2016 Los Angeles Rams season

Last updated

2016 Los Angeles Rams season
Owner Stan Kroenke
General manager Les Snead
Head coach Jeff Fisher (fired Week 14, 4–9 record)
John Fassel (interim, 0–3 record)
Home field Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Local radio KSPN 710 AM
KSWD 100.3 FM
Results
Record4–12
Division place3rd NFC West
Playoff finishDid not qualify
Pro Bowlers
3
AP All-Pros
3
Uniform
St louis rams uniforms12.png

The 2016 Los Angeles Rams season was the franchise's 79th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the fifth and final under head coach Jeff Fisher. It was the franchise's 50th season in the Greater Los Angeles Area and the first since 1994. The team returned to Los Angeles after 21 seasons in St. Louis. The Rams decided from 2016 to 2019 to return to wearing white uniforms at home in Los Angeles as a nod to the Fearsome Foursome era. In Week 15 against the Seattle Seahawks, their NFC West divisional rival, the Rams wore white horns on their helmet just for the one game only, a move which would be repeated for the entire following season.

Contents

The 2016 season saw the Rams attempting to improve upon their 7–9 record from 2015. After a surprising 3–1 start, the Rams would massively struggle in the second half, going 1–11 in their final 12 games, en route to a 4–12 record. The Rams also went 1–7 at home in 2016, their worst home record since going 0–8 at home in their 1–15 2009 season. The Rams also missed the playoffs for the 12th straight season. The franchise also clinched its tenth straight losing season. The Rams were also the only team to lose to the San Francisco 49ers in 2016, as both wins for the 49ers were against the Rams.

On December 12, 2016, Fisher was fired after a 42–14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons that dropped the Rams to 4–9. John Fassel was named interim head coach and went winless over the final three games. This was the last season with the Rams having a losing record until 2022. It was the final time the Rams began a season with a loss until the same season.

Because the Oakland Raiders went 12–4, their first winning season in 14 years, the Rams were the only team from 2004 to this year that did not have a single winning season.

Return to Los Angeles

After receiving permission to void its lease on the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis during the 2015 season, the team officially filed an application to relocate back to Los Angeles on January 4, 2016, where it would play at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood when completed; construction began in December 2015, and the stadium opened in September 2020. In the interim, the Rams would play seven of their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and the eighth game at Twickenham Stadium in London as part of the NFL International Series. [1] The Rams also resumed holding training camp at UC Irvine, where they had previously held training camp during the 1990s prior to the move to St. Louis.

The Rams competed against the San Diego Chargers and Oakland Raiders, both of whom also filed relocation requests for a joint stadium in Carson for the rights to the Los Angeles market; the Chargers received a one-year option to decide if they wanted to share the Inglewood stadium with the Rams, which they did in the following season in 2017. Had the Chargers not accepted the option, a one-year option would have been granted to the Raiders after theirs expired. The Raiders would eventually move to Las Vegas, Nevada in 2020 to play at Allegiant Stadium. The league made their decision in a special meeting on January 12; after two ballots, the Rams' proposal was accepted on a 30–2 vote. [2] [3]

The Rams' return to the Greater Los Angeles Area received extensive media coverage. The team made its first appearance on HBO's Hard Knocks , which covered training camp and preseason. Several players and their families were followed on the new E! reality series Hollywood & Football as they settled in Southern California, while the regular season was later chronicled in the Amazon Prime sports documentary series All Or Nothing .

The Coliseum was previously the Rams' home for 34 seasons (1946–1979); they moved to Anaheim Stadium in Orange County in 1980, [4] and played there for fifteen seasons before the move to St. Louis in 1995.

Draft

2016 Los Angeles Rams draft
RoundPickPlayerPositionCollegeNotes
11 Jared Goff  *  QB California
4110 Tyler Higbee   TE Western Kentucky
4117 Pharoh Cooper  *  WR South Carolina
6190 Temarrick Hemingway   TE South Carolina State
6193 Josh Forrest   MLB Kentucky
6206 Mike Thomas   WR Southern Miss
      Made roster    †    Pro Football Hall of Fame     *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Notes

Staff

2016 Los Angeles Rams staff

Front office

  • Owner/chairman – Stan Kroenke
  • Executive vice president of football operations/coo – Kevin Demoff
  • General manager – Les Snead
  • Director of player personnel – Taylor Morton
  • Director of college scouting – Brad Holmes
  • Director of pro personnel – Ran Carthon
  • Director of player evaluation, research & analysis – J.W. Jordan
  • Assistant director of pro personnel – Ray Agnew

Head coaches

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches


Strength and conditioning

Final roster

2016 Los Angeles Rams final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
53 active, 13 inactive, 10 practice squad

Preseason

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1August 13 Dallas Cowboys W 28–241–0 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Recap
2August 20 Kansas City Chiefs W 21–202–0 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Recap
3August 27at Denver Broncos L 9–172–1 Sports Authority Field at Mile High Recap
4September 1at Minnesota Vikings L 25–272–2 U.S. Bank Stadium Recap

