2017 Los Angeles Rams season

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2017 Los Angeles Rams season
OwnerStan Kroenke
General managerLes Snead
Head coachSean McVay
Offensive coordinatorMatt LaFleur
Defensive coordinatorWade Phillips
Home fieldLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Results
Record11–5
Division place1st NFC West
Playoff finishLost Wild Card Playoffs
(vs. Falcons) 13–26
Pro Bowlers
8
  • RS
    Greg Zuerlein
AP All-Pros
7
(2nd team)

The

London, England at Twickenham Stadium against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 7 as one of the NFL London Games
.

For the second consecutive year, the Rams started out in first place in the

2005, they were also beaten by the Falcons, which was the first time since 2003 that the Rams went one-and-done and their first Wild Card playoff loss since 2000
. In the offseason, the Rams introduced a new logo, with the horns and the outline of the ram changing to white. It would be their logo for 3 years.

Offseason

Coaching changes

On January 12, the Rams hired Sean McVay as the team's new head coach. Interim head coach John Fassel, who had replaced Jeff Fisher following Fisher's firing in Week 12 of 2016 and also interviewed for the head coach position, was retained as special teams coordinator along with running backs coach Skip Peete and assistant offensive line coach Andy Dickerson.

On January 19, Wade Phillips was announced as the team's new defensive coordinator.

On February 8, the Rams hired Matt LaFleur as the new offensive coordinator.

Uniform changes

The Rams underwent a moderate uniform change, removing New Century gold from their helmets and pants while leaving their jerseys unchanged. The Rams allowed their fans to decide on which pants stripes and facemask color they wanted the team to use via polls on their social media pages, with a single navy striped pants and white facemask winning. Additionally, the Rams wore navy pants with a single white stripe for some away games.[1]

Draft

Main article:
2017 NFL Draft
2017 Los Angeles Rams draft
Round Pick Player Position College Notes
2 44 Gerald Everett  TE South Alabama
3 69 Cooper Kupp *  WR Eastern Washington
3 91 John Johnson III  S Boston College
4 117 Josh Reynolds  WR Texas A&M
4 125 Samson Ebukam  LB Eastern Washington
6 189 Tanzel Smart  DT Tulane
6 206 Sam Rogers  FB Virginia Tech
7 234 Ejuan Price  DE Pittsburgh
      Made roster    †   Pro Football Hall of Fame    *   Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Notes

Undrafted free agents

2017 Los Angeles Rams Undrafted Free Agents
Position Player College Notes
RB
Justin Davis
 USC
NT
 Omarious Bryant Western Kentucky
RB Lenard Tillery Southern University
TE Johnny Mundt Oregon

Staff

2017 Los Angeles Rams staff

Front office

Head coaches

  • Head coach – Sean McVay
  • Assistant head coach/linebackers – Joe Barry
  • Assistant to the head coach – Bill Nayes

Offensive coaches

Defensive coaches

Special teams coaches

Strength and conditioning

  • Strength and conditioning – Ted Rath
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Edward Grayer
  • Assistant strength and conditioning – Blair Wagner
  • Strength assistant – Fernando Noriega

Rosters

Opening training camp

2017 Los Angeles Rams Opening training camp final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists
  • Currently empty


Rookies in italics
 90 active, 0 inactive

Final

2017 Los Angeles Rams final roster
Quarterbacks

Running backs

Wide receivers

Tight ends

Offensive linemen

Defensive linemen

Linebackers

Defensive backs

Special teams

Reserve lists
  •  8
    IRTooltip Injured reserve)
  • 41
    IRTooltip Injured reserve)
  • 91
    IRTooltip Injured reserve)
  • 84
    IRTooltip Injured reserve)
  • 45
    IRTooltip Injured reserve)
  • 96
    IRTooltip Injured reserve)
  • 41
    IRTooltip Injured reserve)
  • 21
    IRTooltip Injured reserve)
  •  4
    IRTooltip Injured reserve)


Practice squad


Rookies in italics
 53 active, 9 inactive, 10 practice squad

Preseason

The Rams' preliminary preseason schedule was announced on April 10.

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 August 12 Dallas Cowboys W 13–10 1–0 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Recap
2 August 19 at Oakland Raiders W 24–21 2–0
Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum
 Recap
3 August 26 Los Angeles Chargers L 19–21 2–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Recap
4 August 31 at Green Bay Packers L 10–24 2–2 Lambeau Field Recap

Regular season

Schedule

The Rams' regular season schedule was announced on April 20.

