Ram Digest

Chiefs Offensive Ineptitude Overshadows Rams’ Super Bowl Failure From 2018

The Kansas City Chiefs embarrassing first half in Super Bowl LIX may have eased the pain for Los Angeles Rams fans from Super Bowl LIII.
Jared Feinberg|
Feb 3, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) is sacked by New England Patriots outside linebacker Dont'a Hightower (54) during the third quarter of Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-Imagn Images
Feb 3, 2019; Atlanta, GA, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff (16) is sacked by New England Patriots outside linebacker Dont'a Hightower (54) during the third quarter of Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-Imagn Images | Jason Getz-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles Rams

It doesn’t seem that long ago that the Los Angeles Rams were vying for the Lombardi Trophy in Atlanta, Georgia against the New England Patriots that pitted two of the best teams in the NFL. The Rams were led by head coach Sean McVay and quarterback Jared Goff and a Wade Phillips defense that was anchored by future Hall of Fame defensive tackle Aaron Donald.

What was supposed to be a terrific head-to-head matchup turned into an inept performance that led to Tom Brady winning his sixth Super Bowl and the Rams becoming an embarrassment on the biggest stage. This sounds familiar, though the situations are quite different in this matter.

Sunday night, the dynastic Kansas City Chiefs fell short of a third consecutive Super Bowl title, 40-22, that would’ve placed themselves at a level all by themselves. Not only did they fall short, they came nowhere close to being a competitive matchup against an incredible Philadelphia Eagles defense that shuttered quarterback Patrick Mahomes with six sacks and three takeaways.

How does this relate to the Rams? The Chiefs managed the fewest yards in a first half of a Super Bowl since 1990 with 23 measly yards, making the Rams 57 total yards in 2018 a walk in the park.

Kansas City’s offensive ineptitude completely overshadowed lackluster performances of the past, including Los Angeles’ first half woes in Super Bowl LIII. McVay and Goff were critiqued hard for their inability to find answers against a vaunted Patriots defense that featured then-Defensive Player of the Year cornerback Stephon Gilmore. 

The 2024 Chiefs and 2018 Rams were unable to produce a substance of production until either late in the fourth quarter or not at all. Both quarterbacks put the ball in harm's way trying to find momentum and both ran into more talented rosters. The only difference here is that the stakes were higher and the circumstances were much more unique for the Chiefs than it was for the Rams.

In the end, Goff was traded to the Detroit Lions for his counterpart, Matthew Stafford, who would go on to win Super Bowl LVI with McVay with better offensive success and playmaking ability on both sides of the ball. Kansas City now holds the mark for one of the worst offensive performances in the first half of the Super Bowl, lessening the pain for Rams fans over a disastrous defeat in the sport’s biggest game.

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Jared Feinberg
JARED FEINBERG

Jared Feinberg, a native of western North Carolina, has written about NFL football for nearly a decade. He has contributed to several national outlets and is now part of our On SI team as an NFL team reporter. Jared graduated from UNC Asheville with a bachelor's degree in mass communications and later pursued his master's degree at UNC Charlotte. You can follow Jared Feinberg on Twitter at @JRodNFLDraft

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