1957 Los Angeles Rams

The 1957 Los Angeles Rams had another disappointing season in the NFL. Despite some strong individual performances, the team finished with a subpar record and missed the playoffs.

Here’s an overview of their 1957 season:

Team Overview (1957 Los Angeles Rams):

• Record: 3-9
• Finish: 5th in the Western Division
• Head Coach: Joe Stydahar (8th season as head coach)

The 1957 season marked a continuation of the Rams’ struggles. Despite a talented roster, the team was plagued by inconsistency and poor performances throughout the season, leading to a last-place finish in the Western Division.

Key Players:

1. Norm Van Brocklin (Quarterback):
   • Van Brocklin continued as the starting quarterback but, like in previous seasons, his performance was inconsistent. He had flashes of his old brilliance, but turnovers and erratic play were issues throughout the season. By this point in his career, Van Brocklin was showing signs of decline.
2. Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch (Wide Receiver):
   • Hirsch was still one of the top receivers in the NFL and remained a key player for the Rams. However, like many of the Rams’ offensive players, he was unable to overcome the team’s overall struggles. Despite this, Hirsch was one of the few bright spots on offense.
3. Tom Fears (Wide Receiver):
   • Fears continued to be a reliable and steady target for Van Brocklin. However, the offense as a whole was stagnant, and Fears’ potential impact was limited by the overall struggles of the Rams’ passing attack.
4. Les Richter (Linebacker/Fullback):
   • Richter remained a standout player on both sides of the ball. His toughness and versatility were key assets for the Rams, but, like the rest of the team, his individual efforts weren’t enough to overcome the team’s larger issues.
5. Dick “Night Train” Lane (Cornerback):
   • Lane was still one of the league’s top defensive players. His ability to create turnovers and his physical style of play helped keep the Rams’ defense competitive, but again, the team’s overall performance was lacking.

Season Summary:

• Offensive Struggles: The Rams’ offense in 1957 was ineffective and often inconsistent. Van Brocklin’s struggles to get the ball to his talented receivers like Hirsch and Fears hurt the team, and the offensive line was ineffective in protecting the quarterback or creating running lanes. The Rams struggled to generate points in most of their games, making it hard to stay competitive in the league.

• Defensive Performance: The Rams’ defense was a mixed bag. Lane was still one of the top cornerbacks in the league, and Richter was a reliable linebacker. However, the defense wasn’t strong enough to carry the team, and they were often on the field too long due to the offense’s inability to stay on the field and score.

• Key Games: The Rams had trouble with divisional rivals, including the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions, which left them with few wins in their division. In a league where the top two teams from each division made the playoffs, the Rams were once again out of contention early in the season.

Missed Playoffs:

• With a 3-9 record, the Rams finished last in the Western Division, far behind the Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears. As a result, they once again missed the playoffs.

Aftermath:

• Joe Stydahar’s tenure as head coach was increasingly under scrutiny. Despite having several Hall of Fame-caliber players, the Rams’ failure to put together a competitive team led to frustration from fans and management alike.
• By the end of the 1957 season, the Rams were in need of a rebuild. The team had not made the playoffs in several years and was far removed from its glory days of the early 1950s.

Legacy:

• The 1957 season is often seen as part of the Rams’ period of decline after their early 1950s success. The team had talent, but there was a lack of cohesion and consistency.
• While Van Brocklin, Hirsch, Lane, and Richter are all considered some of the top players in the history of the franchise, they could not carry the team to success without more support from the rest of the roster.
• The Rams would continue to struggle in the late 1950s and early 1960s, eventually rebuilding in the 1960s, leading to a more competitive era in the later part of the decade.

In conclusion, the 1957 season was a continuation of the struggles that had marked the previous years. The Rams were not able to turn their individual talent into wins, and the team needed significant changes to become competitive again.

Head Coach: *Sid Gillman

• To be listed, a player must have played at least one game for the team during this season.
• * Hall of Fame
• + Primary starter

Pos	#		Player	GP	GS	Start Pos	Exp	DOB	Ht	Wt	College
HB/E			Jon Arnett	12			R	04/20/1934	‘ “		Southern California
E/DB			Bob Boyd	12			7	03/07/1928	‘ “		Loyola Marymount
DB			Alex Bravo	12			1	07/27/1930	‘ “		Cal Poly – S.L.O.
DB			Don Burroughs	12			3	08/19/1931	‘ “		Colorado State
DB			Jesse Castete	11			2	09/03/1933	‘ “		McNeese State
E/WR			Leon Clarke	9			2	01/10/1933	‘ “		Southern California
K			Paige Cothren	12			R	07/12/1935	‘ “		Mississippi
G/LB/C			Dick Daugherty	9			5	03/29/1928	‘ “		Oregon
LB			Bob Dougherty	10			1	04/20/1932	‘ “		Kentucky
T/G			Bob Fry	12			3	11/11/1930	‘ “		Kentucky
DT/G/C/DE			Frank Fuller	10			3	08/08/1929	‘ “		Kentucky
LB			Bob Griffin	12			5	02/12/1929	‘ “		Arkansas
T/G			Art Hauser	12			4	06/19/1929	‘ “		Xavier (OH)
E/RB/DB		*	Crazy Legs Hirsch	12			9	06/17/1923	‘ “		Michigan
G/T			John Hock	12			5	03/07/1927	‘ “		Santa Clara
T/DT			Glenn Holtzman	12			3	10/09/1930	‘ “		North Texas
G/C			John Houser	12			1	06/21/1935	‘ “		Redlands
DE/E			Lamar Lundy	12			R	04/17/1935	‘ “		Purdue
FB/RB			Joe Marconi	10			2	02/06/1934	‘ “		West Virginia
DE			Paul Miller	12			4	11/08/1930	‘ “		Louisiana State
LB/RB			Larry Morris	6			3	12/10/1933	‘ “		Georgia Tech
T/DT			Ken Panfil	12			2	09/16/1930	‘ “		Purdue
LB			Jack Pardee	12			R	04/19/1936	‘ “		Texas A&M
G/LB			Duane Putman	12			6	09/05/1928	‘ “		University of Pacific
LB		*	Les Richter	12			4	10/06/1930	‘ “		California
DB/RB			Will Sherman	10			5	10/20/1927	‘ “		Southern California
TE/DB			Del Shofner	12			R	12/11/1934	‘ “		Baylor
DT/DE			Billy Ray Smith	12			R	01/27/1935	‘ “		Arkansas
DT			George Strugar	9			R	04/02/1934	‘ “		Washington
DB/HB			Corky Taylor	2			2	10/31/1933	‘ “		Kansas State
QB		*	Norm Van Brocklin	12			9	03/15/1926	‘ “		Oregon
QB			Billy Wade	5			4	10/04/1930	‘ “		Vanderbilt
HB			Ron Waller	11			3	02/14/1933	‘ “		Maryland
DB			Jesse Whittenton	12			2	05/09/1934	‘ “		Texas – El Paso
HB/FB			Tommy Wilson	11			2	09/01/1932	‘ “		none
FB/LB/HB			Tank Younger	12			9	06/25/1928	‘ “		Grambling State