1982 Los Angeles Rams
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1982 Los Angeles Rams

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The 1982 Los Angeles Rams had a notable season, despite facing challenges and a significantly shortened schedule due to a players’ strike.

Here’s a breakdown of their 1982 season:

Record:

  • Regular Season Record: 4–5
  • The season was reduced to just 9 games due to the strike, making it a unique year in NFL history. The Rams’ 4–5 record was enough to secure a playoff spot in a season with a different structure.

Playoffs:

  • The Rams made the NFC Wild Card playoffs, earning a spot despite the losing record.
  • They faced the Dallas Cowboys in the first round but were defeated 24–17. This marked the end of their playoff run for the year.

Head Coach:

  • Ray Malavasi remained the Rams’ head coach in 1982. He had led the team through some tough seasons and continued to be the steady hand guiding them through a tumultuous year.

Key Players:

  • Vince Ferragamo (QB): Ferragamo continued to be the Rams’ starting quarterback in 1982. He was a competent leader for the offense but wasn’t a standout star.
  • Eric Dickerson (RB): Although he wouldn’t officially join the Rams until the following season (1983), the franchise was starting to build toward having a future star in the backfield with the drafting of Dickerson. His potential was already being recognized.
  • Jack Youngblood (DE): The defensive leader for the Rams continued to be a major force on the defensive line, helping to keep the defense solid during the strike-shortened season.
  • Ronnie Lott (DB): Lott had an emerging reputation as one of the NFL’s top defensive players and was key to the Rams’ secondary.

Offensive Struggles:

  • The Rams’ offense in 1982 struggled to find consistency. Vince Ferragamo had his moments, but the team didn’t have a potent offensive attack. The running game, while featuring solid backs, lacked explosiveness, and they couldn’t generate the necessary points to win consistently.

Defense:

  • Despite the offensive challenges, the Rams’ defense remained a bright spot. They were solid, especially with defensive leaders like Jack Youngblood. The defense kept them in games, and their ability to limit opponents’ scoring helped them get to the playoffs.

Strikes and Shortened Season:

  • The 1982 season was heavily affected by a players’ strike, which resulted in a reduction of the regular season from 16 games to just 9. The NFL implemented a new playoff format to accommodate the shortened season, with teams qualifying based on a 16-team playoff system (rather than the usual 10-team format).

Season Overview:

  • The Rams’ 1982 season was challenging, but they managed to secure a spot in the playoffs, albeit with a losing record.
  • Their 4–5 record was enough to qualify for the expanded playoff field, showing the strange dynamics of the strike-impacted season.
  • Although they were eliminated in the first round by the Dallas Cowboys, the Rams did show resilience in getting to the playoffs, which helped set the stage for future success.

Post-1982:

  • The following year (1983) would mark a significant improvement for the Rams, especially with the acquisition of Eric Dickerson in the draft. Dickerson would go on to become one of the greatest running backs in NFL history and transform the Rams’ offense.
  • The Rams would become a playoff contender once again, with their fortunes improving in the mid-1980s.

In summary, the 1982 season was a mixed bag for the Los Angeles Rams. They managed to make the playoffs in a strike-shortened year, but their playoff run was cut short by a loss to the Cowboys. The future, however, looked bright with the upcoming addition of Eric Dickerson in 1983.

