The Los Angeles Rams head into Super Bowl 56 with a less-than-ideal history in the NFL’s showcase game. As they play in their fifth Super Bowl in franchise history, when were the Rams’ previous appearances, how did they fare, and who did they face?
Los Angeles Rams’ Super Bowl appearances
- Super Bowl XIV — January 20, 1980
- Super Bowl XXXIV — January 30, 2000
- Super Bowl XXXVI — February 3, 2002
- Super Bowl LII — February 3, 2019
- Super Bowl LVI — February 13, 2022
How many Super Bowls have the Rams won?
Throughout their history, the Rams have won two Super Bowls, in 2000 and in 2022.
What’s the Rams’ Super Bowl record?
The Rams have a 2-3 Super Bowl record following Super Bowl 56.
History of the Rams’ Super Bowl opponents
The Bengals will be the Rams’ fourth different opponent in their five Super Bowl appearances. Let’s look back at their previous four appearances in the Super Bowl.
Super Bowl XIV: Pittsburgh Steelers 31, Los Angeles Rams 19
The Rams didn’t make things easy for themselves in the 1979 NFL season. They narrowly won the NFC West at 9-7 and then had to go on the road in both the Divisional Round and Conference Championship. They narrowly defeated the Cowboys before shutting out the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9-0 to make it to Super Bowl XIV.
For a long time, the Rams were very much in the game against the Steelers. They led 13-10 at the half and then 19-17 at the end of the third quarter. However, the Rams were held scoreless in the fourth quarter, while the Steelers scored 2 touchdowns to finish as runaway winners 31-19.
Super Bowl XXXIV: St. Louis Rams 23, Tennessee Titans 16
The Rams defied expectations in the 1999-2000 season. Projected to win just 5.5 games and starting a relatively unknown QB in Kurt Warner, they were +15000 to win the Super Bowl entering the year. They would win 13 of their 16 regular-season games to win the NFC West and clinch the No. 1 seed. The Rams then defeated the Vikings and Buccaneers to advance to Super Bowl XXXIV.
It was all going beautifully for the Rams as they led 16-0 with 7 minutes left in the third quarter. However, the Titans would roar back to tie the game up at 16-16 with 2:12 remaining. They responded instantly with a 73-yard touchdown pass from Kurt Warner to Isaac Bruce. The game came down to the final second with Mike Jones tackling Kevin Dyson at the Rams’ 1-yard line to seal their sole Super Bowl victory.
Super Bowl XXXVI: New England Patriots 20, St. Louis Rams 17
Two years later, the Rams entered the season as one of the favorites to lift the Lombardi Trophy. They were projected to win 11 games and had Super Bowl odds of +400. They delivered on those expectations, winning the NFC West and claiming the No. 1 seed at 14-2. They would sweep past the Packers and defeat the Eagles to clinch a spot in Super Bowl XXXVI.
The Rams were favored by 14 points against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. However, New England stifled the Rams’ offense, and Ty Law scored a touchdown on an interception as the Patriots led 14-3 at the half. The Rams would finally click into gear in the fourth quarter, tying things up with 1:30 to go. However, Tom Brady would lead the Patriots into FG range, where Adam Vinatieri would make a 48-yard kick as time expired.
Super Bowl LII: New England Patriots 13, Los Angeles Rams 3
The Rams would get an opportunity to right Super Bowl history when they faced the Patriots again 17 years later. The Rams again won the NFC West at 13-3 but had to go into New Orleans in the NFC Championship Game. A controversial call by the officials helped the Rams advance to the Super Bowl with a 26-23 victory.
The Rams were marginal underdogs (+2) in what was projected to be a high-scoring game. However, things would not play out that way. The two teams combined for just 3 points in the first half and 6 points in the first three quarters. Sony Michel would find the end zone for the Patriots with 7 minutes remaining before Stephen Gostkowski put the nail in the Rams’ coffin in an embarrassing 13-3 defeat.
Super Bowl LVI: Los Angeles Rams 23, Cincinnati Bengals 20
The Rams went 22 years in between their only two Super Bowl wins, defeating the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 in Super Bowl 56. The game was a tight contest all the way through with the Rams driving late in the fourth quarter to take the lead.
The final drive was highlighted by Matthew Stafford and Cooper Kupp. Kupp caught the game-winning touchdown over Bengals cornerback Eli Apple to cement his status as the Super Bowl 56 MVP. Additionally, Stafford threw 3 touchdowns, making up for LA’s inability to run the ball. Defensively, Rams all-time great Aaron Donald forced an incomplete pass on fourth down to seal the LA’s Super Bowl win.