Week Date Opponent Result Record Venue Recap
1 September 10 Indianapolis Colts W 46–9 1–0 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Recap
2 September 17 Washington Redskins L 20–27 1–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Recap
3 September 21 at San Francisco 49ers W 41–39 2–1 Levi's Stadium Recap
4 October 1 at Dallas Cowboys W 35–30 3–1 AT&T Stadium Recap
5 October 8 Seattle Seahawks L 10–16 3–2 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Recap
6 October 15 at Jacksonville Jaguars W 27–17 4–2
EverBank Field
 Recap
7 October 22 Arizona Cardinals W 33–0 5–2 United Kingdom Twickenham Stadium (London) Recap
8 Bye
9 November 5 at New York Giants W 51–17 6–2 MetLife Stadium Recap
10 November 12 Houston Texans W 33–7 7–2 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Recap
11 November 19 at Minnesota Vikings L 7–24 7–3 U.S. Bank Stadium Recap
12 November 26 New Orleans Saints W 26–20 8–3 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Recap
13 December 3 at Arizona Cardinals W 32–16 9–3
University of Phoenix Stadium
 Recap
14 December 10 Philadelphia Eagles L 35–43 9–4 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Recap
15 December 17 at Seattle Seahawks W 42–7 10–4
CenturyLink Field
 Recap
16 December 24 at Tennessee Titans W 27–23 11–4 Nissan Stadium Recap
17 December 31 San Francisco 49ers L 13–34 11–5 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Recap

Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Indianapolis Colts

Game information

The Rams started their season with a blowout win over the Colts as Jared Goff got both his first victory and the first 300-yard passing game of his career, including a touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver Cooper Kupp. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week after returning an interception 39 yards for the Rams' first touchdown of the season, while also recording two tackles including a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. Safety Lamarcus Joyner also returned an interception for a touchdown and added four tackles. Defensive end Michael Brockers had five tackles to lead the defense, which had four sacks and forced three turnovers as Sean McVay became the youngest head coach ever (31 years, 7 months, 2 weeks, 3 days) to win in his NFL debut.

Week 2: vs. Washington Redskins

Week Two: Washington Redskins at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Redskins 3 17 0727
Rams 0 10 7320

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

Game information

Facing his former team, Sean McVay was dealt his first career defeat as the Rams fell behind 13–0. Todd Gurley had 132 yards in total offense and two scores, including the first receiving touchdown of his career on an 18-yard pass from Goff in which he hurdled Redskins cornerback Bashaud Breeland on his way to the end zone. Rookie tight end Gerald Everett turned in a strong performance with three receptions for 95 yards, while Alec Ogletree had 11 tackles including a sack on defense.

Week 3: at San Francisco 49ers

Week Three: Los Angeles Rams at San Francisco 49ers – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Rams 14 10 10741
49ers 7 6 71939

at Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California

Game information

In their first NFC West matchup of the season, the Rams came out ahead of a high-scoring battle with the rival 49ers on

Sammy Watkins. Both Watkins and Robert Woods surpassed 100 yards receiving on six receptions each. Todd Gurley caught one touchdown and ran for two more (his first three-TD effort in the NFL) to go along with his 149 yards in total offense. Nickell Robey-Coleman had an interception, a fumble recovery and five tackles to lead the Rams defense. As this was an NFL Color Rush game, the Rams went with their all-yellow uniforms for the first time since their final home game in St. Louis in 2015
, which offset the host 49ers' all-black scheme.

Week 4: at Dallas Cowboys

Game information

Greg Zuerlein hit a team-record seven field goals and Todd Gurley totaled 215 offensive yards (121 rushing, 94 receiving) along with a spectacular 53-yard touchdown on a screen pass as the Rams defeated the favored Cowboys on the road. Both earned NFC Player of the Week honors for Special Teams and Offense, respectively. Mark Barron's eight tackles and an interception led the Rams defense. Because the Cowboys wore their white uniforms at home, the Rams wore their Millennium Blue uniforms with blue pants, which clashed terribly with their blue and white helmets. The Rams' uniform choice was widely derided by pro football pundits and on social media.[2]

Week 5: vs. Seattle Seahawks

Game information

The Rams staked out a 10–0 lead in the second quarter, but were undone by two interceptions and three lost fumbles in losing to the visiting Seahawks. Tavon Austin scored the Rams' only touchdown on a 27-yard run in the second quarter. Starting with just over a minute left in the fourth quarter, Jared Goff drove the Rams 55 yards to the Seattle 20-yard line and just missed connecting with Cooper Kupp in the end zone for a potential game-winner in the final seconds. On defense, rookie strong safety John Johnson got his first career interception and returned it 69 yards while Mark Barron had 15 tackles.

