LA Rams history in the Super Bowl era of the NFL

The LA Rams are heading to Super Bowl LVI. This is their second such occasion to compete for the Lombardi Trophy in the past five years. But to put this all in perspective, this will be just the fourth such time that the franchise has competed in the Super Bowl in the past 56 years. Per Statista.com, you can query how many times each NFL team has competed in the event.

Why does that matter? The LA Rams franchise under the guidance of general manager Les Snead and head coach Sean McVay have reached their second Super Bowl in just their first five years of leading the Rams team. Five NFL teams have not done that well in their entire franchise existence. Another six NFL teams have only accomplished that feat over the course of their entire history.

So this is an event worth celebrating, folks. Enjoy the journey.

SB XIV: Rams lose lead and game in Q4 (0-1)

The LA Rams, led by head coach Ray Malavasi, got to Super Bowl 14 on the back of a strong punishing defense, the brainchild of defensive coordinator Bud Carson. The game was a bit of a defensive struggle and one that the Rams were in a position to win. But with 5:53 remaining in the fourth quarter, and the Rams down by the score of 24-19, Rams quarterback Vince Ferragamo dropped back at the Steelers’ 32-yard line and threw an interception to Steelers linebacker Jack Lambert.

The Rams were driving, perhaps to score a touchdown and retake the lead. After that interception, the Rams defense was unable to hold the Steelers who went on to score another touchdown to put the game away.

SB XXXIV: The Tackle (1-1)

Over the course of the Rams franchise, the Rams are 1-2 in the NFL Championship Game. The team, led by head coach Dick Vermeil, won SB XXXIV by defeating the Tennessee Titans by the score of 23-16. Of course, the game is famous for the final play, which is also known just by The Tackle. Linebacker Mike Jones made a textbook perfect wrap-up tackle on Titans’ wide receiver Kevin Dyson, stopping the receiver one-yard-short of the goal line as time expired.

While the only Super Bowl victory for the franchise, it was a fitting finale for the Greatest Show on Turf. That St. Louis Rams offense was record-setting. Not just in points scored, but in the way, the team made use of the passing game as well as running back Marshall Faulk.

SB XXXVI: Brady debuts for Patriots (1-2)

Two years after winning Super Bowl 34, the St. Louis Rams were back for Super Bowl XXXVI, this time led by head coach Mike Martz. This time, the Rams were unable to stop their opponent from scoring as time ran out. QB Kurt Warner found WR Ricky Proehl in the endzone with just 1:30 left on the game clock to knot up the score with a 14-14 tie.

But Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, in his first Super Bowl appearance, led the Patriots into field goal position. As time ran out, Adam Vinatieri kicked the game-winner through the uprights.

SB LIII: Rams offense neutralized (1-3)

Just in his second season leading the LA Rams, head coach Sean McVay restored a bit of magic to the LA Rams offense once more. Fueled by a complex array of routes and play-action passing, the Rams ended the season at 13-3 and were considered one of the most dangerous offenses in the NFL in 2018.

But when the Rams ran into the New England Patriots, their defense had watched video footage of how the Chicago Bears defense, led by Vic Fangio, had managed to neutralize the Rams offense and win by a score of 15-6. They did so by showing one defensive formation at presnap, then morphing their coverages to confuse young Rams quarterback Jared Goff. The Patriots repeated that defense and won the defensive struggle by a score of 13-3

LA Rams have a chance to win the first Lombardi for Los Angeles

The LA Rams now have an excellent opportunity to even up their Super Bowl record under head coach Sean McVay, and finally bring the Lombardi Trophy to the city of Los Angeles, California. They may be the official visiting team, but they are playing in their familiar home-field setting at SoFi Stadium. And while they face a very formidable Cincinnati Bengals team, the Rams match up well with them.

For the record, the Cincinnati Bengals will be competing in just their third Super Bowl in franchise history. They lost to the San Francisco 49ers in SB XVI by a score of  49ers 26 Bengals 21 and in SB XXIII by a score of 49ers 20 Bengals 16.

The city of Los Angeles is 0-2 in the Super Bowl, as is the city of Cincinnati. Will the Rams win SB LVI? We’ll know in just over a week’s time.