Los Angeles Rams: By the numbers of Super Bowl LIII

With less than a week before the Super Bowl, both the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots have arrived in Atlanta for the big game.

For the next week as the Super Bowl’s hype machine goes into overdrive you’ll hear about the matchups, the Los Angeles Rams offense against the New England Patriots defense, Jared Goff versus Tom Brady, or Darth Vader (Bill Belichick) against Luke Skywalker (Sean McVay).

The week of media row during the Super Bowl is the silly season for the NFL’s ultimate game, which makes it all the more fun to delve into the numbers that make up Super Bowl LIII.

67

It’s been 67 years since the Los Angeles Rams can say they were the champions of the NFL. Wait a minute, the Rams won the Super Bowl in 2000 you might say; yes, but that was the St. Louis version. The Rams were Los Angeles’ first professional franchise, moving from Cleveland back in 1946, a full 12 years before the Dodgers showed up.

Unfortunately, when it came to championships on the west coast it’s been a bit of a disappointment. That 1951 title won back in the pre-Super Bowl days was the lone title in the 50 years the Rams first called Los Angeles home.

The Rams are 0-4 in the NFL championship/Super Bowl in Los Angeles, losing their lone Super Bowl in their back yard at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena in Super Bowl 14. There is no doubt some longtime Los Angeles Rams fans hoping they’ll finally get to see a Super Bowl winner.

4 for 4

If the Rams do beat the Patriots then they would become the first team to win a championship in four cities after moving in all of the four major leagues (Technically two being the same).

Currently, the Rams are tied with the Atlanta Braves with three championships in three cities. The Rams have won a league title in Cleveland (1945), Los Angeles (1951), St Louis (1999). Whereas the Braves have won titles in Boston (1914), Milwaukee (1957), and Atlanta (1995).

I may be fudging the numbers, but if the Rams do hoist the Lombardi trophy they will have won a title after moving every time.

17

Seventeen years is the age difference between starting quarterbacks — 41-year-old Tom Brady and24-year-old Jared Goff. That’s the largest gap in Super Bowl history. If Jared Goff is going to beat Tom Brady he may have to take a page from Brady’s book.

It was 17 years ago this week a 24-year-old Brady took a veteran Patriots team, a 14-point underdog against the Rams. Brady would win the Super Bowl MVP by engineering a 53-yard game winning drive to kick off a dynasty.

Now Goff has a chance to perhaps kickoff a new dynasty in the league (or hopefully end one) by winning the Super Bowl. Personally, I’d prefer Goff not heed the old axiom that says “respect your elders.” He should go out there let it fly and bring down an old man.