Chidobe Awuzie shines but Cincinnati Bengals fall short in Super Bowl LVI

Chidobe Awuzie and the Cincinnati Bengals were so close to capturing their first Super Bowl win Sunday night. It took a 15 play, 79-yard drive from Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams to take the lead which eventually led them to victory.

The Bengals were +4 underdogs heading into the big game Sunday and rightfully so. No one expected this team to make the Super Bowl, let alone the playoffs. Joe Burrow, behind a shaky line, did everything he could to put his Bengals in a position to win but it just wasn’t enough.

Burrow was sacked a Super Bowl record-tying seven times thanks to the nonstop pressure from Aaron Donald and Von Miller. The two combined for four sacks and six tackles. What’s impressive is that Burrow still completed 22-of-33 passes despite constantly being pressured.

I think we know what the Bengals are going to be focusing on in the upcoming draft.

You’ve got to feel for Chido. He did everything in his power on the defensive side of the ball for the Bengals against a good group of receivers in Cooper Kupp, Odell Beckham Jr., and Van Jefferson.

The former star cornerback for the Buffs collected five tackles, one pass deflection, and an interception.

Chido intercepted Stafford in the 3rd quarter at the 14:42 mark after a pass intended for Ben Skowronek tipped off his hands into Awuzie’s.

That interception set up Cincinnati well in Los Angeles territory with a four-point lead. The Bengals did manage to put up points on the board as they were held to an Evan McPherson field goal after another Donald sack. The field goal pushed Cinci’s lead to seven.

Awuzie had a solid season for the surprising Bengals. He went on to collect 53 tackles, two interceptions, and batted down 14 passes.

Even though Awuzie and the Bengals came up short, they have a lot to look forward to next season — especially if they get some help on their offensive line. Awuzie signed a 3-year, $21 million contract with Cincinnati last offseason, so he will be apart of the picture for the next few seasons.

Awuzie mentioned he’s excited about the future of this Bengals team in a press conference after the game (Marisa Contipelli – Team Reporter)

"Our heads are still high. We know who we are.” Said they’ve built a great foundation on defense and he’s confident in this defense next year and for years to come. “I’m really excited about the future.”"

The Bengals corner hinted on Twitter following the Super Bowl loss that the Bengals will “be back”.