1976 Los Angeles Rams season

Last updated

1976 Los Angeles Rams season
Owner Carroll Rosenbloom
Head coach Chuck Knox
Home field Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Results
Record10–3–1
Division place1st NFC West
Playoff finishWon Divisional Playoffs
(at Cowboys) 14–12
Lost NFC Championship
(at Vikings) 13–24
Uniform
LA Rams Uniforms.png

The 1976 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 39th year with the National Football League (NFL) and the 31st season in Los Angeles. The Rams continued their dominance of the NFC West to win a fourth consecutive division title. After a record-setting previous season in which their defense was nearly untouchable, the Rams were picked by many to win the Super Bowl.

Contents

Despite not improving on its 12–2 record from 1975, the team continued to be one of the best in the NFL. This Rams team is quite notable for setting many records during the season, including the franchise record for points scored in a game (59) in a 59–0 shutout of the Atlanta Falcons in week thirteen. [1] Los Angeles was 10–3–1 (.750) in the regular season; the tie (in overtime) came in week two at Minnesota (11–2–1) and expectedly became pivotal in the playoff seedings. [2] The surprising shutout loss at home to rival San Francisco on Monday night in week five also contributed. [3] [4]

Third-seeded in the NFC and on the road in the playoffs, the Rams upset Dallas 14–12 in the divisional round, [5] but lost 13–24 to the top-seeded Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship game. [6] [7]

This was the final year for the last member of the "Fearsome Foursome" defensive line of the 1960s; defensive tackle Merlin Olsen retired after fifteen NFL seasons, all with the Rams.

Offseason

1976 Expansion Draft

Los Angeles Rams selected during the Expansion Draft
RoundOverallNamePositionExpansion Team
00 Ken Geddes Linebacker Seattle Seahawks
00 Eddie McMillan CornerbackSeattle Seahawks
00 Willie McGee Wide receiver Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFL Draft

1976 Los Angeles Rams draft
RoundPickPlayerPositionCollegeNotes
126 Kevin McLain   Linebacker Colorado State
239 Pat Thomas  *  Cornerback Texas A&M
253 Ron McCartney  Linebacker Tennessee
386 Jackie Slater  * †  Tackle Jackson State
494Gerald Taylor  Wide receiver Texas A&I
5128 Carl Ekern  Linebacker San Jose State
5150 Ken Bordelon   Defensive end LSU
5155 Dwight Scales  Wide receiver Grambling State
      Made roster    †    Pro Football Hall of Fame     *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Roster

1976 Los Angeles Rams roster
Quarterbacks (QB)

Running backs (RB)

Wide receivers (WR)

Tight ends (TE)

 Offensive linemen (OL)

Defensive linemen (DL)

 Linebackers (LB)

Defensive backs (DB)

Special teams

Reserve


Rookies in italics

Regular season

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueAttendance
1September 12at Atlanta Falcons W 30–141–0 Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium 53,607
2September 19at Minnesota Vikings T 10–101–0–1 Metropolitan Stadium 47,310
3September 26 New York Giants W 24–102–0–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 60,698
4October 3at Miami Dolphins W 31–283–0–1 Miami Orange Bowl 60,753
5October 11 San Francisco 49ers L 0–163–1–1Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum80,532
6October 17 Chicago Bears W 20–124–1–1Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum71,751
7October 24at New Orleans Saints W 16–105–1–1 Louisiana Superdome 51,984
8October 31 Seattle Seahawks W 45–66–1–1Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum52,035
9November 7at Cincinnati Bengals L 12–206–2–1 Riverfront Stadium 52,480
10November 14 St. Louis Cardinals L 28–306–3–1Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum64,698
11November 21at San Francisco 49ersW 23–37–3–1 Candlestick Park 58,573
12November 28New Orleans SaintsW 33–148–3–1Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum54,906
13December 4Atlanta FalconsW 59–09–3–1Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum57,366
14December 11at Detroit Lions W 20–1710–3–1 Pontiac Municipal Stadium 73,470
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Playoffs

RoundDateOpponent (seed)ResultRecordVenueAttendance
DivisionalDecember 19at Dallas Cowboys (2)W 14–121–0 Texas Stadium 62,436
NFC ChampionshipDecember 26at Minnesota Vikings (1)L 13–241–1 Metropolitan Stadium 47,191

Standings

NFC West
WLTPCTDIVCONFPFPASTK
Los Angeles Rams (3)1031.7507–09–2–1351190W4
San Francisco 49ers 860.5715–27–5270190W1
New Orleans Saints 4100.2862–53–8253346L3
Atlanta Falcons 4100.2862–54–8172312L3
Seattle Seahawks 2120.1431–31–12229429L5

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norm Van Brocklin</span> American football player, coach and executive (1926–1983)

Norman Mack Van Brocklin, nicknamed "the Dutchman", was an American professional football player, coach and executive. He played as a quarterback and punter in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He spent his first nine seasons with the Los Angeles Rams and his final three with the Philadelphia Eagles. Following his playing career, he was the inaugural head coach of the Minnesota Vikings from 1961 to 1966 and the second head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 1968 to 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NFC Championship Game</span> Semifinal championship football game in the NFL

The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. The game is played on the last Sunday in January by the two remaining playoff teams, following the NFC postseason's first two rounds. The NFC champion then advances to face the winner of the AFC Championship Game in the Super Bowl.

