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. The Rams finished the season with a 12–2 record and won the NFC West and qualified for the playoffs for the 3rd straight season. The Rams finished the season with the number 1 scoring and number 1 total defense in the NFL. In the postseason, they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 35–23 in the divisional round before getting routed by the Dallas Cowboys 37–7 in the NFC Championship Game. The 1975 season also represents the last time the Rams played a game on Thanksgiving Day, in which they defeated the Lions 20–0. The 49-year drought without playing a game on the holiday is the longest active drought in the NFL and the longest in history, even beating out the Jacksonville Jaguars, who have never played on Thanksgiving, but they've only existed for 29 seasons.

1975 Los Angeles Rams season
Owner	Carroll Rosenbloom
Head coach	Chuck Knox
Home stadium	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Results
Record	12–2
Division place	1st NFC West
Playoffs	Won Divisional Playoffs (vs. Cardinals) 35–23 Lost NFC Championship (vs. Cowboys) 7–37
← 1974 Rams seasons 1976 →

Los Angeles/St. Louis Rams uniforms from 1973 to 1999

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 Olsen. 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 being demolished 37–7 by the Cowboys in the NFC title game."

Offseason

NFL draft

Main article: 1975 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

1975 Los Angeles Rams roster

Quarterbacks (QB) 12 James Harris 16 Ron Jaworski Running backs (RB) 45 Jim Bertelsen 32 Cullen Bryant 22 John Cappelletti 30 Lawrence McCutcheon 39 Rod Phillips 33 Rob Scribner Wide receivers (WR) 29 Harold Jackson 81 Ron Jessie 24 Willie McGee 84 Jack Snow Tight ends (TE) 80 Bob Klein 83 Terry Nelson

Offensive linemen (OL) 73 Charley Cowan T 55 Bob DeMarco C 77 Doug France T 60 Dennis Harrah G 65 Tom Mack G 61 Rich Saul C 71 Joe Scibelli G 75 John Williams T Defensive linemen (DL) 70 Al Cowlings DE 89 Fred Dryer DE 79 Mike Fanning DT 76 Cody Jones DT 74 Merlin Olsen DT 85 Jack Youngblood DE

Linebackers (LB) 36 Ken Geddes OLB 52 Rick Kay OLB 57 Jim Peterson OLB 64 Jack Reynolds MLB 58 Isiah Robertson OLB 59 Jim Youngblood MLB Defensive backs (DB) 42 Dave Elmendorf SS 28 Monte Jackson CB 41 Eddie McMillan CB 49 Rod Perry CB 20 Steve Preece FS 48 Bill Simpson FS Special teams (ST) 17 Duane Carrell P 10 Tom Dempsey K

Reserve 90 Larry Brooks DT (IR) 44 Al Clark CB (IR) 68 Wayne Hammond DT (IR) 77 Greg Horton G/T (IR) 67 Bill Nelson DT (IR) 62 Dan Nugent G (IR) 72 Al Oliver T (IR) 59 Geoff Reece C (IR) 47 Charlie Stukes CB (IR) Rookies in italics

Regular season

Schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
1	September 21	at Dallas Cowboys	L 7–18	0–1	Texas Stadium	49,091
2	September 28	at San Francisco 49ers	W 23–14	1–1	Candlestick Park	55,072
3	October 5	Baltimore Colts	W 24–13	2–1	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	62,491
4	October 12	at San Diego Chargers	W 13–10	3–1	San Diego Stadium	37,382
5	October 19	Atlanta Falcons	W 22–7	4–1	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	64,843
6	October 26	New Orleans Saints	W 38–14	5–1	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	54,723
7	November 3	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 42–3	6–1	Veterans Stadium	64,601
8	November 9	San Francisco 49ers	L 23–24	6–2	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	74,064
9	November 16	at Atlanta Falcons	W 16–7	7–2	Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium	44,595
10	November 23	Chicago Bears	W 38–10	8–2	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	64,979
11	November 27	at Detroit Lions	W 20–0	9–2	Pontiac Municipal Stadium	69,552
12	December 7	at New Orleans Saints	W 14–7	10–2	Louisiana Superdome	39,958
13	December 14	Green Bay Packers	W 22–5	11–2	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	66,496
14	December 20	Pittsburgh Steelers	W 10–3	12–2	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	69,389
Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Week 1: Dallas Cowboys

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	0	0	0	7	7
Cowboys	0	9	3	6	18

at Texas Stadium, Irving, TX

• Date: September 21
• Game time: 3:00
• Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), wind 12 mph
• Referee: Pat Haggerty
• TV: CBS
• Box Score

Scoring summary

Quarter Time Drive Team Scoring information Score Plays Yards TOP Rams Cowboys 2 Cowboys 25-yard field goal by Toni Fritsch 0 3 2 Cowboys Doug Dennison 1-yard touchdown run, kick no good 0 9 3 Cowboys 39-yard field goal by Fritsch 0 12 4 Cowboys 19-yard field goal by Fritsch 0 15 4 Cowboys 31-yard field goal by Fritsch 0 18 4 Rams Ron Jaworski 4-yard touchdown run, Tom Dempsey kick good 7 18 "TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football. 7 18

Playoffs

Main article: 1975–76 NFL playoffs

Round	Date	Opponent (seed)	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
Divisional	December 27	St. Louis Cardinals (3)	W 35–23	1–0	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	72,650
NFC Championship	January 4, 1976	Dallas Cowboys (4)	L 7–37	1–1	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	84,483

NFC Divisional Playoff

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Rams – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Cardinals	0	9	7	7	23
Rams	14	14	0	7	35

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles

• Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST/1:00 p.m. PST
• Game attendance: 73,459
• Referee: Dick Jorgensen
• TV announcers (CBS): Frank Glieber and Hank Stram

Game information

Scoring LA – Jaworski 5 run (Dempsey kick) LA 7–0 LA – Youngblood 47 interception return (Dempsey kick) LA 14–0 LA – Simpson 65 interception return (Dempsey kick) LA 21–0 STL – Otis 3 run (kick blocked) LA 21–6 LA – Jackson 66 pass from Jaworski (Dempsey kick) LA 28–6 STL – field goal Bakken 39 LA 28–9 STL – Gray 11 pass from Hart (Bakken kick) LA 28–16 LA – Jessie 2 fumble return (Dempsey kick) LA 35–16 STL – Jones 3 run (Bakken kick) LA 35–23

NFC Championship Game

Dallas Cowboys 37, Los Angeles Rams 7

Quarter	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%
• Referee: Tommy Bell
• TV announcers (CBS): Vin Scully and Sonny Jurgensen
• Pro-Football-Reference.com

Game information

First quarter DAL - Preston Pearson 18-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Toni Fritsch kick) - Cowboys 7-0 Second quarter DAL - Golden Richards 4-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Toni Fritsch kick) - Cowboys 14-0 DAL - Preston Pearson 15-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Toni Fritsch kick) - Cowboys 21-0 Third quarter DAL - Preston Pearson 19-yard pass from Roger Staubach (Toni Fritsch kick) - Cowboys 28-0 DAL - Toni Fritsch 40-yard field goal - Cowboys 31-0 DAL - Toni Fritsch 26-yard field goal - Cowboys 34-0 Fourth quarter LA - John Cappelletti 1-yard run (Tom Dempsey kick) - Cowboys 34-7 DAL - Toni Fritsch 26-yard field goal - Cowboys 37-7

Standings

NFC West
view talk edit	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