The Los Angeles Rams are in unfamiliar territory as defending champions, becoming the first Super Bowl champion to play nine home games in a regular season thanks to the NFL schedule being increased to 17 games (the Tampa Bay Buccaneers played eight home games last year as defending champions).
Thanks to an interesting schedule quirk, the Rams will actually play 10 games in their home stadium this season — becoming the first team since the 1929 Frankford Yellow Jackets to play 10-plus games in their home stadium during a regular season. The Yellow Jackets played 19 games in the 1929 season, 11 of which were at home. They were the only team in the NFL to play 19 games that season, as the New York Giants and Chicago Bears played the second-most games with 15.
Because of Pennsylvania Blue Laws, the Yellow Jackets could not play in Philadelphia on Sundays — freeing the way to play independent or non-league games on Saturdays at home then travel to their town for the Sunday game. The Jackets and their Saturday opponents rode the same train back to that team’s city for the next day’s game, creating doubleheader weekends. Since the NFL didn’t have a fixed schedule in the 1920s, non-league games were counted as part of the team’s overall record.
How did the Rams end up playing 10 games in SoFi Stadium? Los Angeles has nine home games on the year (all NFC teams play nine home games in 2022 as a result of the 17-game schedule), but will play the 10th in their home stadium against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 17 (the Chargers also play their home games in SoFi Stadium).
The New York Jets are going to experience the same situation in 2023, as they will play nine home games at MetLife Stadium (AFC has nine home games in 2023) and will also play the New York Giants in MetLife (Jets and Giants share the same stadium).
While 10 games in a home stadium is ideal, the Rams do have the toughest schedule in the NFL based on opponents’ records from last season (.567). The schedule quirk will certainly help Los Angeles through the gauntlet.
