This article is part of series of |
Rams NFL franchise history |
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Cleveland Rams (1936–1945) |
Los Angeles Rams (1946–1994) |
St. Louis Rams (1995–2015) |
Los Angeles Rams (2016–present) |
List of seasons |
This list of seasons completed by the Los Angeles Rams American football franchise (known as the Cleveland Rams from 1936 to 1945 and the St. Louis Rams from 1995 to 2015) documents season-by-season records from 1936 to present, including conference standings, division standings, postseason records, league awards for individual players or head coaches, and team awards for individual players. The Rams franchise was founded in Cleveland in 1936 when the team was playing in the newly formed American Football League (AFL). The franchise joined the National Football League (NFL) the following year. In 1943 operations were suspended due a depleted player roster due to World War II, and play resumed the following year. The Rams were the only team to suspend completely in 1943. The franchise has changed home cities three times: moving to Los Angeles in 1946, moving to St. Louis in 1995, and returning to Los Angeles in 2016.
The franchise has had four periods of success in their history. The first period of success came as the Cleveland Rams in NFL when they won the NFL Championship. This period continued until the 1950s as the Los Angeles Rams with them making the playoffs a further five times. The second period of success lasted over 20 years between 1966–1989 where the Rams made the playoffs 16 times and captured ten NFC Division titles including a then-record run of seven in a row from the 1973 season through the 1979 seasons (the New England Patriots broke the record with nine straight AFC East division titles from the 2009 season through the 2017 season). However, this period of success was marred by the fact that the franchise did not win the Super Bowl and only one Conference Championship. The third era began in 1999 as the St. Louis Rams when the Rams capped a surprisingly successful season (after going 4–12 the previous year) by winning Super Bowl XXXIV against the Tennessee Titans with a roster known as "The Greatest Show on Turf". This period continued until 2004 but the franchise failed to win another Super Bowl and suffered a surprise defeat to the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI. The current and most recent era has come following their return to Los Angeles, where the team has visited two Super Bowls under coach Sean McVay, winning Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals, becoming just the second team in the Super Bowl era to win a Super Bowl in their home stadium.
Alternating with their successful periods, the Rams have experienced severe periods of failure. As the NFL Cleveland Rams they failed to record a single winning season until their final year in the city, whilst from 1959 to 1965 they never won as many games as they lost and in 1962 won just one game. Between 1990 and 1998, affected in part by failure to obtain stadium improvements in Los Angeles and a move to Missouri, the Rams had nine consecutive losing seasons, and after the collapse of "The Greatest Show on Turf" suffered thirteen consecutive seasons without a winning record between 2004 and 2016. Their three-season record between 2007 and 2009 of 6–42 was the worst over such a period between the Chicago Cardinals during World War II and the 4–44 Cleveland Browns from 2015 to 2017.
Over the course of the Rams' 85-year history,[1] they have won 15 division titles. They have appeared in the postseason 32 times, winning five NFC Championships. During the Super Bowl era, they have played in five Super Bowls, winning two. Only six teams have appeared in more Super Bowls than the Rams: the New England Patriots (11), Dallas Cowboys (eight), Pittsburgh Steelers (eight), Denver Broncos (eight), San Francisco 49ers (eight), and Kansas City Chiefs (six); The Rams' five appearances are tied with the Green Bay Packers, Las Vegas Raiders, Miami Dolphins, New York Giants, and the Washington Commanders.[2]