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In this series, I will be looking at the history of coaches, quarterbacks, rushers, and receivers for all 32 franchises. For coaches and quarterbacks, I will be looking at how much their franchise’s career records (regular season only) would change if we removed the games with that person. For rushers and receivers, I will note how many times that player was the team’s leading rusher/receiver over the course of their time with that franchise (regular plus postseason).

Previous Teams:

AFC East: Dolphins, Bills, Jets, and Patriots
NFC East: Cowboys, Eagles, Giants, and Redskins
AFC North: Steelers, Browns, Ravens, and Bengals
NFC North: Packers, Vikings, Bears, and Lions
AFC South: Jaguars, Colts, Texans, and Titans
NFC South: Panthers, Falcons, Saints, and Buccaneers
AFC West: Raiders, Chiefs
NFC West: Seahawks

The Rams have been around for a long time, but no one coach has won more than 75 games with the team. George Allen is probably the most successful regular season head coach in franchise history, and he was only there for four seasons. Mike Martz was the team’s head coach for a little bit longer than Allen and had more wins, but had a worse winning percentage. Chuck Knox was Rams head coach for a little bit longer than Martz and had more wins, but a worse winning percentage. And John Robinson was there the longest, with the most wins in franchise history, but was barely above .500. That’s better than Super Bowl winner Dick Vermeil, who actually had a losing record with the team! Sean McVay has a pretty clear path to becoming the bet head coach in franchise history, given his age and early success. Oh, and the worst coach the Rams have ever had? That honor belongs to Steve Spagnuolo, who went 10-38 over three seasons.

Ovr RkCoachGWLTHC Win %FrGFrWFLFrTFr W%Win% w/o HCDiff
44George Allen70491740.7291151568562210.5030.4881.5%
61Chuck Knox118694810.5891151568562210.5030.4931%
62Mike Martz85533200.6241151568562210.5030.4931%
80Sean McVay3224800.751151568562210.5030.4960.7%
89Hampton Pool35231020.6861151568562210.5030.4970.6%
102Adam Walsh2115510.7381151568562210.5030.4980.4%
109Joe Stydahar2517800.681151568562210.5030.4990.4%
120John Robinson143756800.5241151568562210.5030.50.3%
121Ray Malavasi73403300.5481151568562210.5030.50.3%
122Clark Shaughnessy2414730.6461151568562210.5030.50.3%
158Tommy Prothro28141220.5361151568562210.5030.5020.1%
190Art Lewis84400.51151568562210.5030.5030%
192Bob Snyder126600.51151568562210.5030.5030%
227Aldo Donelli104600.41151568562210.5030.504-0.1%
252John Fassel303001151568562210.5030.504-0.1%
254Joe Vitt114700.3641151568562210.5030.504-0.1%
259Sid Gillman60283110.4751151568562210.5030.504-0.2%
274Dick Vermeil48222600.4581151568562210.5030.505-0.2%
313Rich Brooks32131900.4061151568562210.5030.505-0.3%
346Jim Haslett1221000.1671151568562210.5030.506-0.4%
370Dutch Clark44162620.3861151568562210.5030.507-0.5%
389Hugo Bezdek1411300.0711151568562210.5030.508-0.5%
410Scott Linehan36112500.3061151568562210.5030.509-0.6%
421Jeff Fisher77314510.4091151568562210.5030.509-0.7%
423Bob Waterfield3492410.2791151568562210.5030.509-0.7%
440Harland Svare48143130.3231151568562210.5030.51-0.8%
493Steve Spagnuolo48103800.2081151568562210.5030.515-1.3%

What about the quarterbacks? This data only goes back to 1950, so we do miss some of the early years of the Rams franchise. Mainly, that means Bob Waterfield doesn’t get a fair shake. But the best quarterback in Rams history, in terms of improving the team’s winning percentage, was clearly Roman Gabriel. He was a whopping 35 games over .500; Norm Van Brocklin (+22) and Kurt Warner (+20) round out the top three in that metric.

