History might favor the Patriots as they return to Gillette Stadium following two straight road games and a visit to Miami awaiting. That lone home contest in that four-game stretch will feature the Los Angeles Rams visiting New England.
The Rams are one of eight teams that are winless at Gillette Stadium (0-2). They lost to the Patriots, 23-16, on Oct. 20, 2008, and again, 26-10, on Dec. 4, 2016. Historically, the Rams are 3-3 in New England, 3-3 vs. the Patriots at home and 0-3 at neutral sites (we’ll get to those).
The two teams met six times while the Rams called St. Louis home and the Patriots were 4-2 in those games, including a 1-1 record at home. They are 2-2 at home when the Rams must travel across the country from Los Angeles.
However, this week has a different twist. Following a Monday night home loss to Miami, Los Angeles will travel across the country on a short week. That is typically a disadvantage for the road team. From 2015-2022 (excluding 2020 when no fans could attend games because of the Covid-19 pandemic), road teams on a short week were 104-135 for a .435 winning percentage. (Source Foxsports.com).
So it will be interesting to see how the 4-5 Rams perform in that situation when desperation is factored into the equation. The Rams started 2024 with a 1-4 mark, rallied to win three straight to get to .500 before losing last week at home vs. Miami. They sit in third place in the NFC West behind 6-4 Arizona and 5-4 San Francisco. They are hardly out of the race for a division title, but a loss at 3-7 New England could severely damage their hopes, especially as Las Vegas lists them as 4.5-point road favorites.
The Patriots, who got off to a 1-6 start, have played better of late. They have won two of their last three games with an overtime road loss sandwiched between the wins. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye has breathed some life into the team, but points are still at a premium in an offense that lacks consistency. The defense allowed only three points at Chicago last week, but will face veteran Super Bowl champion quarterback Matthew Stafford this week – a stiffer challenge than last week’s matchup vs. rookie Caleb Williams.
Speaking of quarterbacks, Patriots legend Tom Brady set the NFL starting quarterback all-time wins record in that 2016 victory over the Rams when he won his 201st game. He threw for 269 yards and a touchdown that day at Gillette in what is a historical game against this week’s foe.
But the most memorable wins over the Rams came in Super Bowls XXXVI and LIII. New England upset the heavily favored, Greatest-Show-on-Turf, St. Louis Rams, 20-17, to win its first of six Super Bowls back at the end of the 2001 season. Brady earned MVP honors, but Adam Vinatieri made a 48-yard game-winning kick as time expired, and the defense forced three turnovers, including Ty Law’s interception for a touchdown.
The Patriots last of their six Super Bowl wins also came against the Rams at the end of the 2018 season. The Pats defense held the league’s highest scoring offense to just 3 points that night in a 13-3 Super Bowl win.
The third “neutral site” game was technically a Rams home game, but was played in London’s Wembley Stadium – a game New England won 45-7.
Something will have to give this week. Will the Rams, who are just 1-3 on the road this year, overcome traveling across the country on a short week to earn their first win at Gillette Stadium? Will Maye, who is coming off a solid performance in Chicago, suffer through rookie inconsistency against the veteran Rams quarterback?
One thing is certain: the Patriots are not playing for a draft pick. They are looking to see if they can muster their first two-game winning streak since the middle of the 2022 season.
The series:
- The Patriots lead the all-time series, 9-6
- The Patriots longest winning streak against the Rams is six games (2002-2019)
- The Rams longest winning streak against New England is four games (1989-2001)
- The Patriots are 3-3 at home, 4-3 on the road and 2-0 at a neutral site in the series
- The teams have never played an overtime game
- The series dates to Sept. 29, 1974 (a 20-14 Patriots home win)
- The Rams largest margin of victory is 21 (a 24-3 home win on Dec. 10, 2020)
- The Patriots largest margin of victory is 38 (45-7 road win in London on Oct. 28, 2012)
