Jared Goff and the 2020 Rams are in the midst of having a great bounce-back year after missing the playoffs last season. They currently have the third-seed and are sitting at 9-4, having beaten quality teams. Now deep into December, it is time to talk about the playoffs. More specifically, it is time to ask the biggest question in sports. That is to ask: “Can the Rams win their first Super Bowl since 1999?” To answer this question, look at the past couple of seasons. Then look at a select few of the Denver Broncos. The comparisons are plentiful.
Can The 2020 Rams Win the Super Bowl? Ask The Broncos
The Bullish Broncos
Back in 2013, Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos were an offensive firestorm and the best offense in NFL history up to that point. They scored 606 points in the regular season which destroyed the second-ranked offense that year with 445 points. They also boasted 37.9 points per game average, 10.1 points more per game than the next-ranked team.
The team’s offense overshadowed the 19th-ranked defense all through a 13-3 campaign that led to a Super Bowl appearance. However, in that Super Bowl, the Broncos’ high-flying offense was shut down by the top defense in the league: the Seattle Seahawks and the Legion of Boom.
After the loss at the end of the 2013 season, the Broncos put forth a disappointing follow-up season in which they lost in the first round of the playoffs to Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts by a score of 24-13. Needless to say, it was not an ideal way to end a season.
In 2015, just two seasons after having the best offense in NFL history, the Broncos had the best defense in the NFL with the No-Fly Zone. The defense carried the team throughout the year and even throughout the playoffs. The team eventually made it to the Super Bowl as underdogs and defeated a 15-1 Cam Newton and his Carolina Panthers by a score of 24-10. Now, look at the last couple of seasons for the Los Angeles Rams.
The Rolling 2020 Rams
Back in 2018, the Rams were an offensive machine gun, scoring big points throughout the season and ranking second overall in offensive production. Conversely, the defensive side of the ball ranked 19th overall. As all Rams fans know, the team made it to the Super Bowl and also got shut down by a sound defense coached by the defensive mastermind in Bill Belichick. The Rams only put up three points in a 13-3 loss to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.
Most Rams fans want to forget what happened next. After the Super Bowl loss, the Rams put up a very disappointing season in 2019, just barely missing the playoffs.
This year, the team is having a great bounce-back season, now with the defense carrying the team. Currently, the Rams defense is ranked first in the league. Now, they are expected to be going into the playoffs with the defense leading the way.
Connecting The Dots
The Broncos had a dominant offense with a 19th-ranked defense in 2013, a disappointing season in 2014, and won the Super Bowl on the back of the defense in 2015.
On the other hand, the Rams also had a dominant offense in 2018 with a 19th-ranked defense, a disappointing season in 2019, and they currently have a league-leading defense that is unarguably the strength of the team going into the playoffs. The Broncos’ 2013-2015 story ended with a Super Bowl victory. Will the Rams’ 2018-2020 story end the same way?
Let us know what you think below!