1987 Los Angeles Rams discussion
Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2024 2:32 pm
RIP John Robinson
I've already opined previously he being an NFL-underrated HC along with, yes, he being a better HC than Don Coryell - viewtopic.php?t=3674
Of course Bill Cowher, technically-speaking, 'tied' Paul Brown's record of making the playoffs in his first six seasons (the 'real' record with all of us is TEN, 1946-thru-'55). Maybe the Rams still struggle and miss the playoffs in '87 anyway. But if the strike itself, and the random 'weirdness' of it all, is the only reason for the letdown, and Rams DO make the playoffs yet again if no strike, and '88 & '89 go as it did, then John would have ended up with 7-straight post-seasons to Cowher's 6.
A weird campaign, '87 was, for the Rams. Yes, this is the one when Dickerson got traded away to Indy. The Rams' first two games were against teams that would make the playoffs, at Houston and home against the Vikings. Both were a case of LA being in the lead late but not finishing the job. And then the strike takes place with Wk#3 being cancelled - their opponent a winnable one at home vs Cincy.
It's not the case of the 0-2 Giants then losing all three of their scab games to make it 0-5. The Rams did beat Pittsburgh at home in the middle game. They were 1-4 once everyone returned - a hole tough to dig out of, but not as tough a one that the G-men had to dig out of. But their next three opponents could not have been any tougher - at Cleveland and then at home vs both SF and then NO. They lost each game by 13pts or more. This dropped them to an overall 1-7.
Then they suddenly get hot; REAL hot!! First they beat the Cards at home, 27-24. And then they win on MNF...AT Champs-to-be, Washington! No letdown for they beat their next three opponents by a combined 105-19! Yes, against TB/@Det/Atl, but still. Now they were 6-7 with two weeks to go and - YES - still in the race!
Next opponent? Monday Night Football at home against a Dallas team that, at this point, had officially fallen from grace. They were worse than their 5-8 record, and not just because of forging things a bit with their 2-1 scab record. They lost at home to Atlanta two weeks prior which, I believe, Tex Schramm at the time called their worst defeat in a long, long time. Despite losing his last two playoff games, both to Robinson's Rams, Landry successfully plays spoiler with a punch-to-the-gut 29-21 win.
The thing is, even if the Rams avert the upset, they still would have needed Washington to win at Minny in a Saturday finale which, yes, did happen. However, the Cardinals would then need to win at Dallas in the early Sunday slot for LA to still be alive going into their Sunday Night meeting in San Fran. Of course, StL didn't win.
What an interesting Sunday Nighter that would have been had Cardinals won! And you know just how good Robinson's Rams were at the Stick! But, remember, San Fran would have still been playing for their division. They were 12-2 and the Saints, whose season was already over earlier in the day at 12-3, both had identical 4-1 division records going into that Sunday Nighter (NO's Wk#3 game vs Atl was cancelled hense they & SF still having the same division record).
A Rams win in this Cards-also-win scenario, and it would have been they going into - NOT the Superdome the following week - but right on back to Candlestick thus completing one of the greatest rallies to the playoffs ever! They, StL, and Minny all would be 8-7. Rams & Vikings with a 6-6 conference record; Minny, as aforementioned, beat the Rams in Wk#2. But StL would have been at 8-6! Rams, as also mentioned, beat the Cards to start that very win-streak (StL & Minny did not play each other). So how would the Rams have gotten the nod? Perhaps we need the author of a certain book about...'Pro Football Schedules ('33 to present)' to chime in!
But, in the end, the Rams were out by opening kickoff at the Stick whether they would have won vs Dallas or not, and that was that. San Fran with obviously much to play for, and Rams in deflated shutdown mode, put the ultimate exclamation point on their regular season with a 48-0 trouncing!
What happens with the Rams had '87 not been a strike year will always be a good question. Thoughts?
I've already opined previously he being an NFL-underrated HC along with, yes, he being a better HC than Don Coryell - viewtopic.php?t=3674
Of course Bill Cowher, technically-speaking, 'tied' Paul Brown's record of making the playoffs in his first six seasons (the 'real' record with all of us is TEN, 1946-thru-'55). Maybe the Rams still struggle and miss the playoffs in '87 anyway. But if the strike itself, and the random 'weirdness' of it all, is the only reason for the letdown, and Rams DO make the playoffs yet again if no strike, and '88 & '89 go as it did, then John would have ended up with 7-straight post-seasons to Cowher's 6.
A weird campaign, '87 was, for the Rams. Yes, this is the one when Dickerson got traded away to Indy. The Rams' first two games were against teams that would make the playoffs, at Houston and home against the Vikings. Both were a case of LA being in the lead late but not finishing the job. And then the strike takes place with Wk#3 being cancelled - their opponent a winnable one at home vs Cincy.
It's not the case of the 0-2 Giants then losing all three of their scab games to make it 0-5. The Rams did beat Pittsburgh at home in the middle game. They were 1-4 once everyone returned - a hole tough to dig out of, but not as tough a one that the G-men had to dig out of. But their next three opponents could not have been any tougher - at Cleveland and then at home vs both SF and then NO. They lost each game by 13pts or more. This dropped them to an overall 1-7.
Then they suddenly get hot; REAL hot!! First they beat the Cards at home, 27-24. And then they win on MNF...AT Champs-to-be, Washington! No letdown for they beat their next three opponents by a combined 105-19! Yes, against TB/@Det/Atl, but still. Now they were 6-7 with two weeks to go and - YES - still in the race!
Next opponent? Monday Night Football at home against a Dallas team that, at this point, had officially fallen from grace. They were worse than their 5-8 record, and not just because of forging things a bit with their 2-1 scab record. They lost at home to Atlanta two weeks prior which, I believe, Tex Schramm at the time called their worst defeat in a long, long time. Despite losing his last two playoff games, both to Robinson's Rams, Landry successfully plays spoiler with a punch-to-the-gut 29-21 win.
The thing is, even if the Rams avert the upset, they still would have needed Washington to win at Minny in a Saturday finale which, yes, did happen. However, the Cardinals would then need to win at Dallas in the early Sunday slot for LA to still be alive going into their Sunday Night meeting in San Fran. Of course, StL didn't win.
What an interesting Sunday Nighter that would have been had Cardinals won! And you know just how good Robinson's Rams were at the Stick! But, remember, San Fran would have still been playing for their division. They were 12-2 and the Saints, whose season was already over earlier in the day at 12-3, both had identical 4-1 division records going into that Sunday Nighter (NO's Wk#3 game vs Atl was cancelled hense they & SF still having the same division record).
A Rams win in this Cards-also-win scenario, and it would have been they going into - NOT the Superdome the following week - but right on back to Candlestick thus completing one of the greatest rallies to the playoffs ever! They, StL, and Minny all would be 8-7. Rams & Vikings with a 6-6 conference record; Minny, as aforementioned, beat the Rams in Wk#2. But StL would have been at 8-6! Rams, as also mentioned, beat the Cards to start that very win-streak (StL & Minny did not play each other). So how would the Rams have gotten the nod? Perhaps we need the author of a certain book about...'Pro Football Schedules ('33 to present)' to chime in!
But, in the end, the Rams were out by opening kickoff at the Stick whether they would have won vs Dallas or not, and that was that. San Fran with obviously much to play for, and Rams in deflated shutdown mode, put the ultimate exclamation point on their regular season with a 48-0 trouncing!
What happens with the Rams had '87 not been a strike year will always be a good question. Thoughts?