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An effervescent smile is still plastered on the faces of Los Angeles Rams players, coaching staff, and their supporters. After coming so close to championship immortality over the past few seasons, the Rams finally crossed the finish line in 2021.
With championship glory achieved, the Rams have brazenly declared that they plan on doing it again. Several of their key personnel from this past season have been re-signed and the chase to retain the Lombardi trophy kicks off in a few months.
Presently, the Rams are considered among the title favorites. Still, while oddsmakers believe they have a good chance at winning it all, that doesn't mean they will. Dynasties in the NFL world are few and far between. Although Los Angeles have some of the league’s very best players, we have our doubts about them.
The 2021 league year came together perfectly for the Rams, but it won’t this season. Take a read as we explain why the Rams won’t repeat as Super Bowl Champions.
#1 There are some very strong teams in the NFL in 2022
Unsurprisingly, every NFL team that failed to win the Super Bowl took a long look at their current roster. As confetti continued to rain over the Los Angeles Rams, countless squads envisioned their own team sitting in that very position. In doing so, numerous contenders embarked on an arduous plan to lure more talent. Several of these franchises have succeeded.
Although the NFC has mostly remained the same, the AFC has seen countless changes. The Buffalo Bills, after enduring a particularly painful loss in the postseason, officially signed former two-time Super Bowl champion Von Miller. The 34-year-old defensive end played a key role for the Rams during their recent Super Bowl run. Losing a player such as Von Miller can only hurt Los Angeles' chances of repeating in 2022.
The Las Vegas Raiders added major firepower to their lineup as quarterback Derek Carr will now throw to Davante Adams. Adams is arguably the best receiver in the NFL. Should L.A. navigate through an already treacherous minefield that is the NFC, they're likely to come across a stacked AFC team anxious to knock them off their high horse in the Super Bowl.
Other AFC juggernauts include perennial contenders the Kansas City Chiefs, the Los Angeles Chargers, the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Ravens. Not to mention last year's top seed in the AFC, the Tennessee Titans and also the 2021 Super Bowl runners-up, the Cincinnati Bengals.
And that's just the AFC. The NFC still houses the Aaron Rodgers-led Green Bay Packers and Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Also consider the stacked division of the NFC West. L.A. will have to compete with the San Francisco 49ers, Kyler Murray's Arizona Cardinals and the rebuilding Seattle Seahawks. The road to the Super Bowl is indeed arduous in 2022.
The Los Angeles Rams were lucky in 2021
The end result may have been one that the L.A. fans were hoping for, but they had to endure several sweat-inducing moments.
Heading into the 2021 postseason, the Rams were viewed as one of the prohibited favorites to win it all. In round one, they obliterated the Arizona Cardinals, winning by 23 points. In the Divisional Round, it appeared as though they were on their way to making quick work of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Up by as many as 24 points in the third quarter, Tom Brady and his Buccaneers went on to score 24 consecutive points. They tied the game with under a minute remaining. Quarterback Matthew Stafford, to his credit, drove the length of the field in just a few plays before setting up the game-winning field goal.
In the Divisional Round, the NFC Championship Game (vs. San Francisco 49ers), and the Super Bowl (vs. Cincinnati Bengals), the Rams won each game by just three points.
In any sport, participants are quick to say that a bit of luck is always needed. In the case of L.A., will they be lucky for a second straight season?
History isn’t on their side
There’s no denying the incredibly stacked roster that Los Angeles have at their disposal. Matthew Stafford has worked his way up over the years and is considered by many to be one of the premier signal-callers in the entire NFL. Cooper Kupp won the Super Bowl MVP this past season and led the league in receiving yards, receptions and receiving touchdowns. Aaron Donald, of course, has entered the discussion as the best defensive player in league history.
Still, even with a well-established roster, and despite winning it all this past season, history isn't on their side. Throughout the annals of the NFL, only seven franchises have won back-to-back Super Bowls:
- Green Bay Packers: Super Bowls I & II
- Miami Dolphins: Super Bowls VII & VIII
- Pittsburgh Steelers: Super Bowls IX & X
- Pittsburgh Steelers: Super Bowls XIII & XIV
- San Francisco 49ers: Super Bowls XXIII & XXIV
- Dallas Cowboys: Super Bowls XXVII & XXVIII
- Denver Broncos: Super Bowls XXXII & XXXIII
- New England Patriots: XXXVIII & XXXIX
Unless L.A. can prove that they're capable of bucking the trend, we’ll side with history and say that they won’t repeat this season. It will be interesting to see how they get on when the season kicks off in less than two months time.
