As quickly as the Rams rose to the top of the NFC West the last two years, they fell just as fast in 2019. They lost to the 49ers on Saturday night as Robbie Gould drilled a 33-yard field goal, sending the Rams home with their seventh loss of the year.
With that, the Rams were eliminated from playoff contention, giving the final wild-card spot to the Vikings. It was a heartbreaking 34-31 loss, which came after the 49ers converted twice on third-and-16 on their final game-winning drive.
The Rams are just the fifth team since 2009 to miss the playoffs the year after reaching the Super Bowl. The most recent team to do so was the Panthers in 2016 after losing to the Broncos in the Super Bowl one year before.
At 8-7, the Rams are hardly a terrible team, but it was still a highly disappointing season for a team that just reached the Super Bowl. They had high hopes in 2019, attempting to win the NFC West for a third straight year.
Instead, they’ll be watching football in January from home for the first time since 2016.