The Los Angeles Rams entered their 20th season in Southern California (28th season as a franchise) and were hoping to add a winning season in 1965. The team had some talented athletes, but it couldn’t put points on the board. As the old saying goes, “you can’t win if you can’t score.”
The “Fearsome Foursome” were identified through their tough physical play and by the Rams’ iconic blue and white uniforms. The uniforms were white overall and featured a blue stripe on their long sleeves, near the shoulder. The stripe resembled the shape of a Rams’ horn; the helmets were blue with a white rams’ horn in full curl.
Head coach Harland Svare was on the hot seat, which was partially due to a quarterback controversy. Roman Gabriel and Bill Munson were once again in fierce competition for the starter’s role. The battle continued throughout the season, and as a result, the team struggled to develop an offensive rhythm.
The Rams earned only one victory in their first 10 games, which came against a tough Chicago Bears team in Los Angeles. The game started off scoreless early on, but the Rams broke the ice when DB Aaron Martin returned an interception 37 yards for a touchdown. However, that would be the only touchdown scored until the fourth quarter by the Rams. Bruce Gossett kicked a field goal early in the second half for the Rams, but they were trailing the Bears 28-9 at the start of the fourth quarter. It was then that Munson took control of the game. He scored on a 1-yard rushing touchdown, a 5-yard pass to WR Tommy McDonald and dumped a 10-yard pass to Terry Baker to win the game. Munson led the Rams in a comeback victory, with a final score of 30-28. He finished with 295 yards passing and two touchdowns.
Two weeks later, the Rams traveled to Chicago to face the Bears again. This time, Bears handed the Rams a crushing 36-6 defeat as both Los Angeles quarterbacks struggled. Munson didn’t have the same kind of performance in Chicago that he did in LA. He passed for 145 yards and had two interceptions. Gabriel stepped in, but he didn’t fare any better, passing for only 88 yards and no touchdowns.
Not all of the Rams’ losses were blowouts during the losing streak. In fact, the Rams suffered two heartbreaking losses by only three points. In Week 10, the Rams lost to the Green Bay Packers 6-3, despite a great defensive effort. The following week, the Rams traveled to San Francisco and dropped a heartbreaking 30-27 thriller to the 49ers.
The Rams’ season ended on a high note as they won three of their last four games, all of which were led by Gabriel. He had his best game in Week 13 against the Cleveland Browns, passing for 323 yards and five touchdowns. His favorite target of the night was Tommy McDonald, who finished with 200 receiving yards and three touchdowns as the Rams demolished the Browns, with a score of 42-7.
A strong finish didn’t matter in terms of the division standings. The Rams were last in the NFL West Division with a record of 4-10. WR Tommy McDonald was the only offensive player to make the Pro Bowl, while DT Merlin Olsen, DB Eddie Meador and DE Deacon Jones were the Rams’ defensive players who earned a spot in the game. Jones was named All-Pro for unofficially earning 19 sacks and a safety.
Season Notes
– Svare was dismissed at the end of the season.
– The Rams selected Washington State DB Clancy Williams in the first round of the 1965 draft (ninth overall).
– The Rams led the league in run defense, only allowing 1,409 yards rushing.
– McDonald had 1,036 receiving yards and nine touchdowns.
| 1965 Los Angeles Rams | ||||
| Week | Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 1 | September 19, 1965 | @ Detroit Lions | L, 20-0 | 0-1 |
| 2 | September 25, 1965 | Chicago Bears | W, 30-28 | 1-1 |
| 3 | October 3, 1965 | Minnesota Vikings | L, 38-35 | 1-2 |
| 4 | October 10, 1965 | @ Chicago Bears | L, 31-6 | 1-3 |
| 5 | October 17, 1965 | San Francisco 49ers | L, 45-21 | 1-4 |
| 6 | October 24, 1965 | @ Baltimore Colts | L, 35-20 | 1-5 |
| 7 | October 31, 1965 | Detroit Lions | L, 31-7 | 1-6 |
| 8 | November 7, 1965 | @ Minnesota Vikings | L, 24-13 | 1-7 |
| 9 | November 14, 1965 | @ Green Bay Packers | L, 6-3 | 1-8 |
| 10 | November 21, 1965 | @ San Francisco 49ers | L, 30-27 | 1-9 |
| 11 | November 28, 1965 | Green Bay Packers | W, 21-10 | 2-9 |
| 12 | December 5, 1965 | @ St. Louis Cardinals | W, 27-3 | 3-9 |
| 13 | December 12, 1965 | Cleveland Browns | W, 42-7 | 4-9 |
| 14 | December 18, 1965 | Baltimore Colts | L, 20-17 | 4-10 |
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Sources: Profootballreference.com, Stlouisrams.com
