lost to New England.

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