Regular season

Schedule

On November 25, 2015, the NFL announced that the Rams would play host to a then-undetermined NFC East opponent in the International Series, in the first-ever game at Twickenham Stadium in London, United Kingdom. On January 3, 2016, the New York Giants were confirmed as the Rams' opponent for this game, both teams having finished in third place in their respective divisions in the 2015 season. The game was played in Week 7 on Sunday, October 23. The kickoff time was announced on April 14, and both teams had their bye the following week. [6] As a condition of the Rams' use of the Coliseum, the University of Southern California requested that the NFL not schedule any Monday night home games at the stadium, nor any home games on days after USC football games. While the team's final schedule did not contain any home Monday night games, two games were played on days following an USC home game. [7] The Rams wore their white uniforms for all of their home games for the first time since 1971 as a nod to the Fearsome Foursome era, with the exception of wearing their throwback uniforms twice a year for home games and wearing their all-navy uniforms for the game in London. [8]

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordVenueRecap
1September 12at San Francisco 49ers L 0–280–1 Levi's Stadium [9] Recap
2September 18 Seattle Seahawks W 9–31–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum [10] Recap
3September 25at Tampa Bay Buccaneers W 37–322–1 Raymond James Stadium [11] Recap
4October 2at Arizona Cardinals W 17–133–1 University of Phoenix Stadium [12] Recap
5October 9 Buffalo Bills L 19–303–2 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum [13] Recap
6October 16at Detroit Lions L 28–313–3 Ford Field [14] Recap
7 October 23 New York Giants L 10–173–4 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Twickenham Stadium (London) [15] Recap
8 Bye
9November 6 Carolina Panthers L 10–133–5 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum [16] Recap
10November 13at New York Jets W 9–64–5 MetLife Stadium [17] Recap
11November 20 Miami Dolphins L 10–144–6 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum [18] Recap
12November 27at New Orleans Saints L 21–494–7 Mercedes-Benz Superdome [19] Recap
13December 4at New England Patriots L 10–264–8 Gillette Stadium [20] Recap
14December 11 Atlanta Falcons L 14–424–9 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum [21] Recap
15December 15at Seattle Seahawks L 3–244–10 CenturyLink Field [22] Recap
16December 24 San Francisco 49ers L 21–224–11 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum [23] Recap
17January 1 Arizona Cardinals L 6–444–12 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum [24] Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: at San Francisco 49ers

Week One: Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Period1234Total
Rams00000
49ers7701428

at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

Game information

The now-Los Angeles Rams stumbled badly in their season opener, getting shut out by the host 49ers on Monday Night Football. Quarterback Case Keenum was ineffective, completing less than 50 percent of his passes (17-for-35) for 130 yards and two interceptions, while also being sacked twice. Running back Todd Gurley was also lackluster, with only 47 yards on 17 carries. Defensively, linebacker Alec Ogletree led the team with 12 tackles (11 solo) and defensive end Dominique Easley forced a fumble that was recovered by cornerback Trumaine Johnson. But the Rams came up with no sacks, and defensive tackle Aaron Donald was ejected from the game in the fourth quarter for unsportsmanlike conduct and making contact with a game official, an incident for which he later apologized. [25]

Week 2: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Week Two: Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Period1234Total
Seahawks03003
Rams33039

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

Game information

Playing at home in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the first time since 1979, the Rams got the victory in a defensive battle over their NFC West rivals. Three field goals from kicker Greg Zuerlein were enough for the Rams, who played in front of a homecoming crowd of 91,046. With the win, the Rams won a regular season game in Los Angeles for the first time since 1994. Case Keenum completed 18 of 30 passes for 239 yards, and wide receiver Kenny Britt caught six passes for 94 yards. Robert Quinn and William Hayes both had sacks of Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson, while Alec Ogletree had nine tackles and a fumble recovery on Seattle's final drive to preserve the victory. The Rams paid tribute to their first regular season game back in Los Angeles by wearing their blue and yellow throwback uniforms, which were their uniforms during their last season in 1994. This would also turn out to be the only game that the Rams won at home all season.

Week 3: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Week Three: Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
Period1234Total
Rams10771337
Buccaneers61401232

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Game information

Held out of the end zone in the season's first two weeks, the Rams scored five touchdowns in what would be their highest single-game point total of the season. Case Keenum's 44-yard scoring strike to wide receiver Brian Quick ended L.A.'s TD drought, and Greg Zuerlein kicked a 53-yard field goal to give the Rams a 10–6 lead at the end of the first quarter. After the host Buccaneers scored twice to take a 20–10 lead, Todd Gurley scored on a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs in both the second and third quarters to put the Rams back in the lead. Defensive end Ethan Westbrooks picked up a fumble forced by Robert Quinn and ran it back 77 yards for a touchdown, and Keenum connected with Tavon Austin for a 43-yard touchdown pass play and a 37–26 lead. But Tampa Bay rallied behind quarterback Jameis Winston (405 yards, 3 TD passes) to pull within five points. Driving in the final minute, the Bucs reached the Rams 5-yard line, but Quinn brought down Winston from behind as time expired. With two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, game play was suspended for 69 minutes due to lightning strikes in the area. [26] With the win, the Rams record improved to 2–1 for the first time since 2006, placing the team in first place in the NFC West. It was also the first time the Rams scored a regular season touchdown as the Los Angeles Rams since 1994. This was the only game all season that the Rams scored at least 30 points.