Week 6: at Jacksonville Jaguars

Week Six: Los Angeles Rams at Jacksonville Jaguars – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Rams 17 7 0327
Jaguars 14 0 3017

at

EverBank Field, Jacksonville, Florida
Game information

The Rams got off to a fast start in Jacksonville as

Greg Zuerlein converting a 56-yard field goal and Gerald Everett scoring on a 4-yard shovel pass from Jared Goff. In the second quarter, Cory Littleton blocked a punt by which Malcolm Brown picked up at the 8-yard-line for a touchdown. Zuerlein added a second field goal in the fourth quarter for the final margin. Nickell Robey-Coleman had an interception, and the Rams defense totaled five sacks of Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles. Los Angeles, which had worn their blue-and-yellow throwback uniforms at home vs. Seattle the previous week, petitioned the NFL to allow them to wear the throwbacks on the road in Jacksonville, but their request was denied.[3]
With the host Jaguars wearing white, the Rams wore their Millennium Blue jerseys for the final time in franchise history, this time with white pants.

Week 7: vs. Arizona Cardinals

NFL International Series

Week Seven: Arizona Cardinals at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Cardinals 0 0 000
Rams 3 20 3733

at Twickenham Stadium, London, England

Game information

The Rams turned in a dominant performance over the NFC West rival

Greg Zuerlein's four field goals on the day. It was the Rams' first shutout victory since 2014, and their first-ever win in the NFL International Series. It was also one of two NFL London Games of the 2017 season to end in a shutout, the other being the New Orleans Saints' 20–0 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Wembley Stadium
in Week 4.

Week 9: at New York Giants

Week Nine: Los Angeles Rams at New York Giants – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Rams 7 20 21351
Giants 7 3 0717

at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey

  • Date: November 5
  • Game time: 10:00 am. PST/1:00 pm. EST
  • Game weather: 56 °F (13 °C), cloudy with rain
  • Game attendance: 76,877
  • Referee: Ed Hochuli
  • TV announcers (Fox): Kenny Albert, Ronde Barber and Kristina Pink
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

Returning to action after their bye week, the Rams put on a dominating performance against the host

Sammy Watkins. Todd Gurley scored a pair of rushing touchdowns and added a 44-yard catch-and-run that set up another. The Rams defense forced three turnovers, including fumble recoveries by Aaron Donald and Connor Barwin and an interception by Trumaine Johnson, all of which led to Rams scores. Their special teams also contributed to the win, with three field goals by Greg Zuerlein and a blocked punt by Cory Littleton
also setting up a touchdown by the offense.

Week 10: vs. Houston Texans

Game information

Taking a 9–7 lead on three field goals by

2001
. They now have at least one home victory against all 31 other franchises.

Week 11: at Minnesota Vikings

Week Eleven: Los Angeles Rams at Minnesota Vikings – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Rams 7 0 007
Vikings 0 7 01724

at U.S. Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Game information

The Rams took the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards in nine plays, capping the drive with a 6-yard touchdown run by Todd Gurley. After the Vikings tied the game in the second quarter on a Latavius Murray touchdown run, Los Angeles came close to regaining the lead when Jared Goff connected with Cooper Kupp near the goal line. But Vikings safety Anthony Harris stripped the ball from Kupp and recovered it, and the Rams never threatened to score again. Vikings quarterback Case Keenum bedeviled his former Ram teammates, passing for 280 yards and a touchdown as Minnesota scored 17 unanswered points in the fourth quarter. Alec Ogletree had 12 tackles in what would be the only loss on the road for the Rams during the regular season.

Week 12: vs. New Orleans Saints

Week Twelve: New Orleans Saints at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Saints 7 3 01020
Rams 10 7 3626

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

Game information

Greg Zuerlein added four field goals. On defense, both Aaron Donald and Robert Quinn had five tackles and a sack for the game. With the win over the New Orleans Saints, the Rams improved to 8–3, their first non-losing season since 2006
.

Week 13: at Arizona Cardinals

Week Thirteen: Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Rams 16 3 7632
Cardinals 0 13 0316

at

University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Game information

The Rams jumped out to a 16-0 first quarter lead and never looked back against the host Cardinals. Tight end

Greg Zuerlein converted four field goals. The defense combined for a season-high seven sacks of Cardinals quarterback Blaine Gabbert, with Aaron Donald, Robert Quinn and Ethan Westbrooks totaling two sacks each. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson had a team-high seven tackles and Alec Ogletree picked off a Gabbert pass and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown. With the win over Arizona, the Rams improved to 9-3 and achieved their first winning season since 2003
.

