| 1981 Los Angeles Rams season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Georgia Frontiere |
| General manager | Don Klosterman |
| Head coach | Ray Malavasi |
| Home field | Anaheim Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 6–10 |
| Division place | 3rd NFC West |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
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The 1981 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 44th year with the National Football League (NFL) and the 36th season in Los Angeles. The Rams looked to improve on their 11–5 record from 1980. The team failed to improve, finishing with a mediocre 6–10 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1972. This year's Rams squad also suffered the humiliation of being the first to be swept by NFC West rival New Orleans.
For the season, the Rams converted from gray facemasks to blue facemasks.
| 1981 Los Angeles Rams draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9 | Mel Owens | Linebacker | Michigan | |
| 2 | 43 | Jim Collins | Linebacker | Syracuse | |
| Made roster * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career | |||||
| Player | Position | College |
|---|---|---|
| Jeff Kemp | Quarterback | Dartmouth |
The Rams were touted as a possible Super Bowl contender prior to this season. However, Vince Ferragamo, who had previously led the Rams to Super Bowl XIV and set a Rams record the previous season with 30 touchdown passes, decided to bolt for the Canadian Football League's Montreal Alouettes. Pat Haden was named the starter, but with most of the offensive weapons that Ferragamo had, notably WR's Preston Dennard and Billy Waddy. Also, the Rams would benefit from the return of running back Wendell Tyler, who had missed most of the previous season with a hip injury from an automobile accident.
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Front office
Head coaches
Offensive coaches
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Defensive coaches
Special teams coaches
Strength and conditioning
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Quarterbacks
Running backs
Wide receivers
Tight ends
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Offensive linemen
Defensive linemen
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Linebackers
Defensive backs
Special teams
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Reserve lists
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| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 6 | Houston Oilers | L 20–27 | 0–1 | Anaheim Stadium | 63,198 | |
| 2 | September 13 | atNew Orleans Saints | L 17–23 | 0–2 | Louisiana Superdome | 62,063 | |
| 3 | September 20 | Green Bay Packers | W 35–23 | 1–2 | Anaheim Stadium | 61,286 | |
| 4 | September 28 | atChicago Bears | W 24–7 | 2–2 | Soldier Field | 62,461 | |
| 5 | October 4 | Cleveland Browns | W 27–16 | 3–2 | Anaheim Stadium | 63,924 | |
| 6 | October 11 | atAtlanta Falcons | W 37–35 | 4–2 | Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium | 57,841 | |
| 7 | October 18 | atDallas Cowboys | L 17–29 | 4–3 | Texas Stadium | 64,649 | |
| 8 | October 25 | atSan Francisco 49ers | L 17–20 | 4–4 | Candlestick Park | 59,190 | |
| 9 | November 1 | Detroit Lions | W 20–13 | 5–4 | Anaheim Stadium | 61,814 | |
| 10 | November 8 | New Orleans Saints | L 13–21 | 5–5 | Anaheim Stadium | 61,068 | |
| 11 | November 15 | atCincinnati Bengals | L 10–24 | 5–6 | Riverfront Stadium | 56,836 | |
| 12 | November 22 | San Francisco 49ers | L 31–33 | 5–7 | Anaheim Stadium | 63,456 | |
| 13 | November 29 | atPittsburgh Steelers | L 0–24 | 5–8 | Three Rivers Stadium | 51,854 | |
| 14 | December 6 | atNew York Giants | L 7–10 | 5–9 | Giants Stadium | 59,659 | |
| 15 | December 14 | Atlanta Falcons | W 21–16 | 6–9 | Anaheim Stadium | 57,054 | |
| 16 | December 20 | Washington Redskins | L 7–30 | 6–10 | Anaheim Stadium | 52,224 | |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are in bold text. | |||||||
| NFC West | |||||||||
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W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK |
| San Francisco 49ers(1) | 13 | 3 | 0 | .813 | 5–1 | 10-2 | 357 | 250 | W5 |
| Atlanta Falcons | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 3–3 | 6–6 | 426 | 355 | L3 |
| Los Angeles Rams | 6 | 10 | 0 | .375 | 2–4 | 5–7 | 303 | 351 | L1 |
| New Orleans Saints | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 2–4 | 2–10 | 207 | 378 | L4 |
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| Wild card berths (9) |
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| Division championships (18) |
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| Conference championships (8) |
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| League championships (4) |
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Bold indicates NFL Championship (1920–1969) or Super Bowl (1966–) victory |
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