Week 4: at Arizona Cardinals

Week Four: Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Period1234Total
Rams730717
Cardinals0103013

at University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona

Game information

Case Keenum connected twice for touchdown passes to Brian Quick as Los Angeles held on for the victory, which gave the Rams a 3–1 start for the first time since 2006. Linebacker Mark Barron had a team-high eight tackles and an interception as the Rams defense forced five turnovers. Defensive tackle Aaron Donald was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week after recording five tackles with 1.5 sacks on the day as the Rams found themselves in first place in the NFC West.

Week 5: vs. Buffalo Bills

Week Five: Buffalo Bills at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Period1234Total
Bills797730
Rams3103319

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

Game information

Greg Zuerlein kicked four field goals, but the Rams were undone by numerous mistakes in a home loss to the Bills. Case Keenum passed for 271 yards, but was intercepted twice and sacked four times. Kenny Britt's five receptions for 75 yards led the Rams, while Todd Gurley ran for 72 yards and a touchdown, but also lost a fumble at the end of the first quarter that led to a Buffalo touchdown. Bills cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman, who scored on a 41-yard interception return, would join the Rams the following season.

Week 6: at Detroit Lions

Week Six: Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions – Game summary
Period1234Total
Rams777728
Lions7771031

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

  • Date: October 16
  • Game time: 1:00 pm. EDT/10:00 am. PDT
  • Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
  • Game attendance: 56,018
  • Referee: John Hussey
  • TV announcers (Fox): Justin Kutcher, Charles Davis, Chris Spielman and Peter Schrager
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

Case Keenum passed for three touchdowns and ran for another, but an interception in the final minutes ruined a comeback attempt as the Rams fell to 3–3 with a loss to the host Lions. Keenum set a team record with 19 straight completions on 27-for-32 passing with 321 yards. Tied 14–14 with four seconds remaining in the first half, the Rams failed to take the lead as Todd Gurley (14 carries, 58 yards) was stopped short of the goal line as time ran out. Wide receiver Kenny Britt caught seven passes for 136 yards and two scores, all season highs. Safety Lamarcus Joyner had eight tackles to lead the Rams, while Aaron Donald had four tackles and a sack.

Week 7: vs. New York Giants

NFL International Series

Week Seven: New York Giants at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Period1234Total
Giants0100717
Rams1000010

at Twickenham Stadium, London, United Kingdom

Game information

After scoring 10 points on their first two drives, the Rams could not score again as they allowed 17 unanswered points in losing to the Giants in the first NFL International Series game hosted at London's Twickenham Stadium. Case Keenum passed for 291 yards and a touchdown, but also threw four interceptions in the game, the first of which was returned 44 yards for a touchdown by Giants safety Landon Collins, and the last coming with 50 seconds remaining in the game as Keenum tossed an errant pass that was picked off by New York cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in the end zone. Tavon Austin had a career-high 10 receptions for 57 yards and a touchdown on offense. Linebacker Alec Ogletree and cornerback Troy Hill each had seven solo tackles to share the team lead for the defense, which got no sacks as the Rams dropped to a 3–4 record going into the bye week.

Week 9: vs. Carolina Panthers

Week Nine: Carolina Panthers at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Period1234Total
Panthers700613
Rams0001010

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

Game information

Despite outgaining the visiting Panthers 339–244, the Rams continued to struggle in a defensive battle at the Coliseum. Linebacker Mark Barron had nine solo tackles and a sack as the Rams defense got to Carolina quarterback Cam Newton five times, with defensive tackle Aaron Donald collecting two sacks. Midway through the fourth quarter, Rams quarterback Case Keenum, who passed for 296 yards, drove his team to the Carolina 7-yard line, but his third down pass to tight end Lance Kendricks (team-high seven receptions, 90 yards) was dropped at the goal line, forcing the Rams to settle for a Greg Zuerlein field goal. In the final minutes, the Rams drove 75 yards in 15 plays when Keenum connected with wide receiver Kenny Britt for a 10-yard touchdown with 34 seconds remaining to close to within 13–10, but the Panthers recovered the onside kick and then ran out the clock.

