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{{short description|NFL team 34th season}}{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

factoids

The 1971 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 34th year with the National Football League, and the 26th season in Los Angeles. The team looked to improve on its 9–4–1 record from 1970, but finished only one game below their goal, as they finished 8–5–1 and finished 2nd in the NFC West, behind the San Francisco 49ers (9–5).The Rams started out strong at 4–1–1, but split their final eight games. Despite sweeping the 49ers on the season, a crucial tie against the Atlanta Falcons in week 2 proved to doom the Rams, because had they beaten Atlanta, they would've clinched the NFC West by virtue of their sweep over the 49ers.Team owner Dan Reeves died of cancer prior to the season in April.NEWS,weblink Milwaukee Journal, Reeves dies; NFL pioneer, April 16, 1971, 15, part 2,

NFL Draft

{||= Pro Bowler{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%; text-align: center;"! Round !! Selection !! Player !! Position !! College1 align=centerIsiah RobertsonLinebackerSouthern 20 bgcolor="#FFCC00"Jack Youngblood>Defensive end>1970 Florida Gators football team>Florida 3 align=centerDave Elmendorf>Safety (football position)>Strong safetyTexas A&M 4 align=centerSteve Worster>Running back>1970 Texas Longhorns football team>Texas 8 align=centerHofstra Pride football>Hofstra 9 align=centerWide receiver>1970 Miami Hurricanes football team>Miami (FL) 10 align=centerDon Popplewell>Center (American football)>CenterColorado 11 align=centerQuarterback>1970 Richmond Spiders football team>Richmond 12 align=centerTackle (American football)>TackleWhitewater 13 align=center1970 Kansas State Wildcats football team>Kansas State 14 align=centerDefensive back>1970 Oregon Webfoots football team>Oregon 15 align=centerGuard (American football)>GuardNotre Dame 16 align=centerPacific Lutheran Lutes football>Pacific Lutheran17 align=centerRandy Vataha>Wide receiverStanford 435 Joe SweetTennessee State

Roster

{{NFL season roster| year = 1971| team = Los Angeles Rams| quarterbacks ={{NFLplayer|18|Roman Gabriel}}{{NFLplayer|17|Jerry Rhome}}{{NFLplayer|11|John Walton|d=American football|rookie=y}}| running_backs ={{NFLplayer|33|Willie Ellison}}{{NFLplayer|34|Les Josephson}}{{NFLplayer|36|Larry Smith|d=running back}}{{NFLplayer|35|Bob Thomas|d=running back|rookie=y}}{{NFLplayer|44|Lee White|d=American football}}| wide_receivers ={{NFLplayer|48|Matt Maslowski|rookie=y}}{{NFLplayer|13|Lance Rentzel}}{{NFLplayer|84|Jack Snow|d=American football}}| tight_ends ={{NFLplayer|88|Pat Curran|d=American football}}{{NFLplayer|80|Bob Klein}}| offensive_linemen ={{NFLplayer|77|Rich Buzin|T}}{{NFLplayer|63|Joe Carollo|d=American football|T}}{{NFLplayer|73|Charlie Cowan|T}}{{NFLplayer|50|Ken Iman|C}}{{NFLplayer|64|Mike LaHood|G}}{{NFLplayer|65|Tom Mack|G}}{{NFLplayer|61|Rich Saul|C}}{{NFLplayer|76|Harry Schuh|T}}{{NFLplayer|71|Joe Scibelli|G}}| defensive_linemen ={{NFLplayer|79|Coy Bacon|DE}}{{NFLplayer|75|Deacon Jones|DE}}{{NFLplayer|67|Bill Nelson|d=American football|DT}}{{NFLplayer|74|Merlin Olsen|DT}}{{NFLplayer|72|Phil Olsen|d=American football|DT}}{{NFLplayer|78|Gregory Wojcik|rookie=y|DT}}{{NFLplayer|85|Jack Youngblood|rookie=y|DE}}| linebackers ={{NFLplayer|36|Ken Geddes}}{{NFLplayer|56|Dean Halverson}}{{NFLplayer|86|Marlin McKeever}}{{NFLplayer|52|John Pergine}}{{NFLplayer|53|Jim Purnell}}{{NFLplayer|64|Jack Reynolds|d=American football|MLB}}{{NFLplayer|58|Isiah Robertson|rookie=y}}| defensive_backs ={{NFLplayer|39|Kermit Alexander|SS}}{{NFLplayer|23|Alvin Haymond|CB}}{{NFLplayer|42|Dave Elmendorf|rookie=y|SS}}{{NFLplayer|20|Gene Howard|CB}}{{NFLplayer|19|Jim Nettles|d=American football|CB}}{{NFLplayer|24|Clancy Williams|CB}}| special_teams ={{NFLplayer|27|David Ray|d=American football|K}}{{NFLplayer|28|Pat Studstill|d=American football|P}}| reserve_lists =| practice_squad =}}

