If you’ve listened to or watched a Rams game in 2009, you likely were party to history. Not the kind you want to see if you’re a Rams fan, mind you, but history nonetheless.

Having won just six games over the 2007-2009 seasons, the Rams would need to go 2-2 in the final quarter of the season to TIE the worst three year stretch in non-strike seasons since the advent of the 16 game schedule. The ‘84-’86 Buffalo Bills had eight wins over three seasons, going 2-14, 2-14 and then 4-12. The ‘85-87 Tampa Bay Buccanneers won eight, going 2-14, 2-14 and 4-11. The ’87 season was a strike season with replacement players for three games, and a 15 game schedule.

In fact, since the NFL and AFL merged in 1970, there has been only one franchise, the Houston Oilers, that won as few as six games over three years. Here are the worst three-year stretches, with win totals, for each franchise since the merger: * indicates that the stretch occurred during the fourteen game schedule, so teams were playing 42 games over three years rather than 48.

• Cardinals-12* (‘71-’73)
• Falcons-11 (‘87-’89)
• Ravens-16 (‘96-’98)
• Bills-8 (Twice, last in ‘84-’86)
• Panthers-15 (‘00-’02)
• Bears-11* (‘72-’74)
• Bengals-11 (three times, last in ‘98-’00)
• Browns-12 (‘99-’01) first three years after expansion
• Cowboys-11 (‘88-‘90)
• Broncos-14* (‘70-’72)
• Lions-10 (Twice, ‘01-’03, ‘06-’08) Lions are at nine over the current three years, and of course that includes last years 0-16.
• Packers-13 (‘86-’88)
• Texans-15 (‘04-’06)
• Colts-9** (81-’83) Includes 0-8-1 record in strike shortened ’82 season.
• Jaguars-17 (‘01-’03)
• Chiefs-11* (‘76-’78) ’76 and ’77 seasons were 14 games. Chiefs are at nine wins over current three years.
• Dolphins-16 (‘05-’07) Included a 9-7 year in ‘05.
• Vikings-18 (‘83-’85)
• Patriots-9 (‘90-’92)
• Saints-8* (‘70-’72) New Orleans won nine from ‘80-’82 in a 16 game schedule.
• Giants-9* (‘73-’75)
• Jets-9 (‘74-’76) The Jets won 10 from ‘94-96 in 16 game schedules.
• Raiders-10 (‘05-’07)
• Eagles-11* (‘70-’72)
• Steelers-20* (‘70-’72) (Steelers have had two SEASONS out of the 40 since the merger with fewer than the six wins the Rams have over three seasons combined)
• Chargers-9* (‘73-’75)
• 49ers-9 (‘77-’79)
• Seahawks-14 (Twice, ‘82-’84 included ’82 strike season, nine game schedule, and ‘92-’94)
• Buccanneers-7* (‘76-’78, expansion team played 14 game seasons in ‘’76 and ’77). Lowest for 16 game schedules is 8, from ‘85-’87, which in included 15 game replacements ’87 season. For full seasons, the Bucs’ lowest total is 10, from ‘84-’86.
• Titans-6* (Twice. ‘71-’73 Houston Oilers went 4-9-1, 1-13 and 1-13. Oilers then went 1-8 in the strike shortened ’82 season, 2-14 in ’83 and 3-13 in ‘84). In 16 game seasons, the Oilers/Titans lowest was 10, from ‘83-’85)
• Redskins-13 (‘93-’95)

The Rams previous worst stretch came in L.A., where they won 14 games from ‘90-’92 and from ‘91-’03. In St. Louis, they won 15 games from ‘96-’08, their second, third and fourth years here. Even if they win their final four games, the Rams have clinched their worst three-year record since the merger.