Tragedy struck the Los Angeles Rams organization on April 15, 1971, when news broke that long-time owner Daniel Reeves had lost his battle to cancer. Reeves’s contributions positively impacted the NFL, and he was enshrined to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1967 as a result.
Reeves’s friend/business associate, William A. Barnes, became the Rams’ president and general manager. The first order of business for Barnes was to replace one of the best head coaches in franchise history. In the end, he sought help from college football guru Tommy Prothro.
Prothro lacked NFL experience, but he was highly respected as a college football coach. While at UCLA, Prothro compiled a 41-18-3 record in five seasons.
Prothro’s Rams struggled in the season opener at the New Orleans Saints. It was a close game throughout, especially in the fourth quarter when lead transferred three times. The Saints led 17-6, but the Rams rallied with a 29-yard touchdown pass by QB Roman Gabriel to RB Les Josephson and a one-yard rushing touchdown by Josephson, which gave the team a 20-17 lead. However, it was Saints QB Archie Manning who made the difference in the game. He led the team downfield and ran it in from one yard out to give the Saints a 24-20 victory.
The Rams didn’t earn their first victory until Week 3 when they beat the Chicago Bears 17-3. It sparked a four-game unbeaten streak that included two divisional wins over the Atlanta Falcons and the archrival San Francisco 49ers.
The 49ers game, in particular, was important because the two teams were the top two teams in the NFC West at the time. The Rams relied on the running game and the defense to carry the load. Gabriel’s back was injured, and his backup, Jerry Rhome, completed only 2 of 11 pass attempts for 13 yards and an interception. The defense created four turnovers, with DB Gene Howard and LB Isiah Robertson having an interception each. Meanwhile, the Rams rushed for a total of 219 yards. Josephson led the way with 94 rushing yards and RB Larry Smith had a 64-yard rushing touchdown in the 20-13 victory.
The two rivals met again later in Los Angeles later in the season, and once again the Rams’ defense took control of the game. Howard picked off three passes to absolutely terrorize the 49ers, and DB Jim Nettles made San Francisco pay for their mistakes when he returned an interception 29 yards for a touchdown. The Rams earned the season sweep in a 17-6 victory over the 49ers.
Los Angeles finished second in the NFC West Division, despite having two victories over San Francisco. They missed the playoffs by one game while finishing 8-5-1. Overall, it was the Rams’ close losses to teams such as the Baltimore Colts (24-17), Miami Dolphins (20-14) and the Dallas Cowboys (28-21) that cost them a playoff sport.
The team featured four Pro Bowlers, including RB Willie Ellison, G Tom Mack, DT Merlin Olsen and LB Isiah Robertson. No Rams were named to the All-Pro team.
Season Notes
– The Rams drafted Southern University LB Isiah Robertson in the first round (1oth overall).
– The most notable player came later in the first round (20th overall) when the Rams selected a future Hall of Famer in Florida DE Jack Youngblood.
– RB Willie Ellison finished with 1,000 yards rushing and four touchdowns.
Sources: Profootballreference.com, Stlouisrams.com
| 1971 Los Angeles Rams | ||||
| Week | Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 1 | Sunday, Sept. 19 | @New Orleans Saints | L, 20-24 | 0-1 |
| 2 | Sunday, Sept. 26 | Atlanta Falcons | T, 20-20 | 0-1-1 |
| 3 | Sunday, Oct. 3 | Chicago Bears | W, 17-3 | 1-1-1 |
| 4 | Sunday, Oct. 10 | @San Francisco 49ers | W, 20-13 | 2-1-1 |
| 5 | Sunday, Oct. 17 | @Atlanta Falcons | W, 24-16 | 3-1-1 |
| 6 | Sunday, Oct. 24 | Green Bay Packers | W, 30-13 | 4-1-1 |
| 7 | Sunday, Oct. 31 | Miami Dolphins | L, 14-20 | 4-2-1 |
| 8 | Monday, Nov. 8 | @Baltimore Colts | L, 17-24 | 4-3-1 |
| 9 | Sunday, Nov. 14 | @Detroit Lions | W, 21-13 | 5-3-1 |
| 10 | Sunday, Nov. 21 | San Francisco 49ers | W, 17-6 | 6-3-1 |
| 11 | Thursday, Nov. 25 | @Dallas Cowboys | L, 21-28 | 6-4-1 |
| 12 | Sunday, Dec. 5 | New Orleans Saints | W, 45-28 | 7-4-1 |
| 13 | Monday, Dec. 13 | Washington Redskins | L, 24-38 | 7-5-1 |
| 14 | Sunday, Dec. 19 | @Pittsburgh Steelers | W, 23-14 | 8-5-1 |
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