Do 2022 LA Rams have worst Super Bowl hangover ever?

The LA Rams’ glorious goal line stand against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers meant nothing in Week 9, as subsequent drives saw LA Rams starting quarterback Stafford unable to gain a single first down in the fourth quarter.  Moving the chains just once would have sealed the victory. Instead, the Rams’ defense gave up 60 yards in just 35 seconds.

Nine months after winning it all for the first time since 1999, the Rams are now sitting at 3-5 midway through the season. Injuries to the offensive line and a lack of weapons (or lack of use of available weapons) to help Matthew Stafford and LA Rams WR Cooper Kupp have resulted in an offense that looks broken, ranking 29th in points per game – 23 spots down from 2021.

The hangover after the Rams Super Bowl LVI victory officially feels real now, with a chance at a playoff spot feeling out of reach, and the Rams still have nine games left.

The idea of a Super Bowl hangover feels like a myth to some, but it’s hard to argue against it when there hasn’t been a repeat champion since the 2003-04 Patriots. Teams usually spend big right before making a Super Bowl run and members of a champion team often receive loftier offers in free agency after they’ve proven themselves winners. Scheduling also plays a factor, with the best teams now lined up against every other division’s top seed from the previous year.

Most importantly, it’s just hard to train, practice, and play a month longer than everyone else. This is what’s happening to the 2022 Rams – injuries quickly pile up after a deep playoff run.

Inspired by this disappointing Rams team, let’s revisit a few other members of the Super Bowl hangover crew, arbitrarily ranked by how high they flew compared to how low they have fallen. To be fair, we won’t include teams that had critical players retire after winning it all – you’re welcome, Denver Broncos.