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Dining In The 80’s:
The First Show On Turf
by Chris Brophy
19/11/2008
In the 1980’s there was a lot going on in the city of Los Angeles. The Olympics came to the city in 1984, a large subway system was completed, glam metal was a rising force in music from the club scene – sprouting bands like Mtley Cre and Guns N’ Roses and of course, Los Angeles had two NFL teams (they actually had three pro teams in the 80’s if you include the USFL’s Los Angeles Express). This story is about when the Rams were still in LA and featured an offense that could be just as explosive as the Greatest Show on Turf that would materialise later in the franchise’s history but in a different city.
Change Comes
Following a disappointing 1982 season in which the Rams had only won 2 games, the Rams elected to replace Ray Malavasi as Head Coach with John Robinson who had been coaching at the college level with USC.
Robinson had worked under the likes of John Madden in the pros and John McKay in college to help him shape his offensive systems and style but as the coach of the Rams he would over a period of time, see his team evolve from a ground attack based offense into a wide open, spread the field air attack.
To help Robinson build an offense the Rams needed some talent and the 1983 draft would see two major additions that would shape the two different eras of Robinson football over the rest of the decade. Picking second overall, the Rams selected SMU running back Eric Dickerson and in the second round they added Fresno State wide receiver Henry Ellard. Both these players would finish their careers as the franchise leader in rushing and receiving respectively.
Run Like Hell
 Dickerson would have the most immediate impact. Robinson put the offense on his back and he responded with a stellar season running the rock with over 1800 yards on 390 attempts and 18 trips to the house all record marks for a rookie (that still stand today). He also added 51 receptions and another two TD’s. Dickerson’s straight up running style looked smooth as silk but his acceleration and top end speed were such that he was a threat to take the ball all the way any time he touched the ball.
Instantly the Rams were competitive again, making post season as a wild card with a 9-7 record and managing a win on the road in the wild card game against the Cowboys before coming up against the record setting offense of the Redskins in a 51-7 defeat.
This was already Dickerson’s team though and what seemed impossible to top was bettered the following season as Dickerson became only the second player ever to rush for 2000 yards in a season. His 2105 yards was a new NFL record (and like his rookie records, it’s a mark that still stands today) but produced off less carries than his rookie year as he averaged an impressive 5.6 yards per carry. Maybe even more impressive is that in an increasing pass happy league, Dickerson gained more yards rushing than the Rams starting QB – Jeff Kemp – managed passing!
Ground To Air
In 1985 the Rams would once again ride Dickerson into post season, this time as division champions and after beating the Cowboys they had reached the NFC Championship game. Fate would see them matched up against one of the best defences of recent times though and they were shut out by the Chicago Bears who would go on to win Super Bowl XX.
In the time since Robinson arrived the Rams had become competitive again but they were one dimensional and in the play-offs it was never going to be enough. The Rams had gotten by passing with the likes of veterans Jeff Kemp and Dieter Brock but they were never going to be a long term answer or enough of a threat to stop defenses keying on Dickerson.
Robinson took a gamble on a young signal caller to invigorate the Rams passing attack when he traded with the Houston Oilers for the rights to former Purdue QB Jim Everett.
Everett would take over as starter in 1986 and whilst he had his struggles, by 1988 he was ready to break out but for now, Eric Dickerson was still the Rams talisman.
A Trade For The Ages
Last time out on D.I.T. 80’s the topic was based around the Herschel Walker trade but in the strike shortened 1987, maybe the biggest trade of decade occurred.
Dickerson was not happy with his contract and was starting to be a distraction. He openly courted being traded and after the 1987 players strike was concluded he was dealt to the Colts to rejoin his old college coach Ron Meyer in a three way deal that also involved the Buffalo Bills.
The Rams ended up with three first round picks and veteran running back Greg Bell although they now could not fall back on the sure yards and threat Dickerson could provide. The remainder of the 1987 season was difficult for the Rams as they were still waiting for young QB Jim Everett to establish himself and it led to a the first losing season under Robinson (6-9).
Interestingly, they got a fantastic season out of Dickerson’s former back-up Charles White who rushed for over 1300 yards and 11 TD’s.
Attacking Through The Air
 What the Rams had never had with Dickerson was balance but in 1988 if anything, the scales tipped the other way as Jim Everett began to break out.
