How do Rams stack up against other 0-2 teams?

Is it time to panic in Los Angeles?

Misery loves company. While the Los Angeles Rams are 0-2 they certainly aren’t alone in the NFL. In fact, there are other teams that were playoff hopefuls to start the year and now find themselves without a victory through two weeks, such as the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals.

How do the Rams stack up against other 0-2 teams? Is it time to panic in Los Angeles, or is there reason to be optimistic that Sean McVay and the Rams can turn things around in short order?

The Athletic makes the wise point that fewer than 11% of teams that start 0-2 go on to make the playoffs. They broke down each winless team and offered record projections and playoff odds for each.

What did they have to say about the Rams?

The Rams couldn’t have had a worse start to the season. Not only are they 0-2, but they’ve been decimated by injuries. Their tattered roster and winless start have compounded into just a 9% chance to make the playoffs after starting the season at 45%. There aren’t many teams in the NFL that would be able to survive this level of injuries across the offense, let alone one with a so-so defense.

Frankly, it is tough to project the Rams because of the injuries and the guess work involved with when players will return. A Week 6 bye might do them some favors, but there aren’t many games on the schedule where the Rams will be clear favorites. My model currently has the most likely record for the Rams as 6-11.

In other words, things seem pretty bleak right now in Los Angeles. The key takeaway is that the Rams had a 45% likelihood to make the playoffs entering the year but now just sit at 9%. Of course, you could argue that the team deserved more than a 45% starting point and thus the 9% is also skewed, but what we are seeing playing out in real time is that the foundation of LA’s roster is flawed beyond the current rash of injuries.

The Athletic offered rosier outlooks for the Ravens, Bengals and Jaguars. Baltimore started the season with a 78% probability of making the post season and is still at a strong 41% after losing to the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders. The Bengals also lost to the Chiefs and struggled Week 1 versus the New England Patriots—their playoff chances have decreased from 73% to 44%.

Even the Jacksonville Jaguars appear to be in better shape than the Rams despite upcoming games against the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans. Jacksonville opened the year with postseason odds of 40% before dropping to their current position of 19%.

If you are looking for comfort, The Athletic also seems ready to put a fork in the Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos, Tennessee Titans, and New York Giants (Carolina, Tennessee, Denver, and New York aren’t even included in their article). Indy is left with just an 8% chance to play football beyond the regular season.

Do you disagree with these projections from The Athletic? How likely are we to see playoff football again this year in Los Angeles?

Let us know your thoughts in the comments.