1964 Los Angeles Rams

The 1964 Los Angeles Rams had another strong, yet ultimately disappointing season. They finished with an 8–6 record, which was solid but not enough to secure a playoff spot in the NFL’s competitive Western Conference.

Team Overview:

• The team was still led by Harland Svare, who was in his fifth year as head coach.
• The Rams played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
• The Rams had one of the top defenses in the league, continuing to build on the success of the previous year, but they still struggled on offense at times.
• They finished 4th in the NFL Western Conference, falling short of the playoffs.

Performance:

• The Rams finished with an 8-6 record, which was good but not enough to make the postseason, as the competition in the Western Conference was very strong.
• Despite their solid record, they were hampered by inconsistent offensive play, particularly at the quarterback position.
• The Rams’ defense, however, remained one of the best in the league, as the “Fearsome Foursome” defensive line (featuring Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Rosie Grier, and Lamar Lundy) continued to be a dominant force.

Key Players:

• Norm Van Brocklin: The 37-year-old veteran quarterback continued to be the team’s starter, but age and injuries were affecting his performance. Despite his leadership and experience, his play was inconsistent, and the Rams struggled at times to move the ball effectively on offense.
• Deacon Jones: Jones continued his rise as one of the NFL’s most fearsome defensive ends. He was a major part of the Rams’ defense and had one of his best seasons.
• Merlin Olsen: Olsen, a young star on the defensive line, continued to develop into one of the NFL’s premier interior linemen.
• Rosie Grier: Grier was another key component of the “Fearsome Foursome”, contributing greatly to the Rams’ defensive line.
• Lamar Lundy: As the fourth member of the “Fearsome Foursome”, Lundy was part of the defense that was starting to dominate the NFL in terms of pass rushing and stopping the run.
• Elroy “Crazylegs” Hirsch and Tom Fears: While both were past their primes, they still provided reliable receiving options for the offense.

Notable Events:

• Offensive struggles: Despite their strong defense, the Rams continued to have trouble putting up points. Their offensive struggles were partly due to inconsistent play at quarterback, and the lack of a solid running game hurt them as well.
• Defense remained elite: The Rams’ defense remained one of the NFL’s best, as Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen, Rosie Grier, and Lamar Lundy helped shut down many opposing offenses. However, even with this dominance, the Rams’ offense couldn’t capitalize enough to secure a playoff spot.
• The 1964 Rams were often competitive in games but failed to perform consistently enough to beat top teams in the conference. Their 8-6 record showed that they were close to being a playoff-caliber team, but they lacked the offensive consistency to break through.

Legacy:

• The 1964 season solidified the Rams’ reputation as a defensive powerhouse. The “Fearsome Foursome” defensive line was beginning to gain recognition and would go on to become one of the most famous units in NFL history.
• However, the Rams’ inability to perform consistently on offense kept them from reaching their full potential, and they would face more struggles in the coming years as they continued to build and retool the team.

Overall, the 1964 Rams were a team that had a strong defense but struggled on the offensive side of the ball. They were competitive, but their inability to make the playoffs showed that they still had work to do in order to become true contenders.

Head Coach: Harland Svare

• 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
TE			Duane Allen	7			4	10/21/1937	‘ “		Rancho Santiago College (JC – CA)
QB/HB			Terry Baker	5			2	05/05/1941	‘ “		Oregon State
FB/HB			Dick Bass	9			5	03/15/1937	‘ “		University of Pacific
WR/HB			Willie Brown	9			R	03/21/1942	‘ “		Southern California
DB			Frank Budka	14			R	03/20/1942	‘ “		Notre Dame
T			Joe Carollo	14			3	03/25/1940	‘ “		Notre Dame
G			Don Chuy	12			2	07/20/1941	‘ “		Clemson
T/G			Charley Cowan	14			4	06/19/1938	‘ “		New Mexico Highlands
DB			Lindon Crow	9			10	04/04/1933	‘ “		Southern California
WR			Carroll Dale	13			5	04/24/1938	‘ “		Virginia Tech
G/T			Roger Davis	11			5	06/23/1938	‘ “		Syracuse
QB			Roman Gabriel	7			3	08/05/1940	‘ “		North Carolina State
K			Bruce Gossett	14			1	11/09/1941	‘ “		Richmond
DT/DE			Rosey Grier	14			9	07/14/1932	‘ “		Penn State
LB			Marv Harris	14			R	07/08/1942	‘ “		Stanford
LB			Mike Henry	14			6	08/15/1936	‘ “		Southern California
C/T			Art Hunter	14			10	04/24/1933	‘ “		Notre Dame
DE		*	Deacon Jones	14			4	12/09/1938	‘ “		Mississippi Valley State
RB			Les Josephson	14			1	07/29/1942	‘ “		Augustana (SD)
DT			Gary Larsen	14			R	03/13/1940	‘ “		Concordia (IL)
LB			Cliff Livingston	14			11	07/02/1930	‘ “		UCLA
DE/E			Lamar Lundy	13			8	04/17/1935	‘ “		Purdue
DB			Aaron Martin	14			1	02/10/1942	‘ “		North Carolina Central
LB/TE			Marlin McKeever	14			4	01/01/1940	‘ “		Southern California
DB			Ed Meador	14			6	08/10/1937	‘ “		Arkansas Tech
QB			Bill Munson	11			R	08/11/1941	‘ “		Utah State
DT		*	Merlin Olsen	14			3	09/15/1940	‘ “		Utah State
LB			Jack Pardee	14			8	04/19/1936	‘ “		Texas A&M
E/WR			Jim Phillips	7			7	02/05/1936	‘ “		Auburn
WR			Bucky Pope	14			R	03/23/1941	‘ “		Catawba
DB			Jerry Richardson	14			R	11/13/1941	‘ “		West Texas A&M
G			Joe Scibelli	14			4	04/19/1939	‘ “		American International
DB/HB			Carver Shannon	12			3	04/28/1938	‘ “		Southern Illinois
DB			Bobby Smith	14			3	07/05/1938	‘ “		UCLA
TE			Billy Truax	10			R	07/15/1943	‘ “		Louisiana State
T			Frank Varrichione	10			10	01/14/1932	‘ “		Notre Dame
K			Danny Villanueva	14			5	11/05/1937	‘ “		New Mexico State
LB			Andy Von Sonn	14			1	11/05/1940	‘ “		UCLA
C			Joe Wendryhoski	13			1	03/01/1938	‘ “		Illinois
LB/G			Fred Whittingham	5			1	02/04/1939	‘ “		Cal Poly – S.L.O.
FB			Ben Wilson	14			2	03/09/1939	‘ “		Southern California