Rams losing Thursday is some 7-9 B.S. for NFL interim head coaches

The Los Angeles Rams decided they had seen enough out of head coach Jeff Fisher after last week’s embarrassing 42-14 loss at home against the Atlanta Falcons, and fired him. Special teams coach John Fassel was given the nod to take over in the interim.

However, the Rams didn’t give Fassel much to cheer about in his debut when they visited the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football (also known as a poopfest). The 24-3 loss had some significance not only for the Seahawks, who clinched the NFC West, but for the Rams as well. Although, it’s more of a coincidence than anything.

In the last 10 years, the record in the game following an NFL team’s midseason coaching change was 7-8 when coaches get more than one game. Chip Kelly and Mike Singletary were fired with one game remaining in 2015 and 2010 respectively, leaving their interim replacements coaching in just Week 17.

A Rams loss made interim coaches 7-9 since 2006, which we all know to be the crown jewel of records for Fisher.

In Fisher’s first full season as an NFL head coach with the Houston Oilers, he finished 7-9. In his four complete seasons with the Rams, he finished 7-8-1, 7-9, 6-10, and 7-9. That’s quite the model of consistency.

Last season, the Dolphins, Eagles, and Titans all fired their coaches during the season, and all of them won their next game. Those three teams also just happened to be underdogs on the road, just as the Rams were going into Seattle. But even though the Seahawks were coming off a tough loss to the Packers, and the Rams had beaten Seattle once already this season, the Seahawks were 15.5-point favorites at home. For a good reason, as we found out.

The Rams, who dropped to 4-10, are guaranteed to finish this season with a record worse than 7-9. But a loss certainly seems like one great last tribute to the recently departed Fisher.