when did we become an O team??

*Drew4EverRams* · #1 (**permalink**) -17-05-2006

every team in the NFL is known for havin a good D or a good O apart from the whiners!LOL

e.g Steelers,Ravens,Pats,Jets etc.... a great D.....Rams,Colts etc... great on O!

very rarely are teams great on both sides of the ball or all 3 if you include special teams!

many of our former greats,probably more than the O have come from the D side of the ball,so this begs the question when did we become an O team??

id say this took place around the late eighties early nineties,ok so we did have a great running game with Dickerson etc.... but IMHO the overall balance of the team shifted a few years after he left to join the Colts.

WHAT SAY YE??

**HUbison** · #2 (**permalink**) -17-05-2006

Most recently, the answer would have to be '99. Before that we spent a decade being an average to below average offense. In '88 and '89, we had a great offense, thanks in part to the best years Greg Bell spent in the NFL. However, before that you have to fall back to the 1982 and beyond to find a consistent offense.

*AugustaRamFan* · #3 (**permalink**) -17-05-2006

I agree with Bison to a large extent, but I would add that the rise of the offense started after the decline of the Defense after the Fearsome Foresome (70's) years were over and to a lesser extent after the Youngblood/Dyer years (late 70's/early 80's). That may have been the timeframe of transition, because they had very good defense and a one dimentional Offense (Running game). After that you have to go through the Haden/Everett (I left out Feragamo - I think) years where the offense was credible, but the defense was just less than adequate(late 80's/early to mid 90's).

All this followed by the early St. Louis years and then up to 1999/2000. Since then solidly an offensive team.

I may have the chronology skewed, but I think I captured the flow I wanted to...

ARF:clanram:

**AvengerRam** · #4 (**permalink**) -17-05-2006

Interesting question...

I'd say that in the 70s, the Rams were clearly known as a defensive team. Olsen, Jack and Jim Youngblood, Brooks, Dryer, Robertson, Reynolds, Cromwell, Perry, Thomas, Elmendorf and Simpson (to name a few) were anchors on a great defense that won 7 consecutive division titles and the NFC Championship in 1979.

The dominant feature of the 80s was the offensive line: Slater, Harrah, Saul, Pankey and Newberry helped Eric Dickerson and other Ram backs (including Charles White) excel in the running game.

The 90s was a dark time. About all there was to cheer for was the WR corps, which included Henry Ellard, Flipper Anderson and Isaac Bruce.

In 1999, the GSOT was born, and the Rams became known as an offensive team. The question is, will that continue under Linehan?

**HUbison** · #5 (**permalink**) -17-05-2006

Quote:

I'd say that in the 70s, the Rams were clearly known as a defensive team.

Maybe it was a function of their great defense, but between '70 to '80, the Rams had top 10 offenses in 7 years.

*rockisland-ram* · #6 (**permalink**) -17-05-2006

Check me if Im wrong, but wasnt this franchises start as an offensive team in the 50's?? Werent we club quarterback way beck when we began? I may be wrong, but thats what I always thought!

**HUbison** · #7 (**permalink**) -17-05-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockisland-ram

Check me if Im wrong, but wasnt this franchises start as an offensive team in the 50's?? Werent we club quarterback way beck when we began? I may be wrong, but thats what I always thought!

Yes, the Rams have always had great offenses, for the vast majority of the franchises history. However, in the early-mid 60's, the mid 70's (w/exception of '73), the mid 80's and all of the 90's (w/exception of '99).....the Rams offense was mediocre, and not what I would call a defining characteristic.

*r8rh8rmike* · #8 (**permalink**) -17-05-2006

While the Rams have had many good offensive teams in their history, they didn't become what would be classified as an offensive juggernaut that defined them as a team, until Mike Martz came to town.

*bubbaramfan* · #9 (**permalink**) -17-05-2006

The emergence of Jim Everrett as a passing threat in the 80's.

*RamsFan4ever* · #10 (**permalink**) -17-05-2006

id say the late 90's and mid 90's cuz thats when we drafted bruce, pace, holt, warner stepped up, we got faulk

*Goldenfleece* · #11 (**permalink**) -18-05-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by HUbison

Maybe it was a function of their great defense, but between '70 to '80, the Rams had top 10 offenses in 7 years.

Likewise, our '99 and '01 defenses were ranked 7th and 3rd in total yardage respectively. In '01 we allowed 17 points per game and led the NFC in total defense. We finished 7th in scoring defense despite the offense leading the league in turnovers (meaning the opposing offenses got the ball back in good field position a lot and we still kept them from scoring). People forget that during some of the best years of the GSOT we had one of the best defenses in the league, too.

I would argue that a lot of the best teams really aren't that lopsided towards one side of the ball. The Pats have a good D, but they haven't had too much trouble scoring the way Brady has spread the ball around. They scored at least 27 points in 6 of 16 games last season, and that was an off year. The year before they had at least 27 in 9 of 16 games. The pre-TO Eagles were another very balanced team that went to the NFC Championships year after year. Some teams like the Ravens or the Bears really are about just one side of the ball, but I think other teams get labeled O or D based on whichever is better hyped or more exciting. I don't know when we officially became an O team in the public eye, but certainly if we weren't before '99, we sure have been considered one since.

*RealRam* · #12 (**permalink**) -18-05-2006

Excellent, excellent question -- opens a wide table of discussion, history and speculation!

For now, I'd like to cling onto R8rh8rmike's comment from post No. 8.

Quote:

Originally Posted by r8rh8rmike

While the Rams have had many good offensive teams in their history, they didn't become what would be classified as an offensive juggernaut that defined them as a team, until Mike Martz came to town.

*CRAZYHORNS* · #13 (**permalink**) -18-05-2006

I have to say when we got number 28......

Yes, we had some good offenses with Jim and Eric but Faulk and Martz took it to another level.

Faulk made Martz offense unstoppable...............

*RamsFan4ever* · #14 (**permalink**) -18-05-2006

yea i agree and number 13 stepped up! 88-Holt, 80-Bruce, 28-Faulk, 13-Warner, and a Great Oline made our Offence Unstopable!

*theodus69* · #15 (**permalink**) -19-05-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by HUbison

Most recently, the answer would have to be '99. Before that we spent a decade being an average to below average offense. In '88 and '89, we had a great offense, thanks in part to the best years Greg Bell spent in the NFL. However, before that you have to fall back to the 1982 and beyond to find a consistent offense.

99' .................99'...................99'