Week 10: at New York Jets

Week Ten: Los Angeles Rams at New York Jets – Game summary
Period1234Total
Rams30339
Jets06006

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: November 13
  • Game time: 1:00 pm. EST/10:00 am. PST
  • Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C), sunny
  • Game attendance: 78,160
  • Referee: Ed Hochuli
  • TV announcers (Fox): Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis and Peter Schrager
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

Despite another ugly offensive performance, the Rams relied on special teams and defense to grab what would turn out to be their last victory of the season. It was the second time in the 2016 season that the Rams won without scoring a touchdown. Kicker Greg Zuerlein accounted for all of the Rams' scoring with field goals of 20, 38, and 34 yards in the first, third, and fourth quarters, respectively. Early in the fourth quarter with the score tied and the Rams facing 4th-and-1 from their own 17, All-Pro punter Johnny Hekker boomed a career-long 78-yard punt that pinned the Jets inside the 20. Hekker, who averaged 51.7 yards on seven punts, was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his pivotal role in changing the Rams' fortunes on the day. The Rams defense then forced the Jets to punt to near midfield, which set up what would ultimately be Zuerlein's game-winning score. Linebacker Alec Ogletree, who had a team-high nine tackles, picked off a Bryce Petty pass at the two-minute warning to preserve the win, as the Rams improved to 4–5 without scoring a touchdown. Wide receiver Kenny Britt had seven catches for 109 yards for the Rams on offense.

Week 11: vs. Miami Dolphins

Week Eleven: Miami Dolphins at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Period1234Total
Dolphins0001414
Rams703010

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

Game information

Rookie quarterback Jared Goff, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, made his first start for the Rams. After going three-and-out on his first series, Goff completed his first two passes to tight end Tyler Higbee (2 yards) and wide receiver Kenny Britt (19 yards) to set up a 25-yard touchdown run by running back Todd Gurley. The Rams took a 10–0 lead late in the third quarter on a 46-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein. But Zeurlein just missed on a 48-yard attempt midway through the fourth quarter, which gave the Dolphins an opportunity to come back. Despite being sacked four times, Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw touchdown passes to Jarvis Landry and DeVante Parker, the last coming with just 36 seconds remaining in the game to take the 14–10 win. Linebackers Mark Barron and Alec Ogletree each had 11 tackles, while defensive end Dominique Easley had two sacks. On offense, Goff completed 17 of 31 passes for 134 yards and was sacked once in his career and season debut.

Week 12: at New Orleans Saints

Week Twelve: Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints – Game summary
Period1234Total
Rams7140021
Saints72114749

at Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana

  • Date: November 27
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. CST/10:00 am. PST
  • Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
  • Game attendance: 73,067
  • Referee: John Hussey
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

Jared Goff threw for three touchdowns in the first half for the first scoring passes of his career, but it was not enough as Drew Brees passed for four touchdowns and ran for another as the host Saints shredded the Rams defense, which gave up a season-high 555 yards. Goff drove the Rams 75 yards in six plays on the opening drive, capping it off with a 24-yard touchdown strike to Tavon Austin. Following a strip sack of Brees by Aaron Donald with a fumble recovery by Mark Barron at the beginning of the second quarter, Goff opened up the second quarter with a 6-yard touchdown pass to Kenny Britt. New Orleans then scored 21 unanswered points before the Rams responded with Goff connecting with Lance Kendricks from 15 yards out with 55 seconds remaining in the period to bring Los Angeles to within 28–21. But the Rams would get no closer, as the Saints scored three more touchdowns in a dominating second half. Goff completed 20 of 32 passes for 214 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, but was sacked three times and lost a fumble. Barron had a team-high 14 tackles (10 solo) to go along with his fumble recovery.

Week 13: at New England Patriots

Week Thirteen: Los Angeles Rams at New England Patriots – Game summary
Period1234Total
Rams003710
Patriots7106326

at Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts

  • Date: December 4
  • Game time: 1:00 pm. EST/10:00 am. PST
  • Game weather: 39 °F (4 °C), sunny and cool
  • Game attendance: 66,829
  • Referee: Jerome Boger
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kevin Burkhardt, John Lynch and Pam Oliver
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

The Rams offered little resistance on the road against the eventual Super Bowl champions, which held visiting Los Angeles to just 162 yards in total offense. Jared Goff completed 14 of 32 passes for 161 yards, was intercepted twice and sacked four times. Much of that yardage came after the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter, when Goff connected with Kenny Britt for a 66-yard pass play. Two plays later, Goff and Britt connected again for a 1-yard touchdown. Alec Ogletree had 14 tackles to lead the Rams defense.

