The Los Angeles Rams sitting at 2-2 through four games likely isn’t what fans envisioned, given lofty expectations entering the 2026 campaign. Despite several injuries and inconsistent performances through the first quarter of the season, slow starts haven’t doomed recent Super Bowl champions, even if they’re uncommon.
Since 2016, eight Super Bowl champs have started with three wins or better through the first four games. Only the 2019 Chiefs began their respective campaign with an unblemished 4-0
start, which propelled them to their second Lombardi Trophy.
Generally, those teams have started hot, including the ‘21 Rams. However, there have been a couple of exceptions, as evidenced below:
2016 Patriots: 3-1
2017 Eagles: 3-1
2018 Patriots: 2-2
2019 Chiefs: 4-0
2020 Buccaneers: 3-1
2021 Rams: 3-1
2022 Chiefs: 3-1
2023 Chiefs: 3-1
2024 Eagles: 2-2
2025 Seahawks: 3-1
The 2018 Patriots and 2024 Eagles were the lone champions in that grouping to start 2-2. Deep playoff runs had seemingly caught up to New England, as it was coming off its second straight Super Bowl appearance. Philadelphia was breaking in new coordinators Kellen Moore and Vic Fangio, so things weren’t smooth early on. However, the Eagles recovered nicely by winning 16 of their final 17, two at LA’s expense. Yeah, we’re not bitter over here about it or anything.
Even the best teams, or ones expected to be stellar, are prone to being blown out. The Rams found that out the hard way after losing by 20 to the 49ers in Australia to begin the season.
Half of the Super Bowl champions in the last decade suffered a double-digit loss within the first four games, with the ‘18 Patriots again standing alone as the only team to suffer multiple such losses in that span. LA’s last Super Bowl team is included in that group after rolling through the first three weeks of the Matthew Stafford era before running into trouble against Arizona. Remember, the 2019 Chiefs are excluded here since they had to be different and win their first four games. Get a load of those guys, am I right?
These teams lost by an average of 9.4 points, though the data is slightly skewed due to the multiple double-digit losses. The most interesting thing about the findings is that a third of the losses came in Week 1, showing that it’s not always about how you start, but how you finish. Plus, if last year’s Seahawks are any indication, the Rams now know that it’s possible to bounce back from a season-opening loss to the Whiners and be just fine.
Slow starts like the Rams have endured this season can be overcome, as the Patriots and Eagles proved over the last 10 years. Super Bowl champions since 2016 have mostly started hot and maintained that momentum for the rest of the season. LA has yet to play consistently enough to find any momentum, but the team has enough talent and a solid coaching staff to turn a corner sooner than anticipated.
