1973 Los Angeles Rams season
OwnerCarroll Rosenbloom
Head coachChuck Knox
Home fieldLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Results
Record12–2
Division place1st NFC West
Playoff finishLost Divisional Playoffs
(at Cowboys) 16–27
Uniform

The 1973 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 36th year with the National Football League and the 28th season in Los Angeles. The Rams were 7–0 at home for the first time since 1945.[1] On the road, the Rams were 5–2.

The Rams donned new uniforms, which remained in use until 1994, their final season in Los Angeles, and though they moved to St. Louis in 1995, the uniform tradition continued until 1999, where they won Super Bowl XXXIV, and wore them for Super Bowl LIII. Among these changes, the Rams converted from white helmet horns to yellow helmet horns. The uniforms would return for their home games in 2018 and 2019.

The Rams finished the season with a 12–2 record and won the NFC West and appeared in the playoffs for the first time in the post-merger era. However, in their first post-merger playoff game, they lost to the Dallas Cowboys 27–16. This was the first of seven straight division titles for the Rams spanning from 1973 to 1979.

Offseason

NFL Draft

Round Pick Player drafted or Traded for Position College Trade notes, what Rams traded away
111Fred Dryer (via trade)Defensive EndSan Diego State Rams #1 Pick sent to New England Patriots for Dryer
231Cullen BryantRunning BackColorado Chargers #2 Pick acquired for Deacon Jones, Greg Wojic and Lee White
237Ron JaworskiQuarterbackYoungstown State
242Jim YoungbloodLinebackerTennessee Tech Chiefs #2 Pick acquired for Willie Ellison
360Tim StokesTackleOregon #3 pick from Chargers in D. Jones deal.
495Eddie McMillanCornerbackFlorida State#4 Pick acquired from Chiefs for Pete Beathard

Roster

1973 Los Angeles Rams roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

 Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

 Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

 Reserve lists


Practice squad



Rookies in italics

Regular season

Schedule

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Attendance
1 September 16 at Kansas City Chiefs W 23–13 1–0 Arrowhead Stadium 62,315
2 September 23 Atlanta Falcons W 31–0 2–0 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 61,197
3 September 30 at San Francisco 49ers W 40–20 3–0 Candlestick Park 57,487
4 October 7 at Houston Oilers W 31–26 4–0 Houston Astrodome 34,875
5 October 14 Dallas Cowboys W 37–31 5–0 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 81,428
6 October 21 Green Bay Packers W 24–7 6–0 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 80,558
7 October 28 at Minnesota Vikings L 9–10 6–1 Metropolitan Stadium 47,787
8 November 4 at Atlanta Falcons L 13–15 6–2 Atlanta Stadium 55,837
9 November 11 New Orleans Saints W 29–7 7–2 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 70,358
10 November 18 San Francisco 49ers W 31–13 8–2 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 78,358
11 November 25 at New Orleans Saints W 24–13 9–2 Tulane Stadium 67,192
12 December 2 at Chicago Bears W 26–0 10–2 Soldier Field 47,620
13 December 10 New York Giants W 40–6 11–2 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 73,328
14 December 16 Cleveland Browns W 30–17 12–2 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum 73,948
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 6

1 2 3 4 Total
Packers 0 0 7 0 7
Rams 0 10 3 11 24

Newly acquired quarterback John Hadl, the NFC Player of the Year in 1973, and a stingy Los Angeles defense led the 6–0 Rams to a 10–0 lead in the first half on the way to a 24–7 victory over the 2–2–2 Green Bay Packers. After a scoreless first quarter, the Rams took the lead on kicker David Ray's 44-yard field goal. The next score came on a 46-yard touchdown pass from Hadl to former Eagles wide receiver Harold Jackson. Green Bay cut the deficit to 10–7 on wide receiver Barry Smith's 23-yard touchdown catch from MacArthur Lane on a halfback option pass.

Los Angeles gained momentum in the third quarter on a 40-yard field goal by David Ray. A 1-yard touchdown run by running back Larry Smith in the fourth quarter put the Rams ahead 20–7. Later in the game, the Packers found themselves deep in their own territory. Moments later, Dryer came storming in from the right side of the defense and chased down Green Bay quarterback Scott Hunter, dropping him in the end zone for a safety. On the Packers' following possession near their own goal line, Dryer attacked again. He looped through the middle of the Packers' offensive line and dragged backup quarterback Jim Del Gaizo down for his second safety of the game, setting a new NFL record.

For his efforts, Dryer was named the Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Week.

Week 12

1 234Total
• Rams 10 3013 26
Bears 0 000 0
  • Date: December 2
  • Location: Soldier Field, Chicago
  • Game start: 1:00 p.m.
  • Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), wind 16 mph (26 km/h)
Scoring summary
1LADavid Ray 30 yard field goalRams 3–0
1LAJim Bertelsen 3 yard run (David Ray kick)Rams 10–0
2LADavid Ray 16 yard field goalRams 13–0
4LADavid Ray 39 yard field goalRams 16–0
4LADavid Ray 26 yard field goalRams 19–0
4LALes Josephson 9 yard run (David Ray kick)Rams 26–0

[2]

Playoffs

Week Date Opponent Result Attendance
Divisional December 23, 1973 at Dallas Cowboys L 27–16 64,291

Standings

NFC West
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
Los Angeles Rams 12 2 0 .857 5–1 9–2 388 178 W6
Atlanta Falcons 9 5 0 .643 4–2 7–4 318 224 W1
San Francisco 49ers 5 9 0 .357 2–4 4–7 262 319 L2
New Orleans Saints 5 9 0 .357 1–5 4–7 163 312 L1

References

  1. ↑ NFL 2001 Record and Fact Book, Workman Publishing Co, New York,NY, ISBN 0-7611-2480-2, p. 267
  2. ↑ Pro-Football-Reference.com
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