From 2004-2016, the Los Angeles Rams didn’t have a single winning season. They finished second in the NFC West four times in that span, but they never eclipsed an 8-8 record and made the playoffs just once.
Since then, the Rams haven’t had anything but a winning season. With their win over the Patriots on Thursday night, the Rams improved their record to 9-4, clinching another season above .500.
It’s their fourth consecutive year with a winning record, which is incredible on the surface. But when you provide some historical context, it becomes even more impressive. This is the first time the Rams have had a winning record in four straight seasons since 1983-1986.
Those teams were coached by John Robinson, who like McVay, accomplished the feat in his first four seasons as a head coach, too. But McVay has already outdone Robinson and those teams from the mid-‘80s.
In those four seasons, the Rams had a record of 40-24. With three games left this season, McVay’s record is a remarkable 42-19 in the regular season. And unlike Robinson, McVay has a Super Bowl appearance on his resume.
For reference, that’s the same record Bill Belichick has had in the same span since the 2017 season.
Sean McVay as a head coach: 42-19
Bill Belichick over the same span: 42-19
— Sam Farmer (@LATimesfarmer) December 11, 2020
Of course, it’s not fair to give McVay all of the credit for the Rams’ remarkable turnaround after a decade of sadness. Les Snead helped construct this roster, which involved signing Andrew Whitworth and Robert Woods, drafting Cooper Kupp and John Johnson, and acquiring Jalen Ramsey.
And before McVay was hired, Snead drafted Aaron Donald and Jared Goff, of course. He’s done an excellent job building this team, staying aggressive in free agency, the draft and on the trade market.
And the players have done their job, too, stepping up on the field and executing McVay’s system. It’s been an incredible resurgence for this franchise, and for as much credit as everyone from top to bottom deserves, one major change was made right before the turnaround happened: McVay arrived.
[vertical-gallery id=642463]