Week 14: vs. Atlanta Falcons

Week Fourteen: Atlanta Falcons at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Period1234Total
Falcons71421042
Rams0001414

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

  • Date: December 11
  • Game time: 1:25 pm. PST
  • Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C), cloudy
  • Game attendance: 82,495
  • Referee: Clete Blakeman
  • TV announcers (Fox): Dick Stockton, David Diehl and Kristina Pink
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

Returning home to the Coliseum, the Rams were in trouble from the start, when Mike Thomas muffed the opening kickoff, which was recovered by the Falcons at the Rams 3-yard line. One play later, Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan threw the first of three touchdown passes on the day with a 3-yard strike to wide receiver Justin Hardy as Atlanta, the eventual NFC Champion, romped to victory even without playing its top two wideouts Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu, who were both sidelined with injuries. Ryan tossed his second touchdown to running back Tevin Coleman at the start of the second quarter. Meanwhile, Rams rookie quarterback Jared Goff struggled greatly, throwing two interceptions in the first half, the second of which was returned 33 yards for a touchdown by linebacker Deion Jones and a 21–0 Falcons lead. On Atlanta's first possession of the third period, Ryan found wide receiver Taylor Gabriel for a 64-yard touchdown pass play and Coleman added another score on a 6-yard TD run. The Falcons rout was completed on the Rams' next drive as defensive end Vic Beasley, who had three sacks of Goff, stripped the Rams QB of the ball and scooped it up himself for a 21-yard fumble recovery return touchdown. The Rams salvaged some dignity in the fourth quarter with short touchdown runs by Goff and Todd Gurley, but the outcome of the game had long been decided. After the game, Gurley lashed out at the team for running a "middle-school offense." [27] The loss (in which Los Angeles was mathematically eliminated from postseason contention) was the 165th of Jeff Fisher's career, tying him with Dan Reeves for the most in NFL history. The game would turn to be his last for Fisher as the Rams' head coach, as he was fired the following day. Fisher ended his professional coaching career with a record of 172–165–1.

Week 15: at Seattle Seahawks

Week Fifteen: Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks – Game summary
Period1234Total
Rams03003
Seahawks0107724

at CenturyLink Field, Seattle, Washington

Game information

Just three days after being named interim head coach, John Fassel led the Rams into their final road game of the season. The Rams offense continued to sputter under the direction of offensive coordinator Rob Boras, with only a Greg Zuerlein field goal late in the second quarter averting a shutout. Jared Goff completed 13 of 25 passes for 135 yards and was sacked four times. Early in the fourth quarter, Goff led the Rams on their best drive of the game, going from their own 20 in 12 plays before taking off on a 15-yard run down to the Seattle 2-yard line, where he was knocked out of bounds and out of the game on a hard hit by Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman. Case Keenum relieved Goff at quarterback, but was ineffective and the Rams were held without a touchdown for the fourth time in the season. Linebacker Mark Barron and cornerback Mike Jordan both had seven tackles to lead the Rams defense. As this was an NFL Color Rush game, the Rams played in the all-white uniforms that constituted their primary uniform for the season, but with all-white socks. Additionally, Los Angeles switched to gray facemasks and went with white horns on their blue helmets for the first time since the 1972 NFL season.

Week 16: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week Sixteen: San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Period1234Total
49ers7001522
Rams1400721

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

  • Date: December 24
  • Game time: 1:25 pm. PST
  • Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), partly cloudy
  • Game attendance: 83,656
  • Referee: Walt Anderson
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

In a matchup of two of the NFL's worst teams, Los Angeles started fast but faded in the fourth quarter as the 49ers, who had shut out the Rams in Week 1, snapped their own 13-game losing streak with a victory in the final minute. Todd Gurley and Tavon Austin both scored on touchdown runs in the first quarter to give the Rams a 14–7 lead. Both teams held each other scoreless in the second and third periods, but it seemed that the Rams would outlast their rivals in the fourth when quarterback Jared Goff connected with fellow rookie tight end Tyler Higbee for a 2-yard touchdown with 10:38 remaining to build a 21–7 lead. But the 49ers rallied behind quarterback Colin Kaepernick (28–38, 266 yards), who led his team on a 14-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Kaepernick running it in from 13 yards out. Then after the Rams were held to a three-and-out, Kaepernick drove San Francisco 75 yards in 10 plays, firing a 10-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Rod Streater with 36 seconds remaining. The 49ers then opted to go for the win, and Kaepernick successfully scrambled into the end zone to put his team on top 22–21, as the 49ers swept the season series (which would be their only two wins of the year) for the first time since 2013. Following the game, a solemn Goff took responsibility for the loss (which dropped the Rams to 4–11) and pledged during his postgame press conference, "I promise everyone out there, all of the Rams fans, that I’m going to do everything I can, everything in me, to make that happen and get this thing fixed." [28]

Week 17: vs. Arizona Cardinals

Week Seventeen: Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Period1234Total
Cardinals313141444
Rams06006

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

  • Date: January 1, 2017
  • Game time: 1:25 pm. PST
  • Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), sunny
  • Game attendance: 80,729
  • Referee: Craig Wrolstad
  • TV announcers (Fox): Chris Myers, Ronde Barber and Jennifer Hale
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

The Rams' 2016 season came to an end on the first day of 2017 with yet another listless performance that capped off the franchise's 10th straight losing campaign. Kicker Greg Zuerlein provided the Rams' only scoring once again with field goals of 37 and 36 yards in the second quarter. Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer, who won the Heisman Trophy while playing at USC, had a successful day in his return to the Coliseum, passing for 255 yards and three touchdowns as the Cardinals scored 28 unanswered points in the second half. Offensively, quarterback Jared Goff completed 13 of 20 passes for 120 yards, but was sacked a season-high seven times. A year after winning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, Todd Gurley had 14 carries for 40 yards to finish the season with just 885 rushing yards despite playing in all 16 games. The Rams offense ended with a league-worst 224 points scored, and were held to 10 or fewer points for the ninth time in the season. Cornerback Blake Countess had nine tackles for the Rams, who finished their season at 4–12.