Head Coach: Ray Malavasi

  • 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
RB Robert Alexander 9 1 04/21/1958 ‘ “ West Virginia
LB George Andrews 9 4 11/28/1955 ‘ “ Nebraska
G/T Bill Bain 9 7 08/09/1952 ‘ “ Southern California
TE/WR Mike Barber 9 7 06/04/1953 ‘ “ Louisiana State
DE/C Doug Barnett 9 R 04/12/1960 ‘ “ Azusa Pacific (CA)
TE Ron Battle 9 2 03/27/1959 ‘ “ North Texas
DT Larry Brooks 6 11 06/10/1950 ‘ “ Virginia State
RB Cullen Bryant 1 10 05/20/1951 ‘ “ Colorado
LB Howard Carson 2 2 02/11/1957 ‘ “ Howard Payne (TX)
LB Jim Collins 6 2 06/11/1958 ‘ “ Syracuse
DB Kirk Collins 9 2 07/18/1958 ‘ “ Baylor
DB Nolan Cromwell 9 6 01/30/1955 ‘ “ Kansas
DT Charles DeJurnett 4 6 06/17/1952 ‘ “ San Jose State
WR Preston Dennard 9 5 11/28/1955 ‘ “ New Mexico
DE/DT Reggie Doss 9 5 12/07/1956 ‘ “ Hampton (VA)
LB Carl Ekern 3 6 05/27/1954 ‘ “ San Jose State
DT/DE Mike Fanning 8 8 02/02/1953 ‘ “ Notre Dame
WR George Farmer 8 1 12/05/1958 ‘ “ Southern
QB Vince Ferragamo 7 5 04/24/1954 ‘ “ Nebraska
RB Mike Guman 9 3 04/21/1958 ‘ “ Penn State
G/C Dennis Harrah 9 8 03/09/1953 ‘ “ Miami (FL)
WR Drew Hill 9 4 10/05/1956 ‘ “ Georgia Tech
G/T Kent Hill 9 4 03/07/1957 ‘ “ Georgia Tech
DB LeRoy Irvin 9 3 09/15/1957 ‘ “ Kansas
DB Johnnie Johnson 9 3 10/08/1956 ‘ “ Texas
RB A. J. Jones 6 R 05/30/1959 ‘ “ Texas
QB Bert Jones 4 10 09/07/1951 ‘ “ Louisiana State
DE/DT Cody Jones 9 8 05/03/1951 ‘ “ San Jose State
T Wally Kersten 3 R 12/08/1959 ‘ “ Minnesota
K Mike Lansford 9 1 07/20/1958 ‘ “ Washington
NT/DE/DT Myron Lapka 2 2 05/10/1965 ‘ “ Southern California
C/G/T George Lilja 9 1 03/03/1958 ‘ “ Michigan
TE Kerry Locklin 6 R 09/09/1959 ‘ “ New Mexico State
NT/DE Greg Meisner 6 2 04/23/1959 ‘ “ Pittsburgh
WR Willie Miller 9 7 04/26/1947 ‘ “ Colorado State
P John Misko 9 1 10/01/1954 ‘ “ Oregon State
LB Mel Owens 7 2 12/07/1958 ‘ “ Michigan
T Irv Pankey 9 3 02/15/1958 ‘ “ Penn State
DB Rod Perry 9 8 09/11/1953 ‘ “ Colorado
RB Barry Redden 9 R 07/21/1960 ‘ “ Richmond
LB Mike Reilly 9 R 02/14/1959 ‘ “ Oklahoma
T * Jackie Slater 9 7 05/27/1954 ‘ “ Jackson State
C/G/T Doug Smith 9 5 11/25/1956 ‘ “ Bowling Green State
DB Lucious Smith 8 3 01/17/1957 ‘ “ Cal State – Fullerton
DB Ivory Sully 9 4 06/20/1957 ‘ “ Delaware
RB Jewerl Thomas 8 3 09/10/1957 ‘ “ San Jose State
DB Pat Thomas 9 7 09/01/1954 ‘ “ Texas A&M
RB Wendell Tyler 9 6 05/20/1955 ‘ “ UCLA
WR Billy Waddy 3 6 02/19/1954 ‘ “ Colorado
LB Eric Williams 3 6 06/17/1955 ‘ “ Southern California
T * Ron Yary 8 15 08/16/1946 ‘ “ Southern California
DE * Jack Youngblood 9 12 01/26/1950 ‘ “ Florida
LB Jim Youngblood 7 10 02/23/1950 ‘ “ Tennessee Tech

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