1975 Los Angeles Rams season
The 1975 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 38th year with the National Football League and the 30th season in Los Angeles.
| 1975 Los Angeles Rams season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Carroll Rosenbloom |
| Head coach | Chuck Knox |
| Home field | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum |
| Results | |
| Record | 12–2 |
| Division place | 1st NFC West |
| Playoff finish | Won Divisional playoffs (Cardinals) 35–23 Lost NFC Championship (Cowboys) 37–7 |
In 2007, ESPN.com ranked the 1975 Rams as the tenth-greatest defense in NFL history.[1] Said ESPN.com, "Fred Dryer. Jack Youngblood. Merlin Olson. Get the idea? They weren't the "Fearsome Foursome," but with those guys anchoring the defensive line, and All-Pros Isiah Robertson (linebacker) and Dave Elmendorf (safety), the Rams were almost impossible to score against. The Rams went 12–2, holding opponents to just 9.6 points a game, (the second-lowest average in NFL history) and ending the season with a six-game winning streak during which they gave up just 32 points. The defense wasn't as impressive in the postseason, surrendering 23 points in a first-round 35–23 victory over the offensive powerhouse Cardinals before losing 37–7 to the Cowboys in the NFC title game."
Offseason
NFL Draft
| 1975 Los Angeles Rams draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Mike Fanning | Defensive tackle | Notre Dame | |
| 1 | 11 | Dennis Harrah * | tackle | Miami | |
| 1 | 20 | Doug France * | tackle | Ohio State | |
| 2 | 28 | Monte Jackson * | Cornerback | San Diego State | |
| 2 | 48 | Leroy Jones | Defensive end | Norfolk State | |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
Roster
Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
|
Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
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Regular season
Schedule
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Details | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 21, 1975 | at Dallas Cowboys | L 18–7 | A supposedly rebuilding Cowboys team shocked the heavily-favored Rams in this opener. The new-look "Doomsday Defense" held James Harris to 1-of-10 passing for five yards and picked off three passes. Toni Fritsch kicked four field goals. | |
| 2 | September 28, 1975 | at San Francisco 49ers | W 23–14 | Rams looked on the verge of starting the season 0–2, falling behind 14–3 at the half. However, they took control as rookie CB Monte Jackson recovered a blocked punt for one touchdown and Harris passed for another. Club-footed kicker Tom Dempsey's 51-yard FG put the Rams ahead to stay. | |
| 3 | October 5, 1975 | Baltimore Colts | W 24–13 | For the second straight game, this time at home, the Rams fell behind at the half and had a strong second half. Harris passed for 294 yards and two touchdowns and Lawrence McCutcheon ran for 95 yards and another TD. | |
| 4 | October 12, 1975 | at San Diego Chargers | W 13–10 | The Chargers, who would start this season 0–11, gave the Rams a surprisingly tough battle. McCutcheon ran for 112 yards and Dempsey won it with an overtime FG. | |
| 5 | October 19, 1975 | Atlanta Falcons | W 22–7 | Rams dominated at home, getting 200 yards both rushing and passing. Harris passed for two touchdowns and Dempsey had three FG's. | |
| 6 | October 26, 1975 | New Orleans Saints | W 38–14 | Rams appeared to be rolling, getting four rushing TD's. Cullen Bryant scored two and rookie Heisman Trophy winner John Cappelletti scored his first NFL TD. The Saints fired coach John North upon the team's return to New Orleans. | |
| 7 | November 3, 1975 | at Philadelphia Eagles | W 42–3 | Dominant road performance. Rams ran up 415 yards of offense and Harris passed for three TD's. Fred Dryer and Isiah Robertson both returned interceptions for TD's as well. | |
| 8 | November 9, 1975 | San Francisco 49ers | L 24–23 | Rams went up 14–0 in the first quarter at home and appeared to be cruising. However, 49ers QB Steve Spurrier shocked the L.A. Coliseum crowd with three second half TD passes and a game-winning drive that ended with a 54-yard FG by Steve Mike-Mayer. | |
| 9 | November 16, 1975 | at Atlanta Falcons | W 16–7 | Harris passed for 242 yards and a TD and Dempsey had three FG's as Rams got back on winning track on the road. | |
| 10 | November 23, 1975 | Chicago Bears | W 38–10 | Rams' ball-control offense rolled again as Cappelletti scored a pair of TD's and McCutcheon ran for 114 yards and two more. | |
| 11 | November 27, 1975 | at Detroit Lions | W 20–0 | Harris threw for 3 TD's and the defense pitched a shutout as the Rams clinched their third straight NFC West title with the win. | |
| 12 | December 7, 1975 | at New Orleans Saints | W 14–7 | The 2–10 Saints gave the Rams a surprisingly tough fight at the Louisiana Superdome. The defense did most of the scoring; Jack Youngblood had a safety and linebacker Jim Peterson returned a fumble 67 yards for a TD. | |
| 13 | December 14, 1975 | Green Bay Packers | W 22–5 | Harris was knocked out early with a shoulder injury and backup Ron Jaworski led the Rams to the victory. Harris would miss the remainder of the regular season. | |
| 14 | December 20, 1975 | Pittsburgh Steelers | W 10–3 | In what most football experts thought would be a Super Bowl X preview, the Rams won a tight defensive struggle. The defense held the defending champs to only five pass completions and picked off three passes. Jaworski scored the winning TD in the 4th on a run. |
Week 1: Dallas Cowboys
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rams | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
| Cowboys | 0 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 18 |
- Date: September 21
- Game time: 3:00
- Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), wind 12 mph
- Box Score
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Playoffs
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisional | December 27, 1975 | St. Louis Cardinals | W 35–23 | |
| Conference Championship | January 4, 1976 | Dallas Cowboys | L 37–7 |
NFC Championship Game
Dallas Cowboys 37, Los Angeles Rams 7
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cowboys | 7 | 14 | 13 | 3 | 37 |
| Rams | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California
- Date: January 4
- Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C), wind 8 mph, relative humidity 58%
- TV: CBS
- Pro-Football-Reference.com
| Game information |
|---|
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Standings
| NFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| Los Angeles Rams(2) | 12 | 2 | 0 | .857 | 5–1 | 9–2 | 312 | 135 | W6 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 5 | 9 | 0 | .357 | 3–3 | 4–7 | 255 | 286 | L4 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 4 | 10 | 0 | .286 | 3–3 | 3–8 | 240 | 289 | L1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 2 | 12 | 0 | .143 | 1–5 | 2–9 | 165 | 360 | L7 |
References
External links
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