Standings

Division

NFC West
WLTPCTDIVCONFPFPASTK
(3) Seattle Seahawks 1051.6563–2–16–5–1354292W1
Arizona Cardinals 781.4694–1–16–5–1418362W2
Los Angeles Rams 4120.2502–43–9224394L7
San Francisco 49ers 2140.1252–42–10309480L1

Conference

NFC
#TeamDivisionWLTPCTDIVCONFSOSSOVSTK
Division leaders
1 Dallas Cowboys East1330.8133–39–3.471.440L1
2 Atlanta Falcons South1150.6885–19–3.480.452W4
3 Seattle Seahawks West1051.6563–2–16–5–1.441.425W1
4 Green Bay Packers North1060.6255–18–4.508.453W6
Wild Cards
5 New York Giants East1150.6884–28–4.486.455W1
6 [lower-alpha 1] Detroit Lions North970.5633–37–5.475.392L3
Did not qualify for the postseason
7 [lower-alpha 1] Tampa Bay Buccaneers South970.5634–27–5.492.434W1
8 Washington Redskins East871.5313–36–6.516.430L1
9 Minnesota Vikings North880.5002–45–7.492.457W1
10 Arizona Cardinals West781.4694–1–16–5–1.463.366W2
11 [lower-alpha 2] New Orleans Saints South790.4382–46–6.523.393L1
12 [lower-alpha 2] Philadelphia Eagles East790.4382–45–7.559.518W2
13 Carolina Panthers South6100.3751–55–7.518.354L2
14 Los Angeles Rams West4120.2502–43–9.504.500L7
15 Chicago Bears North3130.1882–43–9.521.396L4
16 San Francisco 49ers West2140.1252–42–10.504.250L1
Tiebreakers [lower-alpha 3]
  1. 1 2 Detroit finished ahead of Tampa Bay for the No. 6 seed and qualified for the last playoff spot based on record vs. common opponents—Detroit's cumulative record against Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles and New Orleans was 3–2, while Tampa Bay's cumulative record against the same four teams was 2–3.
  2. 1 2 New Orleans finished ahead of Philadelphia based on better record vs. conference opponents.
  3. ↑ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.

Awards and honors

Recipientawards
Aaron Donald Week 4: NFC Defensive Player of the Week
Johnny Hekker Week 10: NFC Special Teams Player of the Week

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 St. Louis Rams season</span> NFL team season

The 2014 season was the St. Louis Rams' 77th in the National Football League (NFL), their 20th in St. Louis and their third under head coach Jeff Fisher. The Rams attempted to reach a playoff berth for the first time since their 2004 season, but were officially eliminated in their loss against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 15. The Rams failed to improve on their 7–9 record from 2013, finishing 6–10 in 2014. The Rams' 2014 season was notable for their numerous starting quarterbacks including Austin Davis, Shaun Hill, and Sam Bradford, the last of whom was injured before the season began. Despite the lack of stability at the position, the Rams defeated both defending conference champions, Super Bowl participants, and 2014 division winners, the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos, plus also shutting out two teams in consecutive weeks: the Oakland Raiders and Washington Redskins. To date, defensive tackle Aaron Donald is the only player remaining from the 2014 St. Louis Rams squad. This also represents the most recent last-place finish in the NFC West for the St. Louis/Los Angeles Rams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2014 San Francisco 49ers season</span> NFL team season

The 2014 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 65th season in the National Football League (NFL), the 69th overall and the fourth under the head coach/general manager tandem of Jim Harbaugh and Trent Baalke. It also marked the 49ers' inaugural season playing their home games at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Arizona Cardinals season</span> NFL team season

The 2015 season was the Arizona Cardinals' 96th in the National Football League (NFL), their 117th overall, their 28th in Arizona, their 10th playing home games at University of Phoenix Stadium and their third under head coach Bruce Arians. The Cardinals clinched their first NFC West title since 2009, in addition to the first 13-win season in franchise history. They also clinched a first round bye for the first time in franchise history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 San Francisco 49ers season</span> NFL team season

