1988 Los Angeles Rams

The 1988 Los Angeles Rams had an interesting season that featured both growth and disappointment. After a 6-9 record in 1987, the Rams came into 1988 with high hopes, especially with Jim Everett entering his second full season as the starting quarterback and Eric Dickerson continuing to dominate the running game. However, despite strong individual performances, the team struggled to find consistency and make a deep playoff run.

Here’s a detailed look at their 1988 season:

Record:

• Regular Season Record: 6–10
• The Rams finished 4th in the NFC West. Their 6-10 record was a decline from the previous year, and it marked a disappointing season overall, as the team struggled to maintain consistency on both sides of the ball.

Playoffs:

• The Rams did not make the playoffs in 1988, as their 6-10 record was not good enough to qualify for the postseason. This was the second consecutive year the Rams failed to reach the playoffs after making it in several of the previous seasons.

Head Coach:

• John Robinson remained the Rams’ head coach in 1988. Robinson continued to focus on creating a balanced team with a strong running game and a solid defense, but his tenure was marked by inconsistency and struggles with finding the right quarterback play and offensive rhythm.

Key Players:

• Eric Dickerson (RB):

  • Eric Dickerson continued to be the primary offensive weapon for the Rams in 1988. He finished the season with 1,259 rushing yards and 7 touchdowns, keeping his place among the NFL’s elite running backs.
  • Although he didn’t replicate his record-setting 1984 performance, Dickerson still had a very solid year and kept the Rams’ offense competitive, even though the team struggled overall.

• Jim Everett (QB):

  • Jim Everett showed both growth and inconsistency in his second full season as the Rams’ starting quarterback. He threw for 2,357 yards, with 14 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. Everett’s performance was up-and-down, as he was often unable to sustain drives or limit turnovers.
  • While he had potential, Everett’s inconsistency and mistakes contributed to the Rams’ inability to string together wins.

• Henry Ellard (WR):

  • Henry Ellard was the Rams’ top receiving target, providing a consistent threat in the passing game. He finished the season with 1,077 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns, showcasing his ability as a deep threat and reliable receiver.

• Jack Youngblood (DE):

  • Jack Youngblood, now in the latter stages of his career, remained a key leader and presence on the defensive line. He played through injury and continued to be a vital part of the Rams’ defense, though his age began to show as he was no longer quite as dominant as in his earlier years.

• Kevin Greene (OLB):

  • Kevin Greene continued to show his pass-rushing prowess in 1988. His ability to pressure quarterbacks was one of the few bright spots for the Rams’ defense, and he was emerging as one of the league’s top linebackers in terms of sack production.

Offensive Overview:

• The Rams’ offense in 1988 was centered around Eric Dickerson, who continued to carry the load in the running game. However, the passing game was very inconsistent, and Jim Everett was unable to develop into the steady quarterback the Rams needed to compete at a high level.
  • Everett’s turnovers (19 interceptions) were a major issue, as they stopped drives and often gave the ball back to opposing teams, leading to poor offensive efficiency.
  • The offensive line was solid, and Henry Ellard provided a decent downfield threat in the passing game, but there wasn’t enough consistency in the aerial attack to take the pressure off of Dickerson or to help Everett find a rhythm.
  • As a result, the Rams’ offense was one-dimensional, relying mostly on Dickerson, which allowed opposing defenses to key in on the run and put pressure on Everett when he did have to pass.

Defensive Overview:

• The Rams’ defense in 1988 was still strong in spots but struggled at times. They ranked 12th in total defense, showing that they were solid but not dominant.
  • The defensive line, featuring veterans like Jack Youngblood and rising star Kevin Greene, was able to generate some pressure, but the secondary struggled to consistently shut down opposing passing games.
  • Kevin Greene emerged as one of the NFL’s best pass rushers, providing a spark on defense, but the team couldn’t generate enough stops or turnovers to keep opponents from scoring at crucial moments.
  • The Rams’ defense could hold strong at times, but it wasn’t able to mask the shortcomings of the offense, especially against higher-powered teams.

Season Overview:

• The 1988 season was marked by inconsistency for the Rams. Despite having Eric Dickerson, one of the league’s best running backs, the Rams struggled to find balance on offense. Jim Everett showed flashes of promise, but his turnovers and inconsistency ultimately hurt the team.
• On defense, the Rams were decent but not elite, and although they had playmakers like Kevin Greene and Jack Youngblood, they couldn’t carry the team consistently. Overall, the team was plagued by poor quarterback play, a lack of balance on offense, and defensive lapses when needed most.
• The Rams finished 6–10, and their inability to make the playoffs for the third consecutive year was a major disappointment. The team had talent but couldn’t put it together to make a serious postseason push.

Post-1988:

• After another frustrating season, the Rams would enter the 1989 offseason looking for ways to improve. Jim Everett would continue to develop as the starting quarterback, but the team still lacked a true offensive balance and quarterback consistency to compete with the top teams in the NFC.
• The team would need to improve on both offense and defense if they hoped to get back into playoff contention. The Rams’ decline from the strong teams of the early ’80s was evident, and they would need to make changes to stay competitive in a division that was becoming tougher, especially with the San Francisco 49ers dominating the NFC West.

