The Los Angeles Rams are 1-2, and history says the next game carries more weight than an early October date usually does. According to The Athletic's Scott Phillips, only five eventual Super Bowl champions have opened a season 1-2, and four of them won in Week 4 before getting hot for the rest of the year.
The 2018 Patriots (11-5), 2007 Giants (10-6), 1993 Cowboys (12-4) and 1981 49ers (13-3) all bounced back after 1-2 starts to win the Super Bowl during their respective seasons, and each one put together a winning streak of at least six games on their way to a Lombardi Trophy. The 2001 Patriots were the exception, as they sat at 5-5 after Week 10 but turned things around with a young Tom Brady. Then they won their last nine games, finished 11-5 and claimed
the first of six titles in the Brady-Belichick era.
Los Angeles gets its first shot at that script on Oct. 4 against the Philadelphia Eagles. It is a difficult road test, and the schedule doesn't let up right away. The Rams host Buffalo in Week 5, which will show whether a Week 4 win holds up against another contender.
The rest of the run to the bye offers a chance to build momentum. The Rams host Arizona, visit Las Vegas, host the Chargers, go to Washington and visit the Cardinals before the Week 11 bye.
The stretch after the bye is where the season will be decided. Green Bay comes to town in Week 12 and Kansas City follows. After that: a trip to San Francisco, a home game against Dallas and a Christmas Day game at Seattle. The Rams close at Tampa Bay and host Seattle in the regular-season finale. That makes two Seahawks games in three weeks, and either could decide the division.
While the season won't be over if the Rams lose Week 4, it will be tougher sledding for the highly-touted squad to pull itself out of a 1-3 hole than it would be to play the Bills at 2-2. Myles Garrett might be out even longer than the initial four-week diagnosis, too, and it's unclear how injured Puka Nacua is at the moment.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: History shows Rams' Super Bowl odds could hinge on Week 4
