1979 Los Angeles Rams season

NFL season
team = Los Angeles Rams
year = 1979
record = 9-7
division_place = 1st NFC West
coach = Ray Malavasi
stadium = Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
playoffs = W Divisional
W Conference
L Super Bowl XIV
previous = 1978
next = 1980

The 1979 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 42nd year with the National Football League and the 34th season in Los Angeles.

Offseason

NFL Draft

[http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/ram/1979.htm]

Roster

Postseason

NFC Divisional

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Rams
R1=0
R2=14
R3=0
R4=7
RT=21
Home=Cowboys
H1=2
H2=3
H3=7
H4=7
HT=19

Quarterback Vince Ferragamo led the Rams to a victory by throwing for 3 touchdown passes, the last one with 2:06 left in the game. The Cowboys scored first when defensive tackle Randy White sacked Ferragamo in the end zone for a safety. However, Ferragamo responded by throwing a 32-yard touchdown pass to running back Wendell Tyler. Dallas kicker Rafael Septien kicked a 33-yard field goal with 52 seconds left in the first half, but Ferragamo completed a 43-yard touchdown pass to Ron Smith before time expired to make it a 14-5 halftime lead. The Cowboys, led by quarterback Roger Staubach in what proved to be his last NFL game of his hall of fame career, then scored 2 unanswered touchdowns in the second half to take the lead, 19-14. With about 2 minutes left in the game and the Rams at midfield, Ferragamo found wide receiver Billy Waddy on a short crossing route and Waddy sprinted the rest of the way for a game winning 50-yard touchdown. Staubach was unable to engineer a late fourth quarter comeback like the ones that made him famous throughout his career. The Rams defense forced a sack, and then pressured the Dallas quarterback to throw a pass illegally to an ineligible receiver, guard Herbert Scott, on fourth down; the last pass of his career.

NFC Championship Game

Linescore Amfootball
Road=Rams
R1=0
R2=6
R3=0
R4=3
RT=9
Home=Buccaneers
H1=0
H2=0
H3=0
H4=0
HT=0

In a defensive battle in which the Rams squandered numerous scoring opportunities, Rams kicker Frank Corral kicked 3 field goals to win the game. Los Angeles was able to record 369 yards of total offense, while running backs Cullen Bryant and Wendell Tyler rushed for 106 and 86 yards, respectively. Meanwhile, the Buccaneers only had 177 total offensive yards, including 92 rushing yards and 85 passing yards. Most of Tampa Bay's passing yards came from a 42-yard halfback option pass from Jerry Eckwood to wide receiver Larry Mucker in the fourth quarter. During the game, two touchdowns were nullified by penalties, one by each team: A four yard run by Bryant and a 27-yard reception by Buccaneers' tight end Jimmie Giles.

uper Bowl XIV

Awards and records

Milestones

References