The 2015 season was the San Francisco 49ers' 66th in the National Football League (NFL), the 70th overall, second playing their home games at Levi's Stadium, and the only season under head coach Jim Tomsula. They were attempting to make history as the first Super Bowl host team to play the Super Bowl on their own home field, but they failed to improve on their 8–8 record from 2014, and ended with a 5–11 record to miss the playoffs for the second season in a row and finish with a losing record for the first time since 2010. They also finished last in the NFC West for the first time in a decade, and marked the 31st consecutive year in which the Super Bowl did not include the team in whose region the game was being played – a feat that never has been achieved since themselves in 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 St. Louis Rams season</span> 79th season in franchise history, final one in St. Louis

The 2015 season was the St. Louis Rams' 78th in the National Football League (NFL), their fourth under head coach Jeff Fisher, and their 21st and final season in St. Louis, Missouri, their home since the 1995 season.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 San Francisco 49ers season</span> NFL team season

The 2017 San Francisco 49ers season was the franchise's 68th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their 72nd overall. It was also the first season under the head coach/general manager tandem of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch. After a 0–9 start, they won 6 of their last 7 games and finished the season 6–10, improving from their last two season records. Despite this, the 49ers were eliminated from playoff contention in Week 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Los Angeles Rams season</span> 81st season in franchise history, first playoff berth since 2004

The 2017 season was the Los Angeles Rams' 80th in the National Football League (NFL), their 81st overall, their 51st in the Greater Los Angeles Area and their first under head coach Sean McVay. The Rams improved on their 4–12 record from the previous season. With a win over the Arizona Cardinals, the Rams ended a decade-long drought and clinched their first winning season since 2003 and first playoff appearance since 2004, when the club was based in St. Louis. The team played a game in London, England at Twickenham Stadium against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 7 as one of the NFL London Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Dallas Cowboys season</span> 58th season in franchise history

The 2017 Dallas Cowboys season was the franchise's 58th season in the National Football League (NFL), the ninth playing their home games at AT&T Stadium and the seventh full season under head coach Jason Garrett. It was also the 29th season under owner Jerry Jones.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Houston Texans season</span> 16th season in franchise history; last full one under ownership of Bob McNair

The 2017 Houston Texans season was the franchise's 16th season in the National Football League (NFL) and the fourth under head coach Bill O'Brien. With the Texans' loss at the Titans in Week 13, Houston exceeded their loss total (7) from 2014, 2015 and 2016. The Texans clinched their first losing season since 2013, and finished in last place in the AFC South for the first time since 2013.

The 2018 season was the Los Angeles Chargers' 49th in the National Football League, their 59th overall, their third in the Greater Los Angeles Area and their second under head coach Anthony Lynn.

The National Football League playoffs for the 2018 season began with the Wildcard Round on January 5, 2019, and concluded with Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on February 3, 2019, when the New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13–3.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Denver Broncos season</span> NFL team season

The 2018 Denver Broncos season was the franchise's 49th season in the National Football League and their 59th overall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Los Angeles Rams season</span> 82nd season in franchise history, 4th Super Bowl loss

The 2018 season was the Los Angeles Rams' 81st in the National Football League (NFL), their 82nd overall, their 52nd in the Greater Los Angeles Area and their second under head coach Sean McVay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 San Francisco 49ers season</span> 74th season in franchise history; seventh Super Bowl appearance

The 2019 season was the San Francisco 49ers' 70th in the National Football League (NFL), their 74th overall and their third under the head coach-general manager tandem of Kyle Shanahan and John Lynch. They finished their 2019 season with a 13–3 record, their best finish since 2011. Starting the season 8–0 for the first time since 1990, the 49ers surpassed their win totals from the 2016, 2017, and 2018 seasons combined. The 49ers were the second straight NFC West team to start 8–0, with the other being the 2018 Rams. With a Week 11 win over the Arizona Cardinals, the 49ers clinched their first winning season since 2013. Despite a loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week 15, the 49ers clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2013 with a Los Angeles Rams loss. The 49ers beat the Cardinals for the first time since 2014, won in Seattle for the first time since 2011, and beat the Panthers in the regular season for the first time since 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Los Angeles Rams season</span> 83rd season in franchise history

The 2019 season was the Los Angeles Rams' 82nd in the National Football League (NFL), their 83rd overall, their 53rd in the Greater Los Angeles Area and their third under head coach Sean McVay. It also marked the Rams' final season playing their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, as the team moved into SoFi Stadium in Inglewood beginning with the 2020 season alongside the Los Angeles Chargers. They entered the season as the defending NFC champions looking to bounce back after their Super Bowl LIII loss to the New England Patriots.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Kansas City Chiefs–Los Angeles Rams game</span> 3rd highest scoring NFL game in history

On November 19, 2018, the Los Angeles Rams hosted the Kansas City Chiefs in a National Football League (NFL) regular-season game that was the third-highest-scoring game in the league's history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Los Angeles Rams season</span> 84th season in franchise history