Ovr RkQBGWLTQB Win %FrGFrWFLFrTFr W%Win% w/o QBDiff
30Roman Gabriel119743960.6471018508495150.5060.4881.9%
56Norm Van Brocklin65422030.6691018508495150.5060.4951.1%
62Kurt Warner50351500.7001018508495150.5060.4961%
78Pat Haden55351910.6451018508495150.5060.4980.8%
82James Harris2721600.7781018508495150.5060.4990.7%
98John Hadl1915400.7891018508495150.5060.5010.5%
108Jared Goff38241400.6321018508495150.5060.5020.5%
127Vince Ferragamo44261800.5911018508495150.5060.5030.4%
140Dieter Brock1511400.7331018508495150.5060.5030.3%
152Bob Waterfield2214800.6361018508495150.5060.5040.3%
196Jeff Kemp149500.6431018508495150.5060.5040.2%
227Ron Jaworski33001.0001018508495150.5060.5050.1%
269Steve Bartkowski64200.6671018508495150.5060.5050.1%
341Scott Covington11001.0001018508495150.5060.5060%
361Jamie Martin74300.5711018508495150.5060.5060%
434Joe Namath42200.5001018508495150.5060.5060%
448Frank Ryan115510.5001018508495150.5060.5060%
450Case Keenum147700.5001018508495150.5060.5060%
546Buddy Humphrey10100.0001018508495150.5060.5070%
547Ron Miller10100.0001018508495150.5060.5070%
548Terry Baker10100.0001018508495150.5060.5070%
549Jeff Rutledge10100.0001018508495150.5060.5070%
550Brock Berlin10100.0001018508495150.5060.5070%
551Sean Mannion10100.0001018508495150.5060.5070%
564Pete Beathard20110.2501018508495150.5060.507-0.1%
573Steve Walsh31200.3331018508495150.5060.507-0.1%
574Gus Frerotte31200.3331018508495150.5060.507-0.1%
575A.J. Feeley31200.3331018508495150.5060.507-0.1%
609Steve Dils94500.4441018508495150.5060.507-0.1%
726Steve Bono20200.0001018508495150.5060.507-0.1%
738Bert Jones41300.2501018508495150.5060.507-0.1%
741Trent Green62400.3331018508495150.5060.507-0.1%
748Austin Davis83500.3751018508495150.5060.507-0.1%
749Shaun Hill83500.3751018508495150.5060.507-0.1%
840Mark Rypien30300.0001018508495150.5060.508-0.1%
841Ryan Fitzpatrick30300.0001018508495150.5060.508-0.1%
852Dan Pastorini51400.2001018508495150.5060.508-0.2%
860T.J. Rubley72500.2861018508495150.5060.508-0.2%
866Nick Foles114700.3641018508495150.5060.508-0.2%
933Keith Null40400.0001018508495150.5060.508-0.2%
934Kyle Boller40400.0001018508495150.5060.508-0.2%
937Chris Chandler82600.2501018508495150.5060.508-0.2%
941Kellen Clemens124800.3331018508495150.5060.508-0.2%
1005Chris Miller2391400.3911018508495150.5060.509-0.3%
1123Bill Munson1831320.2221018508495150.5060.512-0.5%
1130Billy Wade36132300.3611018508495150.5060.512-0.5%
1156Sam Bradford49183010.3781018508495150.5060.513-0.7%
1176Marc Bulger95415400.4321018508495150.5060.514-0.8%
1179Jim Everett105465900.4381018508495150.5060.514-0.8%
1180Tony Banks43142900.3261018508495150.5060.514-0.8%
1191Zeke Bratkowski2432100.1251018508495150.5060.516-0.9%

The Rams have a remarkable history at running back, continued on today by Todd Gurley. The Rams have two inner circle HOFers in Marshall Faulk and Eric Dickerson, while Steven Jackson had the longest sustained success with the team. Jerome Bettis is another Hall of Famer who began his career with the team, while Dan Towler was a legendary rusher with the team in the early ’50s.

So who led the team in rushing yards most frequently? That honor belongs to Jackson, although it’s Dickerson who did it in the highest percentage of games played.

RusherFirst YrLast YrLeading RusherTotal Games%
Steven Jackson2004201211613387%
Marshall Faulk199920058010973%
Eric Dickerson19831987677194%
Lawrence McCutcheon197219796310063%
Dick Bass196019695711350%
Todd Gurley20152018566290%
Jerome Bettis19931995374779%
Wendell Tyler19771982366456%
Les Josephson196419743413425%
Dan Towler19501955327244%
Willie Ellison19671972298534%
Greg Bell19871989293876%
Cleveland Gary19891993286742%
Jon Arnett19571963238128%
Cullen Bryant197319871814812%
Charles White19851988176327%
Lawrence Phillips19961997172568%
Tommy Wilson19561961166923%
Robert Delpino19881992157620%
Ron Waller19551958144333%
Larry Smith19691973146721%
Tre Mason20142015132552%
Zac Stacy20132014122744%
Skeets Quinlan19521956124527%
Ollie Matson19591962115122%
Joe Marconi19561961117115%

At wide receiver, this was a three-man race between Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, and Henry Ellard. The Rams have a pair of Hall of Famers from the ’50s in Crazy Legs Hirsch and Tom Fears, but in the modern era, these are the best three in team history (with a helmet knock to Harold Jackson, who was perhaps equally good but spent less than half of his career with the Rams).

We could debate for hours who was the best out of Holt, Bruce, and Ellard (who was not only a first down machine, but led his teams in receiving yards an amazing 13 times). So who led the team in rushing yards most frequently? The answer below:

ReceiverFirst YrLast YrLeading ReceiverTotal Games%
Torry Holt199920088416850%
Henry Ellard198319937716846%
Isaac Bruce199420077720637%
Jack Snow196519754515629%
Harold Jackson19681977398049%
Red Phillips19581964318238%
Flipper Anderson198819943111028%
Elroy Hirsch194919573010928%
Preston Dennard19781983268830%
Tom Fears19481956249326%
Kenny Britt20142016224747%
Bob Boyd19501957208324%
Ron Jessie19751979195932%
Carroll Dale19601964186528%
Billy Waddy19771982177822%
Robert Woods20172018163250%
Bernie Casey19671968142752%
Del Shofner19571960144730%
Brandon Gibson20092012145426%
Ron Brown19841991149115%
Leon Clarke19561959134330%
Willie Miller19781982136022%
Tommy McDonald19651966122744%
Lance Rentzel19711974114425%
Jared Cook20132015114823%
Steven Jackson20042012111338%
Chris Givens20122015104821%
Ricky Proehl19982002108212%
Billy Truax19641970109610%

That’s it for the Rams version of this series. Please leave your thoughts in the comments.

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