You can't have two extra contrasting characters at quarterback than the 2 main males of Tremendous Bowl 2022.
Stafford and Burrow, not a regulation agency, however opposing quarterbacks who actually are opposites.
Matthew Stafford, in his first yr with the Rams, is 33 years previous, in his thirteenth NFL season and has psychological scar tissue from that tenure because of 12 years of toiling in Detroit with three one-and-done playoff experiences.
Joe Burrow, in his second yr with the Bengals, is 25 years previous and the one NFL scar tissue he has is in his proper knee from the ACL damage that ended his rookie yr prematurely.
Stafford, a minimum of publicly, comes throughout as humble and soft-spoken.
Burrow comes throughout as cocksure, the picture of him smoking celebratory cigars after huge victories having develop into his calling card.
Stafford arrives to the stadium on recreation days dressed like he simply completed doing a couple of weekend errands.
Burrow arrives to the stadium on recreation days trying like Bootsy Collins, decked out in over-the-top coats and avant-garde eyewear.
After Burrow helped the Bengals stun the Chiefs within the AFC Championship recreation on Sunday in Kansas Metropolis, he donned a gaudy diamond-studded necklace and, when requested if the diamonds are actual, scoffed and stated, “They’re undoubtedly actual. I make an excessive amount of cash [$36 million over four years] to have pretend ones.”
After Stafford helped lead the Rams to their win over the 49ers within the NFC Championship recreation on Sunday in L.A. and was requested in regards to the postgame embrace he had together with his spouse, Kelly, he held again tears.
“I couldn’t have finished it with out her,’’ he stated. “She’s an unbelievable a part of my life. I’m so fortunate to be together with her and have the kids that I've and the household that I've. It’s the very best a part of my life. That is nice, however that’s so a lot better.
“She’s been via a number of that with me, and we’ve leaned on one another at separate occasions to assist ourselves get via no matter we’re having to get via. She’s particular to me and … to share that second together with her was so cool.’’
Kelly Stafford had a mind tumor eliminated three years in the past, so the Staffords had gone via much more than dropping soccer video games for 12 years in Detroit.
“He’s such an important particular person,’’ Rams coach Sean McVay stated. “If you happen to don’t root for this man, one thing’s flawed with you. He’s an important competitor. We’ve seen that, actually, all through the season. However I feel it’s actually been on show these final couple weeks.’’
Stafford beat Tom Brady and the defending Tremendous Bowl champion Buccaneers within the divisional spherical and adopted that by serving to the Rams overcome a 17-7 second-half deficit to beat the 49ers, 20-17.
“We speak about aggressive greatness on a regular basis — being your finest when your finest was required,’’ McVay stated. “He embodied aggressive greatness [Sunday]. Love Matthew Stafford.”
Stafford has thrown for greater than 300 yards the previous two weeks with six touchdowns and just one interception within the three playoff video games on this run. He and the Rams beat 5 opponents with 10 or extra victories this season, which is as many such wins as Stafford had his total profession in Detroit.
The pairing of Stafford and Burrow marks solely the second time that two No. 1-overall draft picks can have confronted one another in a Tremendous Bowl. The one different time that occurred was when Peyton Manning led the Broncos over Cam Newton and the Panthers six years in the past.
Stafford, drafted No. 1 total by the Lions in 2009, has resuscitated his profession since being traded by the Lions to the Rams a yr in the past.
Burrow, drafted No. 1 final season, has resuscitated a Bengals franchise that had not gained a playoff recreation in 31 years earlier than successful three this month coming into the Tremendous Bowl.
“I’m not stunned,” Burrow stated after knocking out Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, who’d been within the earlier two Tremendous Bowls. “Enjoying this complete yr, I felt we had an opportunity to be right here.”
Burrow owns the excellence of being the one quarterback aside from Tom Brady to beat Mahomes within the playoffs. Mahomes is 8-0 in opposition to everybody however Burrow and Brady. Burrow, too, is 2-0 in opposition to Mahomes when trailing by 14 or extra factors. Everybody else is 2-39.
Extra numbers: The Bengals are four-point underdogs to the Rams. They have been heavy underdogs final week in Kansas Metropolis and the No. 1-seeded Titans have been favored to beat them within the divisional around the week earlier than.
If you happen to suppose Burrow pays any consideration to those issues, you haven’t been paying a number of consideration.
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