The 1993 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 56th season in the National Football League and the 48th in Los Angeles.
The Rams looked to improve on their 6–10 record from 1992 and make the playoffs for the first time since 1989. However, the season started off horribly, as the Rams were stomped 36–6 by the Packers in Green Bay in their first game. The Rams, however, rebounded with a 27–0 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers at home. This was followed by a 20–10 loss to the New York Giants and a 28–13 win over the Houston Oilers in Houston. After the win over Houston, the Rams dipped even further, losing their next 5 games to the New Orleans Saints at home (37–6), the Atlanta Falcons in Atlanta (30–24), the Detroit Lions at home (16–13), the arch-rival 49ers in San Francisco (40–17), and the Falcons at home (13–0), to drop to 2–7. After a surprising win over the Washington Redskins at home, the Rams were walloped in their next two games by the 49ers and Cardinals. This assured them of a fourth consecutive losing season and eliminated them from division contention, yet a win over the Saints in New Orleans kept the Rams in the playoff race until a 15–3 loss to the Bengals in Cincinnati eliminated the team from the playoffs for a fourth straight season. This was followed by an embarrassing 42–14 loss at home to the Cleveland Browns and a 20–6 win over the Bears at home.
Ultimately, the Rams finished with a hapless 5–11 record, one win worse than 1992. Worse, the Rams lost ten games by double-digit margins, the first time that had ever happened in franchise history.
To further compound matters, speculation began to mount that the team might relocate to Baltimore. Reports surfaced as the Rams prepared to play the 49ers in San Francisco. The rumors, and further erosion of fan support, exacerbated a 40–17 defeat—their sixth consecutive defeat by San Francisco—and a 2–6 start. The Rams' most recent start of similar quality—or lack thereof—came in 1965, when the Rams played their home games at the L. A. Coliseum and the team was coached by Harland Svare.[1]
However, not all of the developments regarding the Rams constituted a lost season. In fact, early-season routs of the Oilers and Steelers, including the 27–0 shutout of Pittsburgh at Anaheim Stadium, proved to be rare highlights. Jerome Bettis enjoyed a spectacular rookie year and would go on to have a Hall of Fame career.
Game summaries
Week 1
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First quarter
Second quarter
- GB – Chris Jacke 51-yard field goal, 12:17. Packers 12–3. Drive:
- LA – Tony Zendejas 32-yard field goal, 3:47. Packers 12–6. Drive:
- GB – Mark Clayton 4-yard pass from Brett Favre (Chris Jacke kick), 0:40. Packers 19–6. Drive:
Third quarter
- GB – Edgar Bennett 11-yard run (Chris Jacke kick), 8:28. Packers 26–6. Drive:
- GB – Edgar Bennett 1-yard run (Chris Jacke kick), 3:30. Packers 33–6. Drive:
Fourth quarter
- GB – Chris Jacke 33-yard field goal, 1:57. Packers 36–6. Drive:
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- Top passers
- Top rushers
- Top receivers
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Week 2
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Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Steelers
Rams
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Week 3
Week Three: Los Angeles Rams (1–1) at New York Giants (2–0)
at Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey
- Date: Sunday, September 19
- Game time: 10:00 a.m. PST
- Game weather: 65 °F (18.3 °C), wind 14 miles per hour (23 km/h; 12 kn)
- Game attendance: 76,213 (99.12% full)
- TV: CBS
- [4]
[5]
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Rams
Giants
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Week 4
Week Four: Los Angeles Rams (1–2) at Houston Oilers (1–2)
at Houston Astrodome, Houston, Texas
- Date: Sunday, September 26
- Game time: 10:00 a.m. PST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 53,072 (85.57% full)
- TV: CBS
- [6]
[7]
| Game information |
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Rams
Oilers
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Week 5
Week Five: New Orleans Saints (4–0) at Los Angeles Rams (2–2)
at Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim, California
- Date: Sunday, October 3
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 69 °F (20.6 °C), wind 7 miles per hour (11 km/h; 6.1 kn)
- Game attendance: 50,709 (73.48% full)
- TV: CBS
- [8]
[9]
| Game information |
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Saints
Rams
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Week 7
After a week 6 bye, the Rams looked to get back into the win column on a Thursday night matchup with the then-winless Falcons in Atlanta. Los Angeles got off to a good enough start, leading 17–10 at half and 24–17 heading into the fourth quarter, but things fell apart for the Rams in the fourth. Atlanta scored 13 unanswered points in the final quarter to pull away from Los Angeles and register their first win of the 1993 season.