In summary, the 1988 Los Angeles Rams had another disappointing season, finishing 6–10 and failing to make the playoffs. Despite a strong performance from Eric Dickerson and flashes of promise from Jim Everett, the Rams could not find consistency. The combination of turnover-prone quarterback play, a one-dimensional offense, and defensive struggles kept them from returning to the postseason.

Head Coach: John Robinson 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 WR Flipper Anderson 16 R 03/07/1965 ‘ “ UCLA RB Greg Bell 16 5 08/01/1962 ‘ “ Notre Dame WR/DB Ron Brown 7 5 03/31/1961 ‘ “ Arizona State P Rich Camarillo 9 8 11/29/1959 ‘ “ Washington LB Jim Collins 4 7 06/11/1958 ‘ “ Syracuse WR Aaron Cox 16 R 03/13/1965 ‘ “ Arizona State RB Robert Delpino 15 R 11/02/1965 ‘ “ Missouri LB Carl Ekern 16 12 05/27/1954 ‘ “ San Jose State WR Henry Ellard 16 6 07/21/1961 ‘ “ Fresno State TE Jon Embree 12 2 10/15/1965 ‘ “ Colorado QB Jim Everett 16 3 01/03/1963 ‘ “ Purdue LB Brett Faryniarz 15 1 07/23/1965 ‘ “ San Diego State DB Jerry Gray 16 4 12/16/1962 ‘ “ Texas RB Gaston Green 10 R 08/01/1966 ‘ “ UCLA LB * Kevin Greene 16 4 07/31/1962 ‘ “ Auburn RB Mike Guman 1 9 04/21/1958 ‘ “ Penn State P Dale Hatcher 7 4 04/05/1963 ‘ “ Clemson QB Mark Herrmann 6 7 01/08/1959 ‘ “ Purdue S/CB Clifford Hicks 7 2 08/18/1964 ‘ “ Oregon TE Pete Holohan 16 8 07/25/1959 ‘ “ Notre Dame DB LeRoy Irvin 16 9 09/15/1957 ‘ “ Kansas T Robert Jenkins 16 2 12/30/1963 ‘ “ UCLA LB Mark Jerue 12 6 01/15/1960 ‘ “ Washington DE/DT Gary Jeter 15 12 01/24/1955 ‘ “ Southern California TE Damone Johnson 16 3 03/02/1962 ‘ “ Cal Poly – S.L.O. DB Johnnie Johnson 16 9 10/08/1956 ‘ “ Texas LB Larry Kelm 16 2 11/29/1964 ‘ “ Texas A&M K Mike Lansford 16 7 07/20/1958 ‘ “ Washington G Duval Love 15 4 06/24/1963 ‘ “ UCLA LB Mike McDonald 16 4 06/22/1958 ‘ “ Southern California RB Buford McGee 16 5 08/16/1960 ‘ “ Mississippi NT/DE Greg Meisner 12 8 04/23/1959 ‘ “ Pittsburgh NT/DE/DT Shawn Miller 16 5 03/14/1961 ‘ “ Utah State G Tom Newberry 16 3 12/20/1962 ‘ “ Wisconsin – La Crosse S Anthony Newman 16 R 11/21/1965 ‘ “ Oregon S Vince Newsome 6 6 01/22/1961 ‘ “ Washington LB Mel Owens 7 8 12/07/1958 ‘ “ Michigan T Irv Pankey 16 8 02/15/1958 ‘ “ Penn State DE/DT Doug Reed 16 5 07/16/1960 ‘ “ San Diego State G Mike Schad 6 2 10/02/1963 ‘ “ Queens College (ON) TE Eric Sievers 1 8 11/09/1957 ‘ “ Maryland T * Jackie Slater 16 13 05/27/1954 ‘ “ Jackson State C/G Tony Slaton 15 4 04/12/1961 ‘ “ Southern California C/G/T Doug Smith 16 11 11/25/1956 ‘ “ Bowling Green State S Michael Stewart 16 2 07/12/1965 ‘ “ Fresno State DE Fred Stokes 5 2 03/14/1964 ‘ “ Georgia Southern LB Fred Strickland 16 R 08/15/1966 ‘ “ Purdue DB Mickey Sutton 15 3 08/28/1960 ‘ “ Montana RB Tim Tyrrell 12 5 02/19/1961 ‘ “ Northern Illinois S James Washington 16 R 01/10/1965 ‘ “ UCLA DB Frank Wattelet 2 8 10/25/1958 ‘ “ Kansas RB Charles White 12 8 01/22/1958 ‘ “ Southern California LB Mike Wilcher 16 6 03/20/1960 ‘ “ North Carolina NT/DT/DE Alvin Wright 16 3 02/05/1961 ‘ “ Jacksonville State (AL) WR Mike Young 8 4 02/21/1962 ‘ “ UCLA