The 2020 season was the Los Angeles Rams' 83rd season in the National Football League (NFL), their 84th overall, their 54th in the Greater Los Angeles Area, and their fourth under head coach Sean McVay. It also marked the team's first season playing their home games at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, which the team shares with the Los Angeles Chargers. This was the first season in which the Rams would share the same venue as the Chargers since 1960. They improved on their 9–7 season from the previous year after a Week 17 victory over the Arizona Cardinals, returning to the playoffs after missing out last season. The Rams' strong defense finished the year with just 296 points allowed, the fewest in the league.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 Los Angeles Rams season</span> 85th season in franchise history, 5th Super Bowl appearance

The 2021 season was the Los Angeles Rams' 84th season in the National Football League (NFL), their 85th overall, their 55th in the Greater Los Angeles Area, the second playing their home games at SoFi Stadium and their fifth under head coach Sean McVay.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 Los Angeles Rams season</span> 86th season in franchise history, first losing season since 2016

The 2022 season was the Los Angeles Rams' 85th in the National Football League (NFL), their 86th overall, their 56th in the Greater Los Angeles Area, the third playing their home games at SoFi Stadium, their sixth under head coach Sean McVay, and eleventh under general manager Les Snead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 Los Angeles Rams season</span> 87th season in franchise history

The 2023 season was the Los Angeles Rams' 86th in the National Football League (NFL), their 87th overall, their 57th in the Greater Los Angeles Area, the fourth playing their home games at SoFi Stadium and their seventh under head coach Sean McVay. Despite struggling in the first half of the season and dealing with injuries and a 3–6 record, the Rams went 7–1 in their final eight games, improving on their 5–12 record from the previous season after a Week 13 win against the Cleveland Browns. After a close win against the Giants on New Years Eve, Los Angeles clinched its fifth winning season in six years. A loss from the Seattle Seahawks later that day helped the Rams clinch their return to the playoffs after a one-year absence. In the Wild Card Round, the Rams lost to the Detroit Lions, led by their former quarterback Jared Goff.

References

  1. ↑ "Rams' L.A. relocation application: St. Louis better off as 2-sport town" . Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  2. ↑ Breer, Albert (January 12, 2016). "Rams to relocate to L.A.; Chargers first option to join". National Football League. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  3. ↑ "Rams headed back to Los Angeles; Chargers have option to join". ESPN. January 13, 2016. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Rams open in 'new' home". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. August 11, 1980. p. 20.
  5. ↑ https://www.nfl.com/news/rams-set-to-snap-seven-year-streak-without-first-round-selection
  6. ↑ "2016 UK International Series schedule announced". NFL.com . November 25, 2015. Retrieved November 25, 2015.
  7. ↑ "USC Requests No Monday Night Football Home Games For Rams". SBNation. Vox Media. Retrieved April 15, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Los Angeles Rams will wear all-white combo for home games in 2016-17". SportsLogos.net. Demetrius Bell. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  9. ↑ "49ers open Chip Kelly era with 28-0 victory over Rams". ESPN. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Rams beat Seahawks 9-3 on Zuerlein's leg in NFL return to LA". ESPN. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Rams weather delay, hold off Buccaneers 37-32". ESPN. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Rams rally late to beat Cardinals 17-13, Palmer hurt". ESPN. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  13. ↑ "Bills top Rams 30-19 for 3rd straight win". ESPN. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  14. ↑ "Prater's kick, Bush's pick give Lions 31-28 win over Rams". ESPN. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Giants' 4 interceptions key in 17-10 win over Rams in London". ESPN. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Newton sacked 5 times, still leads Panthers past Rams 13-10". ESPN. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Rams spoil Petty's first NFL start in 9-6 win over Jets". ESPN. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Dolphins spoil Goff's debut with rally to beat Rams, 14-10". ESPN. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  19. ↑ "Brees, Ingram, help Saints rout Rams, 49-21". ESPN. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Brady breaks QB wins record, Patriots beat Rams 26-10". ESPN. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  21. ↑ "Ryan throws for 3 TDs, Falcons thrash faltering Rams 42-14". ESPN. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  22. ↑ "Seahawks take NFC West title with 24-3 win over Rams". ESPN. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  23. ↑ "Kaepernick, 49ers end 13-game skid with 22-21 win over Rams". ESPN. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  24. ↑ "Palmer, Fitzgerald lead Cardinals' 44-6 rout of LA Rams". ESPN. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
  25. ↑ "Rams DT Aaron Donald apologizes for ejection in loss to 49ers | SI". si.com. September 13, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  26. ↑ "Rams weather delay, hold off Buccaneers 37-32 | USA Today". usatoday.com. September 25, 2016. Retrieved September 4, 2019.
  27. ↑ "Todd Gurley calls out Rams' 'middle-school offense' | USA Today". usatoday.com. December 11, 2016. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
  28. ↑ "Rams quarterback Jared Goff knows he needs to do better after loss to 49ers | Los Angeles Times". LATimes.com. December 24, 2016. Retrieved September 26, 2019.
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