Week 14: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Game information

The showdown between two of the NFC's top teams did not disappoint, as the first two picks in the

Sammy Watkins for his second touchdown pass of the game and Blake Countess recovered a blocked punt for a score that put the Rams on top 28–24. Wentz drove the Eagles to the goal line and suffered what would be a season-ending torn ACL injury, but Wentz did not leave the field before throwing his fourth TD pass of the game to Alshon Jeffery to give Philadelphia a 31–28 lead. Early in the fourth quarter, Todd Gurley (13 carries, 96 yards) scored his second touchdown of the game to give the Rams a 35–31 advantage. But former Rams QB Nick Foles stepped in for the injured Wentz and engineered two scoring drives that ended in field goals for the Eagles, who took a 37–35 lead. With just seven seconds remaining, the Rams' last-ditch play went disastrously, as Tavon Austin fumbled a lateral from Pharoh Cooper which Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham
ran in for a touchdown as time expired. With the loss, the Rams fell to 9–4 while the Eagles clinched the NFC East for the first time since 2013.

Week 15: at Seattle Seahawks

Game information

The Rams thoroughly dominated the Seahawks, rolling to a 40-point lead by the third quarter in their biggest-ever win in Seattle. Running back

Greg Zuerlein kicked two field goals and four PATs to add to his league-leading total of 158 points, but aggravated a back injury so severely that he was placed on injured reserve soon after the game. The Rams improved to 10–4 as head coach Sean McVay
became the youngest coach to win 10 regular season games since 1937.

Week 16: at Tennessee Titans

Week Sixteen: Los Angeles Rams at Tennessee Titans – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Rams 6 7 7727
Titans 3 10 7323

at Nissan Stadium, Nashville, Tennessee

  • Date: December 24
  • Game time: 10:00 am. PST/12:00 pm. CST
  • Game weather: 39 °F (4 °C), cloudy, rain
  • Game attendance: 60,097
  • Referee: Walt Anderson
  • TV announcers (Fox):
    Laura Okmin
  • Recap, Gamebook
Game information

In this Super Bowl XXXIV rematch, the Rams clinched their first NFC Western Division title since 2003 in a wild shootout with the Titans in Nashville. Running back Todd Gurley repeated as NFC Offensive Player of the Week after finishing with 22 carries for 118 yards and 10 catches for 158 yards and 2 TDs, including an 80-yard catch-and-run in the second quarter. Trailing by three in the fourth quarter, Jared Goff engineered the first comeback win of his professional career, completing 22 of 38 passes for 301 yards and four touchdowns, the last going to Cooper Kupp on a 14-yard scoring strike with 11:51 remaining. The Rams defense made the lead stick, holding the host Titans scoreless on their final three drives. The victory also guaranteed the Rams their first playoff berth since 2004.

Week 17: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Week Seventeen: San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
49ers 10 10 7734
Rams 3 3 0713

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, California

Game information

With no chance to improve his team's standing, Rams head coach

Kevin Peterson
led the Rams in tackles (eight), pass deflections (five), and interceptions (two) as the Rams finished with an 11–5 record. The Rams wore their classic blue-and-yellow throwback uniforms for the second time in the season.

Standings

Division

NFC West
W L T PCT DIV CONF PF PA STK
(3) Los Angeles Rams 11 5 0 .688 4–2 7–5 478 329 L1
Seattle Seahawks 9 7 0 .563 4–2 7–5 366 332 L1
Arizona Cardinals 8 8 0 .500 3–3 5–7 295 361 W2
San Francisco 49ers 6 10 0 .375 1–5 3–9 331 383 W5