Regular season

As they had in 1970, the Rams and 49ers staged a season long battle for the NFC West title that came down to the season's final game. The Rams season got off to a rocky and controversial start in New Orleans against the Saints and their rookie quarterback Archie Manning. The Saints trailed 20–17 in the final seconds and faced 4th and goal from the Rams' 1-yard line. Instead of settling for a tie (there was no overtime for regular season games in the NFL in 1971), the Saints gambled and went for the win. Manning ran a quarterback sneak in which the officials signaled touchdown, although television replays showed that Manning was stopped short of the goal line. So instead of a 20–17 win, the Rams lost 24–20. In week 2 the Rams needed a last second field goal to tie the Atlanta Falcons, 20–20.The Rams appeared to right their ship by winning their next four games, including a 20–13 win in San Francisco. But back-to-back losses to the Miami Dolphins and Baltimore Colts left the 4–3–1 Rams {{Frac|1|1|2}} games behind the 6–2 49ers. Then the Rams won 2 straight, including a 17–6 win in San Francisco; that gave the Rams a {{Frac|1|2}}-game lead in the division and they held the tiebreaker over the 49ers by virtue of their season sweep of S.F. The Rams then lost a Thanksgiving game in Dallas 28–21, but re-took the division lead with two games to play by beating the Saints 45–28. However, just as they had the year before, the Rams lost a Monday night game at home, this time to the Redskins, coached by former Rams head coach George Allen, 38–24. And just like the previous season's Monday night home loss to the Lions, this one ended up costing the Rams both the division title and the wild card berth (won by the Redskins). The Rams won their final game in Pittsburgh 23–14, but learned on their flight home that the 49ers rallied beat the Lions with a 4th-quarter touchdown, 31–27.">

Schedule{| class"wikitable" style"text-align:center"

!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Los Angeles Rams|year=1971|border=2}}"| Week!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Los Angeles Rams|year=1971|border=2}}"| Date!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Los Angeles Rams|year=1971|border=2}}"| Opponent!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Los Angeles Rams|year=1971|border=2}}"| Result!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Los Angeles Rams|year=1971|border=2}}"| Record!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Los Angeles Rams|year=1971|border=2}}"| Venue!style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Los Angeles Rams|year=1971|border=2}}"| Attendancestyle="background:#fcc"! 1| September 191971 New Orleans Saints season>New Orleans Saints| L 20-24| 0–1| Tulane Stadium| 70,915style="background:#ffc"! 2| September 261971 Atlanta Falcons season>Atlanta Falcons| T 20–20| 0–1–1| Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum| 57,895style="background:#cfc"! 3| October 31971 Chicago Bears season>Chicago Bears| W 17–3| 1–1–1| Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum| 66,957style="background:#cfc"! 4| October 101971 San Francisco 49ers season>San Francisco 49ers| W 20–13| 2–1–1| Candlestick Park| 44,000style="background:#cfc"! 5| October 17| at Atlanta Falcons| W 24–16| 3–1–1Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium>Atlanta Stadium| 58,850style="background:#cfc"! 6| October 241971 Green Bay Packers season>Green Bay Packers| W 30–13| 4–1–1| Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum| 75,351style="background:#fcc"! 7| October 311971 Miami Dolphins season>Miami Dolphins| L 14-20| 4–2–1| Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum| 72,903style="background:#fcc"! 8November 8, 1971}}1971 Baltimore Colts season>Baltimore Colts| L 17–24| 4–3–1Memorial Stadium (Baltimore)>Memorial Stadium| 57,722style="background:#cfc"! 9| November 141971 Detroit Lions season>Detroit Lions| W 21–13| 5–3–1Tiger Stadium (Detroit)>Tiger Stadium| 54,418style="background:#cfc"! 10| November 21| San Francisco 49ers| W 17–6| 6–3–1| Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum| 80,050style="background:#fcc"! 11NFL on Thanksgiving Day>November 251971 Dallas Cowboys season>Dallas Cowboys| L 21–28| 6–4–1| Texas Stadium| 66,595style="background:#cfc"! 12| December 5| New Orleans Saints| W 45–28| 7–4–1| Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum| 73,610style="background:#fcc"! 13December 13, 1971}}1971 Washington Redskins season>Washington Redskins| L 24-38| 7–5–1| Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum| 80,402style="background:#cfc"! 14| December 191971 Pittsburgh Steelers season>Pittsburgh Steelers| W 23–14| 8–5–1| Three Rivers Stadium| 45,233style="{{NFLPrimaryStyle|Los Angeles Rams|year=1971|border=2}}" Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text.

Standings

{{1971 NFC West standings}}

References

{{Reflist|30em}}{{Los Angeles Rams}}{{Los Angeles Rams seasons}}{{1971 NFL season by team}}