Super Bowl LVI has ended, and, of course, there is controversy. The Los Angeles Rams took a 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, as the Rams’ defensive line bullied the Bengals into submission. Aside from the game itself, the festivities were well received. The five-person halftime show, which had a 50-Cent cameo added on, caught fan support. 

The referees did not do a whole lot during the game, but they still managed to become the talk of the town before and after the Rams were celebrating. Cincinnati receiver Tee Higgins clearly took opposing cornerback Jalen Ramsey down with a facemask to help him score a deep touchdown. That was the most obvious missed call. 

But the Rams would get the last laugh, as on third down from within the red zone with the chance to take the lead late, Los Angeles was bailed out by a holding penalty on Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson that took a fourth down and reset it to first. And on fourth down as the Bengals tried to come back minutes later, star Ram Aaron Donald appeared to be offside. It was not called, and Donald’s QB rush on Joe Burrow secured the victory for Los Angeles. 

While the Bengals may have lost, the game-winning touchdown made it seem like the rest of the NFL won. Cooper Kupp, who would soon win Super Bowl MVP, caught a touchdown on top of Cincinnati defender Eli Apple, a known menace. Apple, who spent most of his career with the Giants and Saints before joining the Bengals, has a reputation for criticizing the fans of his old teams as well as starting beefs with opponents. 

Apple’s failure made NFL stars react on social media in delight. Kansas City’s Mecole Hardman and Tyreek Hill, Baltimore’s Hollywood Brown and Lamar Jackson, and New Orleons’ Michael Thomas were among the players to join the Apple-hate party. It made for a fun environment on social media, unless you’re an Eli Apple supporter. 

But the man to feel the worst for on the Bengals is quarterback Joe Burrow. While he didn’t have a great game, Burrow’s abysmal offensive line let him down. It will no doubt be a point of interest to improve on for the team this offseason. 

The Rams enter an offseason with a decent amount of questions, but none of it matters. Matthew Stafford finally won something after a grueling career in Detroit, and three-time defensive player of the year Aaron Donald is a champion, among other deserving stars. 

Sunday also ended the season for Kupp, who arguably had the greatest wide receiver season ever. He was the fourth player ever to complete the triple crown, meaning that he led the league in touchdowns, receiving yards, and receptions. Of the other three, only 49ers legend Jerry Rice had a Super Bowl MVP in his career, let alone in the same season as the triple crown.