The Los Angeles Rams are in uncharted territory as defending champions, becoming the first Super Bowl champion to play nine regular-season home games thanks to the NFL’s expanded schedule to 17 games (the Tampa Bay Buccaneers played eight home games last year as champions defender).
Thanks to an interesting schedule quirk, the Rams will actually play 10 games at their home stadium this season – becoming the first team since the 1929 Frankford Yellow Jackets to play more than 10 games at their home stadium during the season. a regular season. The Yellow Jackets played 19 games during the 1929 season, 11 of them at home. They were the only NFL team to play 19 games that season, while the New York Giants and Chicago Bears played the second most games with 15.
Due to the Pennsylvania Blue Laws, the Yellow Jackets could not play in Philadelphia on Sunday – freeing up the option to play independent or non-league games on Saturday at home and then travel to their city for the Sunday game. The Jackets and their Saturday opponents rode the same train back to that team’s city for the next day’s game, creating double weekends. Since the NFL had no set schedule in the 1920s, non-league games were counted in the team’s overall record.
How did the Rams end up playing 10 games at SoFi Stadium? Los Angeles has nine home games per year (all NFC teams play nine home games in 2022 due to the 17-game schedule), but will play the 10th at their home stadium against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17 (the Chargers also play their home games at SoFi Stadium).
The New York Jets will experience the same situation in 2023, as they will play nine home games at MetLife Stadium (AFC has nine home games in 2023) and will also face the New York Giants at MetLife (Jets and Giants share the same stadium).
While 10 games at a home stadium is ideal, the Rams have the toughest schedule in the NFL based on opponents’ records from last season (.567). The oddity of the schedule will certainly help Los Angeles through the gauntlet.