Conference

NFC
# Team Division W L T PCT DIV CONF SOS SOV STK
Division leaders
1[a] Philadelphia Eagles East 13 3 0 .813 5–1 10–2 .461 .433 L1
2[a] Minnesota Vikings North 13 3 0 .813 5–1 10–2 .492 .447 W3
3[b] Los Angeles Rams West 11 5 0 .688 4–2 7–5 .504 .460 L1
4[b][c] New Orleans Saints South 11 5 0 .688 4–2 8–4 .535 .483 L1
Wild Cards
5[c] Carolina Panthers South 11 5 0 .688 3–3 7–5 .539 .500 L1
6 Atlanta Falcons South 10 6 0 .625 4–2 9–3 .543 .475 W1
Did not qualify for the postseason
7[d] Detroit Lions North 9 7 0 .563 5–1 8–4 .496 .368 W1
8[d] Seattle Seahawks West 9 7 0 .563 4–2 7–5 .492 .444 L1
9[d] Dallas Cowboys East 9 7 0 .563 5–1 7–5 .496 .438 W1
10 Arizona Cardinals West 8 8 0 .500 3–3 5–7 .488 .406 W2
11[e] Green Bay Packers North 7 9 0 .438 2–4 5–7 .539 .357 L3
12[e] Washington Redskins East 7 9 0 .438 1–5 5–7 .539 .429 L1
13 San Francisco 49ers West 6 10 0 .375 1–5 3–9 .512 .438 W5
14[f] Tampa Bay Buccaneers South 5 11 0 .313 1–5 3–9 .555 .375 W1
15[f] Chicago Bears North 5 11 0 .313 0–6 1–11 .559 .500 L1
16 New York Giants East 3 13 0 .188 1–5 1–11 .531 .458 W1
Tiebreakers[g]
  1. ^ a b Philadelphia claimed the No. 1 seed over Minnesota based on winning percentage vs. common opponents. Philadelphia's cumulative record against Carolina, Chicago, the Los Angeles Rams and Washington was 5–0, compared to Minnesota's 4–1 cumulative record against the same four teams.
  2. ^ a b LA Rams claimed the No. 3 seed over New Orleans based on head-to-head victory.
  3. ^ a b New Orleans clinched the NFC South division over Carolina based on head-to-head sweep.
  4. ^ a b c Detroit finished ahead of Dallas and Seattle based on conference record, while Seattle finished ahead of Dallas based on head-to-head victory.
  5. ^ a b Green Bay finished ahead of Washington based on record vs. common opponents. Green Bay's cumulative record against Dallas, Minnesota, New Orleans and Seattle was 2–3, compared to Washington's 1–4 cumulative record against the same four teams.
  6. ^ a b Tampa Bay finished ahead of Chicago based on head-to-head victory.
  7. ^ When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.

Postseason

See also: 2017–18 NFL playoffs
Round Date Opponent (seed) Result Record Venue Recap
Wild Card January 6, 2018 Atlanta Falcons (6) L 13–26 0–1 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Recap

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: vs. (6) Atlanta Falcons

NFC Wild Card Playoffs: (6) Atlanta Falcons at (3) Los Angeles Rams – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Falcons 6 7 6726
Rams 0 10 0313

at

Los Angeles, California

Game information

The Los Angeles Rams hosted their first playoff game in the Greater Los Angeles Area since 1985, and their first playoff game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum since the 1978 NFC Championship Game. But the defending conference champion Falcons started off strong, capitalizing on two special teams miscues by the Rams to build a 13–0 lead on two Matt Bryant field goals and a 3-yard run by Devonta Freeman. Los Angeles rallied as Jared Goff connected with Cooper Kupp on a 14-yard touchdown pass and Sam Ficken hit a 35-yard field goal just before halftime. Todd Gurley was effective with 101 yards on just 14 carries, but the Falcons were able to control the clock, dominating time of possession 37:35 to 22:25. The teams traded field goals in the second half, but Atlanta pulled away late as quarterback Matt Ryan iced the game with an 8-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Julio Jones for the final 26–13 margin. Rams wide receiver Robert Woods had nine receptions for 142 yards in the loss, the Rams franchise's first playoff appearance since 2004 where, coincidentally, their loss also came to the Falcons.

Awards and honors

Recipient Award(s)
Trumaine Johnson Week 1: NFC Defensive Player of the Week
Todd Gurley September: NFC Offensive Player of the Month
Week 4: NFC Offensive Player of the Week
Week 15: NFC Offensive Player of the Week
Week 15: FedEx Ground Player of the Week
Week 16: NFC Offensive Player of the Week
Week 16: FedEx Ground Player of the Week
December: NFC Offensive Player of the Month
FedEx Ground Player of the Year
AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year
Greg Zuerlein
 Week 4: NFC Special Teams Player of the Week
October: NFC Special Teams Player of the Month
Week 10: NFC Special Teams Player of the Week
November: NFC Special Teams Player of the Month
Pharoh Cooper Week 6: NFC Special Teams Player of the Week
Jared Goff Week 9: NFC Offensive Player of the Week
Week 16: FedEx Air Player of the Week
Aaron Donald AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year
Sean McVay
AP NFL Coach of the Year

References

  1. ^ "Rams Unveil Uniforms for 2017 Season". TheRams.com. NFL Enterprises, LLC. March 2, 2017. Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved May 12, 2020.
  2. ^ Lukas, Paul (October 2, 2017). "What's with the Rams' mismatched unis?". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  3. ^ Bonsignore, Vinny (October 15, 2017). "Rams tried to get a uniform waiver for Sunday, but NFL said no". OCRegister.com. Retrieved October 4, 2019.

External links