The Los Angeles Rams came into the season with fairly high expectations, at least internally. After making the playoffs in 2023, many believed they could go even further than the wild-card round with Matthew Stafford, Kyren Williams, Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp all back, along with a fantastic young core of playmakers.
Those postseason hopes were quickly dashed after the team started 0-2 and then 1-4, falling behind in the NFC West with a bleak outlook for the rest of the season. Similar to last season, though, the Rams flipped a switch after their bye.
Following a 1-4 start, the Rams have won nine of their last 11 games and clinched the division title in Week 17, locking them in as the No. 3 or 4 seed in the NFC playoff bracket. The job’s not done yet but regardless of what happens in the postseason, the Rams pulled off one of the great turnarounds in NFL history.
Prior to this season, there were 253 teams that started 1-4 through five games. Only 15 of them made the playoffs, a rate of only 5.9%. That means the Rams are just the 16th team ever to start 1-4 and still go on to make the postseason.
The Bengals, who also started the year with losses in four of their first five games, can be the 17th team to accomplish what the Rams just did, but they need a lot of help in Week 18 in order to make the playoffs.
When you pair the Rams’ stunning comeback this season with last year’s turnaround, the NFL has never seen anything like it. They’re the first team in league history to enter their bye week with a losing record and make the playoffs in consecutive seasons.
The Rams became the first team in NFL history to enter their bye week with a losing record and make the playoffs in consecutive seasons.
They are also just the 14th team in NFL history to make the playoffs are starting the season 1-4. pic.twitter.com/V833Ogxqda
— Los Angeles Rams PR (@TheLARamsPR) December 30, 2024
No one inside the Rams’ building gave up on the season after their 1-4 start, a testament to the culture Sean McVay has created. Despite all the injuries and tough circumstances the Rams faced this year, they maintained the belief that they could right the ship and get back on track.
And that’s exactly what they did. Their only losses since the Week 6 bye were to the Dolphins in Week 10 and to the Eagles in Week 12. Along the way, they’ve beaten the Vikings, Seahawks, Bills, Cardinals and 49ers, as well as the Saints, Jets, Patriots and Raiders.
Few people saw a 9-2 stretch coming for the Rams after they lost four of their first five games, but they now look like one of the hottest teams in football. No one will want to face them in the playoffs.
