Rams vs. the AFC

Against the AFC, the Rams' streaks never figure to be very long numerically, but they sure can be chronologically, as we'll see here. There's a lot of bad trends here as well, but maybe it's good they're playing the AFC South this year.

AFC East:
The Rams have lost seven of their last eight regular season games against AFC East opponents.
Patriots - three straight losses, including Super Bowl XXXVI. Last win: 24-17 at New England, 11/18/01.
Dolphins - two straight losses. Last win: 42-10 here, 9/30/01.
Bills - two straight losses. Last win: a Tony Banks-led 34-33 come-from-behind victory in Buffalo in 1998. (Sept 20)
Jets - one-game losing streak. Last win: 32-29 here in OT, 1/2/05.

AFC North:
The Rams were 0-4 vs. the AFC North in 2007; 4-0 in 2003. So they have a one-game losing streak against the Steelers, Ravens, Bengals and Browns.

AFC South:
Colts: one-game losing streak. Last win: 42-17 win here, 12/30/01.
Titans: two-game winning streak dating back to Super Bowl XXXIV. Last loss: 24-21 there, 10/31/1999.
Texans: the Rams won the only meeting between the teams so far, 33-27 in Houston in OT, 11/27/05. (Ryan Fitzpatrick threw for over 300 yards).
Jagwires: two-game winning streak, both meetings between the franchises since Jacksonville entered the league. Dates back to a 17-14 Rams win here on 10/20/96. This year, though, will mark the Rams' first regular season trip to Jacksonville.

AFC West:
Chargers: one-game losing streak. Last win: 28-24 here, 11/10/02, a Marc Bulger miracle comeback game.
Broncos: one-game winning streak. Last win: 18-10 here, 9/1/06. Scott Linehan's first game as head coach. Everything seemed so good back then.
Raiders: two-game winning streak. Last loss: 35-17 at Oakland, 9/28/97.

Then there's the cross-state rival Chiefs, whose streak over the Rams is nearly as vexing as the Rams' current woes against the Seahawks and Big Dead. The St. Louis Rams, or as Jim Thomas would annoyingly put it, "St. Louis" Rams, have yet to beat Kansas City. The franchise's last win over the Chiefs was a 16-0 win at Arrowhead 9/18/1994 as the Los Angeles Rams. (Jim Thomas never says "Los Angeles" Rams.) Even the Greatest Show Rams couldn't top the Chiefs, going down there in flames 54-34 in 2000. The Chiefs' average win over the Rams since the move to St. Louis is 41-20.

And though the Chiefs have fielded some good teams the last 15 years, only one year the two teams met, 1997, were they significantly better than the Rams:
1997: Chiefs (finished 13-3) 28, Rams (5-11) 20.
2000: Chiefs (7-9) 54, Rams (10-6) 34.
2002: Chiefs (8-8) 49, Rams (7-9) 10.
2006: Chiefs (9-7) 31, Rams (8-8) 17.

You're never going to convince me the Rams shouldn't have been able to beat the Chiefs by now, let alone that they should get blown out the way they have been. I see this partly as the Chiefs being not just a classically physical team those years, but a classically turnover-ratio-oriented team, and also a team that can "get up" for a particular opponent.

And that's three things the Rams have generally lacked in recent years. Physical play, a positive turnover ratio (though 2006 went well) and a coach who can motivate. Steve Spagnuolo appears to have those items on his coaching checklist, and would be well-advised to keep them there.

And be able to checkmark them off a time or two this season.