Matthew Stafford and Joe Burrow battled to the very end as Super Bowl 56 went down to the wire.
A back-and-forth contest saw the Los Angeles Rams take the lead late on as Stafford found Cooper Kupp in the end zone with just over a minute remaining.
But that gave Burrow time to launch one last drive to try and save the Bengals only to see the Rams defence come up with a big stop to secure victory.
It was a cruel end to a remarkable season for Burrow and the Bengals, who defied the odds to reach the final game of the season having been the NFL's worst team just two years ago.
Burrow battled through the pain barrier having injured his knee when hit by Von Miller in the second half and was not quite able to get his side over the line.
But Stafford clearly had plenty of respect for the efforts of his opposite number as they shared a classy moment after the game.
The pair embraced on the field at full-time with Stafford appearing to have some words of encouragement for Burrow.
Whilst Burrow, 25, is expected to be seen again on the biggest stage, there was no taking away from Stafford's moment after he claimed the biggest win of his career.
After sharing his moment with Burrow, Stafford went off to celebrate with his team-mates and hailed them for helping him lift the Vince Lombardi Trophy.
"I am so proud of this team," Stafford said. "There are so many guys that deserve this, so many guys who have given their hearts and souls to this team.
"I just thank for coach [McVay] for saying you and Cooper Kupp go and get this thing done and calling plays for him.
"Kept finding ways to get him the ball, and he kept making unbelievable plays, that is what he does."
