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Winning the Super Bowl is the ultimate win for any team in the NFL and the Los Angeles Rams achieved that last season. They went all in and traded future draft capital to build a team capable of winning now. A lot of things fell their way as they lifted the Lombardi Trophy.
They traded Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions, who went on to have a career season. Cooper Kupp was the best receiver in the league by far and was also the Super Bowl MVP. Odell Beckham Jr. came from the Cleveland Browns and was indispensable in the playoffs. Andrew Whitworth was as good as ever in what turned out to be his final season.
On defense, they had Aaron Donald being the best he always is and his final sack brought home the ring. Von Miller brought all his nous into harassing opposing quarterbacks. Jalen Ramsey was elite as the defense played their role in winning the Super Bowl. They had in Sean McVay one of the most exciting coaches in the league.
However, if a lot of things went their way last season, this season everything seems to be falling apart. They have a 3-8 record and are marooned at the bottom of the NFC West. Matthew Stafford is out with a concussion and Cooper Kupp is injured as well. Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller have left and Aaron Donald is now out as well.
It is not beyond the realms of possibility that the Rams might lose more games than they win in the upcoming six games. If they do, they could end up with the worst Super Bowl hangover of all time. To put this possibility into perspective, we evaluate how previous Super Bowl champions have fared.
Most Super Bowl champions made the playoffs the following season, with a select few repeating as champions. However, there were some who failed to make the playoffs and only six teams have ever finished below the 0.500 win percentage.
We are ignoring the Super Bowl XVI Champions San Francisco 49ers because the following 1982 was shortened by a strike. The entire format was changed and whole conferences were considered instead of divisions. They ended up with a 3-6 record.
Here is how the other teams have fared while following up a Lombardi Trophy parade with a losing record. Their win loss record from next season is given in brackets.
Where do the Rams fare among Super Bowl champions with losing records the following season?
#1 - Green Bay Packers, Super Bowl II winners (6-7-1)
The earliest record of a losing season in the Super Bowl era after winning the championship the previous season came from the Green Bay Packers. The Packers were the dominant team in the era of the first Super Bowls and won both the inaugural and the second edition of the championship game.
However, at the third time of asking, they could not repeat their feat. They slumped to a 6-7-1 record at the end of the regular season. It is a 0.429 win percentage. The New York Jets would take their crown instead in a record upset by defeating the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III.
#2 - Oakland Raiders, Super Bowl XV winners (7-9)
The Oakland Raiders defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl XV 27-10. Jim Plunkett threw for three touchdowns, including two in the first quarter. The Eagles could never come back from an early deficit. For his contributions, Plunkett was named the Super Bowl MVP. However, the following season, his output and the general play of the Raiders plummeted and they finished with a 7-9 record. This equates to a 0.438 win percentage. They finished bottom of the AFC West division.
#3 - New York Giants, Super Bowl XXI winners (6-9)
The New York Giants won Super Bowl XXI, defeating the Denver Broncos 39-20. Phil Simms was named the MVP for an explosive offensive performance. The Giants went into this game with a 14-2 record that made them the top seed in the matchup. But as good as they were this season, their record tanked the following season.
They finished with a 6-9 record, with just 0.400 as their win percentage. Only 15 games were played this season due to a strike, but unlike the 1982 season that we have ignored, the format was not changed. At the time, it meant having the worst record for a Super Bowl champion the following season. They finished bottom of the NFC East just one season removed from winning it all.
#4 - Washington Redskins, Super Bowl XXII winners (7-9)
Whatever bug had bitten the New York Giants the previous season infected the Washington Redskins as well after winning Super Bowl XXII. They blew the Denver Broncos out of the water 42-10 despite being the third seed that season, coming into the game with an 11-4 record.
But if they got lucky the previous season, it all went haywire the next as they finished with a 7-9 losing record with a 0.438 win percentage. Washington did avoid the ignominy of finishing bottom of their division and finished third in the NFC East.
#5 - Denver Broncos, Super Bowl XXXIII winners (6-10)
The Denver Broncos had two phenomenal seasons in the final couple of years of John Elway's career. They won two back-to-back Super Bowls before Elway announced his retirement. He won the Super Bowl MVP award in this game as well. But it showed just how important he was when they came back the following season.
They had a total fall from grace after the previous two seasons when they finished with a 6-10 record. Their winning percentage of 0.375 is the lowest amongst Super Bowl winners till date. They finished bottom of the AFC West.
#6 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Super Bowl XXXVII winners (7-9)
The last team to finish with a losing record and miss the playoffs after winning the Super Bowl are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They had won the 37th edition of the Super Bowl 48-21 defeating the Oakland Raiders.
But they could not replicate their success the following season, finishing with just a 7-9 record and a 0.438 win percentage. Their only saving grace was that they did not finish bottom of the NFC South, finishing instead in third place.
The Los Angeles Rams currently have a 3-8 record, which means a 0.273 win percentage. Extraplolated over a season, they would finish with a 5-12 record. If that is what indeed happens, they will have finished with the worst record for Super Bowl champions the following season.
The Los Angeles Rams will have the worst win percentage as well as the most matches lost, surpassing the Denver Broncos. The Rams will also have the fewest wins in a season if it holds. For the Rams this season, they need to win not to get to the playoffs, but to avoid infamy.