The National Football Conference – Western Division or NFC West is one of the four divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Arizona Cardinals, the Los Angeles Rams, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Seattle Seahawks.

The 1992 NFL season was the 73rd regular season of the National Football League (NFL). Due to the damage caused by Hurricane Andrew, the New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins game that was scheduled for September 6 at Joe Robbie Stadium was rescheduled to October 18. Both teams originally had that weekend off. This marked the first time since the 1966 NFL season and the AFL seasons of 1966 and 1967 that there were byes in week 1.

The 1990 NFL season was the 71st regular season of the National Football League (NFL). To increase revenue, the league, for the first time since 1966, reinstated bye weeks, so that all NFL teams would play their 16-game schedule over a 17-week period. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 10 teams to 12 teams by adding another wild card from each conference, thus adding two more contests to the postseason schedule; this format was modified with realignment in 2002 before the playoffs expanded to 14 teams in 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1988 NFL season</span> 1988 National Football League season

The 1988 NFL season was the 69th regular season of the National Football League. The Cardinals relocated from St. Louis, Missouri, to the Phoenix, Arizona, area becoming the Phoenix Cardinals but remained in the NFC East division. The playoff races came down to the regular season's final week, with the Seattle Seahawks winning the AFC West by one game, and the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers winning their respective divisions in a five-way tie, with the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants losing the NFC Wild Card berth to the Los Angeles Rams on tiebreakers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984 NFL season</span> 1984 National Football League season

The 1984 NFL season was the 65th regular season of the National Football League. The Colts relocated from Baltimore, Maryland, to Indianapolis, Indiana, before the season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1982 NFL season</span> 1982 National Football League season

The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd regular season of the National Football League. A 57-day-long players' strike reduced the 1982 season from a 16-game schedule per team to an abbreviated nine game schedule. Because of the shortened season, the NFL adopted a special 16-team playoff tournament; division standings were ignored for seeding. Eight teams from each conference were seeded 1–8 based on their regular season records. Two teams qualified for the playoffs despite losing records. The season ended with Super Bowl XVII when the Washington Redskins defeated the Miami Dolphins 27–17 at the Rose Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1978 NFL season</span> 1978 National Football League season

The 1978 NFL season was the 59th regular season of the National Football League. The league expanded the regular season from a 14-game schedule to 16 games, which it remained in place until 2021 when it was increased to 17 games. Furthermore, the playoff format was expanded from 8 teams to 10 teams by adding another wild card from each conference. The wild card teams played each other, with the winner advancing to the playoff round of eight teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1973 NFL season</span> 1973 National Football League season

The 1973 NFL season was the 54th regular season of the National Football League. The season was highlighted by O. J. Simpson becoming the first player to rush for 2,000 yards in one season.

Ray Malavasi was an American football coach who served as head coach of two professional teams: the Denver Broncos and Los Angeles Rams.

NFL's Greatest Games is a series of television programs that air on NFL Network, ESPN and related networks. It started airing as prime-time specials on ESPN in the 1997 fall season.

This article contains an in-depth explanation of the history of the Dallas Cowboys, a professional American football team that competes in the National Football League (NFL).

The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team organized in 1976 and based in Seattle, Washington, US, that plays in the National Football League. This article details the history of the Seattle Seahawks American football club.

The 1974 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 37th year with the National Football League and the 29th season in Los Angeles. The Rams looked to improve on their 12–2 season from 1973. While not improving on their record, they successfully defended their NFC West division title with a 10–4 record, the second-best in the NFC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean McVay</span> American football coach (born 1986)

Sean McVay is an American professional football coach who is the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He became the youngest NFL head coach in the modern era when he was hired by the Rams in 2017 at the age of 30. McVay is also the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl and be named NFL Coach of the Year. Prior to becoming Rams head coach, he served as a tight ends coach and offensive coordinator for the Washington Redskins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aaron Donald</span> American football player (born 1991)

Aaron Charles Donald is an American former professional football defensive tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 10 seasons with the St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams franchise. He is regarded as one of the greatest defensive players of all time.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dre Greenlaw</span> American football player (born 1997)

Ke'Aundre J'Quan "Dre" Greenlaw is an American professional football linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks and was selected by the 49ers in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL draft.

References

  1. ↑ "Rams pound Falcons, 59-0". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. December 5, 1976. p. 81.
  2. ↑ "Vik-Ram tie sets up later duel". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. September 20, 1976. p. 1D.
  3. ↑ "Silent giant paces 49ers". Spokane Daily Chronicle. (Washington). Associated Press. October 12, 1976. p. 27.
  4. ↑ "49ers stage the 'Great Harris Rush'". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. October 12, 1976. p. 1B.
  5. ↑ "For want of a foot, Rams shoo Dallas". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. December 20, 1976. p. 14.
  6. ↑ "Special teams do it for Vikes". Reading Eagle. (Pennsylvania). Associated Press. December 27, 1976. p. 20.
  7. ↑ Leonard, Vince (December 27, 1976). "Foreman's big second half crushes Rams, 24-13". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 17.


This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.