Los Angeles Rams · Franchise era 3 of 7
A perennial NFC power: the Los Angeles Rams story
Franchise era
1973—1989
A perennial NFC power
Los Angeles Rams
The story in one sentence
The Rams won seven straight division titles and reached the 1979 Super Bowl, but Dallas, Minnesota and San Francisco repeatedly blocked the path.
Division dominance keeps colliding with a dynasty
Jack Youngblood, Eric Dickerson and Henry Ellard gave the era its recognizable core.
Its ending created the conditions for decline and the move to st. louis.
Timeline
How it unfolded
Before 1973
What came before
Los Angeles produced record crowds, prolific passing and one of football's most feared defensive fronts.
1979-12-30
Divisional Round: Los Angeles Rams vs Dallas Cowboys
1980-01-06
Conference Championship: Los Angeles Rams vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1980-01-20
Super Bowl: Pittsburgh Steelers vs Los Angeles Rams
October 31, 1987
The three-team Eric Dickerson megadeal
The Colts wanted an immediate superstar, Buffalo wanted its unsigned top pick and Los Angeles chose a vast rebuild after its relationship with Dickerson broke down.
11Three-team blockbusterOctober 31, 1987IND⇄BUFDickerson to IndianapolisIndianapolis acquired Eric Dickerson, Buffalo acquired the rights to Cornelius Bennett and the Rams received two players plus six premium picks.6 assets · 2 outcomes＋
The original receipt
Indianapolis Colts received
- • Eric Dickerson
Buffalo Bills received
- • Rights to Cornelius Bennett · No. 2
Los Angeles Rams received
- • Greg Bell
- • Owen Gill
- • Three first-round picks
- • Three second-round picks
Dickerson immediately drove Indianapolis to its first division title, Bennett became a pillar of Buffalo's four-Super Bowl run and the Rams received one of the largest packages ever assembled.
Open full trade tree →After 1989
What came next
The final Anaheim teams faded before Georgia Frontiere moved the club to St. Louis, where Bruce became the first piece of a sudden offensive leap.
The core