Week Seven: Los Angeles Rams (2–3) at Atlanta Falcons (0–5)
at Georgia Dome, Atlanta
- Date: Thursday, October 14
- Game time: 4:30 p.m. PST
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 45,231 (63.50% full)
- TV announcers (TNT): Gary Bender and Pat Haden
- [10]
[11]
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Rams
Falcons
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Week 8
Week Eight: Detroit Lions (4–2) at Los Angeles Rams (2–4)
at Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim, California
- Date: Sunday, October 24
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PST
- Game weather: 65 °F (18.3 °C), wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
- Game attendance: 43,850 (63.54% full)
- TV: CBS
- [12]
[13]
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Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Lions
Rams
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Week 9
Week Nine: Los Angeles Rams (2–5) at San Francisco 49ers (4–3)
at Candlestick Park, San Francisco, California
- Date: Sunday, October 31
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 61 °F (16.1 °C), wind 10 miles per hour (16 km/h; 8.7 kn)
- Game attendance: 63,417 (95.35% full)
- TV: CBS
- [14]
[15]
| Game information |
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Rams
49ers
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Week 11
Coming out of their second bye week, Los Angeles once again faced the Atlanta Falcons—this time, in Anaheim. While the Falcons were winless going into their early meeting with the Rams, since then, they had won two of their last three and came into the second matchup at 2–6. While Los Angeles was favored by three, the Rams could not get anything going offensively and lost to the Falcons, 13–0, being shut out at home for the first time since 1984.
Week Eleven: Atlanta Falcons (2–6) at Los Angeles Rams (2–6)
at Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim, California
- Date: Sunday, November 14
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 59 °F (15 °C), wind 15 miles per hour (24 km/h; 13 kn)
- Game attendance: 37,073 (53.72% full)
- TV: CBS
- [16]
[17]
| Game information |
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
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Falcons
Rams
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Week 12
Week Twelve: Washington Redskins (2–7) at Los Angeles Rams (2–7)
at Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim, California
- Date: Sunday, November 21
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C), wind 9 miles per hour (14 km/h; 7.8 kn)
- Game attendance: 45,546 (66.00% full)
- TV: CBS
- [18]
[19]
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First quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Redskins
Rams
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Week 13
Week Thirteen: San Francisco 49ers (7–3) at Los Angeles Rams (3–7)
at Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim, California
- Date: Sunday, November 28
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 66 °F (18.9 °C), wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)
- Game attendance: 62,143 (90.05% full)
- TV: CBS
- [20]
[21]
| Game information |
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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49ers
Rams
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Week 14
Week fourteen saw Los Angeles lose yet again, falling to 3–9 on the season. While the Rams had been considered out of the running for the NFC West Championship for many weeks, with their loss to Phoenix, Los Angeles became mathematically eliminated from the NFC West. The Rams would eventually finish last in the division.
Week Fourteen: Los Angeles Rams (3–8) at Phoenix Cardinals (3–8)
at Sun Devil Stadium, Tempe, Arizona
- Date: Sunday, December 5
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 55 °F (12.8 °C), wind 5 miles per hour (8.0 km/h; 4.3 kn)
- Game attendance: 33,964 (46.23% full)
- TV: CBS
- [22]
[23]
| Game information |
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Rams
Cardinals
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Week 15
Week Fifteen: Los Angeles Rams (3–9) at New Orleans Saints (7–5)
at Louisiana Superdome, New Orleans
- Date: Sunday, December 12
- Game time: 10:00 a.m. PDT
- Game weather: Played indoors (dome stadium)
- Game attendance: 69,033 (99.95% full)
- TV: CBS
- [24]
[25]
| Game information |
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Rams
Saints
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Week 16
For week 16, Los Angeles traveled to Cincinnati to face the one-win Bengals. Once again, the Rams were unable to put together a competent offense and were only able to score three points the entire game. With the loss to Cincinnati, Los Angeles found itself mathematically eliminated from playoff contention for the fourth straight season. At the time, the Rams also handed the Bengals only their second win of the season—their first incidentally came against the Rams’ cross-town rival, the Raiders. Ram tackle Irv Eatman stated that “They [Cincinnati] beat us, they beat the Raiders, they played the 49ers tough and obviously they’re just hell on California...they might be looking to put us on the schedule more frequently.”[26]
Week Sixteen: Los Angeles Rams (4–9) at Cincinnati Bengals (1–12)
at Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati
- Date: Sunday, December 19
- Game time: 10:00 a.m. PDT
- Game weather: 35 °F (1.7 °C), wind 11 miles per hour (18 km/h; 9.6 kn)
- Game attendance: 36,612 (60.63% full)
- TV: CBS
- [27]
| Game information |
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Rams
Bengals
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Week 17
Week Seventeen: Cleveland Browns (6–8) at Los Angeles Rams (4–10)
at Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim, California
- Date: Sunday, December 26
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 60 °F (15.6 °C), wind 8 miles per hour (13 km/h; 7.0 kn)
- Game attendance: 34,155 (49.49% full)
- TV: NBC
- [28]
[29]
| Game information |
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First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
Fourth quarter
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Browns
Rams
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Week 18
Week Eighteen: Chicago Bears (7–8) at Los Angeles Rams (4–11)
at Anaheim Stadium, Anaheim, California
- Date: Sunday, January 2
- Game time: 1:00 p.m. PDT
- Game weather: 58 °F (14.4 °C), wind 6 miles per hour (9.7 km/h; 5.2 kn)
- Game attendance: 39,147 (56.73% full)
- TV: CBS
- [30]
[31]
| Game information |
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First quarter
Second quarter
Fourth quarter
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Bears
Rams
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