The Rams had spent the first bounty of picks from the Dickerson trade on a running back to replace Dickerson UCLA’s Gaston Green and a wide receiver to complement veteran Henry Ellard Arizona State’s Aaron Cox. However, neither would ever pay any significant dividend for the Rams and two guys taken later in that draft UCLA receiver Willie Flipper Anderson (3rd round) and Missouri rusher Robert Delpino (5th round) would become much more productive players.
Anderson especially quickly became one of the best deep threats in the league. In his rookie year he only caught 11 passes but averaged a whooping 29 yards a catch. He was obviously the perfect foil for the excellent route running and safe hands of Henry Ellard.
Combining with some nice production from Greg Bell in the backfield, Everett was finding his receivers regularly in 1988 producing franchise highs in passing yards and TD’s (just under 4000 yards passing and 31 TD’s). The Rams made it back to post season but went straight out in the wild card to the Vikings.
In 1989 they seemed ready to challenge the mighty 49ers for the division crown and NFC Championship and in Week 4 they would topple the 49ers at Candlestick Park to signal what appeared to be a changing of the guard in the NFC West. However, after a 5-0 start, a mid-season slump of four straight losses seen the 49ers regain the advantage and left the Rams too much ground to claw back. They would once again have to settle for a wild card.
The growth of the offense was clear though and by now, the Rams were more pass happy than ever. Everett became the first passer in franchise history to top 4000 yards passing and both Ellard and Anderson would top 1000 yards receiving. Indeed, Anderson’s 1146 yards off only 44 catches was at an amazing 26.1 yards average.
In a week 12 match-up at the New Orleans Saints, Everett hooked up with Anderson 15 times for a NFL record 336 yards a mark that still stands today.
The Rams had a passing game to match anyone in the league, maybe even the defending champion 49ers and they would meet back at Candlestick for the NFC Championship game. The Rams had gone on the road in the play-offs and beaten the Eagles and the Giants but things would not go the Rams way this time as Jim Everett was placed under constant pressure. So much pressure in fact, that by the closing minutes of the game he wasn’t even waiting to be hit for the sack, taking himself down.
It would be a game that would haunt Jim Everett. His most infamous moment would come several years later but its roots can be traced back to the ’89 Championship game. In 1994 Everett was interviewed by Jim Rome and was baited by Rome’s continued insistence on referring to him as Chris (Evert, a famous female tennis player). Everett lost his rag and launched himself at Rome. Looking back it certainly wasn’t his finest hour. If anything, he backed himself into a corner by letting the host get to him but it’s a pity in a way Everett is better remembered for that incident than for his excellent play in the NFL.
The 1988 season had featured many great achievements by the Rams. Records in the passing game, post season victories on the road including the beating of the Giants in overtime when Everett famously hit Flipper Anderson for the winning TD and Anderson would run through the end zone and straight to the locker room. Ultimately though, it will be remembered for coming up just short. The problem the Rams had in the whole decade was that they shared a division with the 49ers and they were undoubtedly the team of the 80’s. Coming up short against a team like that is nothing to be ashamed off but it’s fair to say it likely stopped this Rams team being as well remembered as The Greatest Show On Turf that would come along just over 10 years later.
Slipping Into The 90’s
Jim Everett never quite recovered from shell shocking he got in that ’89 Championship game. His numbers would start to slip as would the team’s performance. The Rams went 5-11 in 1990 and followed up with 3-13 in 1991. It was the end for John Robinson and Jim Everett moved on to the New Orleans Saints where he would perform reasonably for a few more years but never quite at the heights of the late 80’s.
The Rams had gone full circle in Robinson’s reign. Twice he led them to the brink of a Super Bowl appearance once by the feet of Eric Dickerson and once by the arm of Jim Everett but it fell just a little short each time. The one consistent of both teams was the offensive line, featuring veteran pro bowlers like OT Jackie Slater (who would spend 20 years as a player with the franchise), OG Tom Newbury and OC Doug Smith. Whether running or passing, the big men got it done up front and regardless of who was behind them, the Rams had some form of offense that scared opponents right throughout the majority of the 1980’s.
The real story in this whole piece could just as easily be how they Rams wasted the bounty they got for Dickerson as they drafted poorly in the late 80’s with the extra picks they gained and that certainly had some bearing on why the team began to drop away as a force after 1989. They looked to have got good value for Dickerson at the time, but a trade can only be judged truly long afterwards and in hindsight, the Rams never got bang for their buck.
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