When the Rams fell to the Bills in Game 1 of the 2022 NFL season, the road to a repeat championship seemed particularly difficult. Almost three months later, the road is officially closed. And it is historically closed early. In falling to the Packers on Monday night, Los Angeles not only confirmed its first double-digit losing season in more than half a decade. He also tied the 1999 Broncos for the first playoff elimination of any defending Super Bowl champion, according to NFL Research.
After a 14-2 record and the Lombardi Trophy in 1998, Denver fell to 6-10 the following year, missing the playoffs entirely. The Rams, 12-5 heading into their 2021 title, are now 4-10 after Monday’s loss, with three games remaining. The 10 losses also ties the Broncos for the worst total of any defending Super Bowl champion.
Only three other times in NFL history has a defending champion been knocked out of the playoffs with more than a week left in the regular season. Should the Rams fail to register another win this year, their potential 4-13 mark would represent the worst ever by a defending champion. Other notable title winners who dropped drastically the following season included the 1986 49ers, who went 3-6 in a strike-shortened season; and the 1981 Raiders, who went 7-9 and missed the playoffs.
The Rams, of course, are a lot different than they were when they lifted the trophy in February. A handful of big-name starters, including quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Cooper Kupp and defensive tackle Aaron Donald, have all missed multiple games with injury and are unlikely to return this year.