179-650: Frank Michael Reich ( / r aɪ k / ; RYKE ; born December 4, 1961) is an American former professional football player and coach in the National Football League (NFL). He played 14 seasons as a quarterback in the NFL. He became a coach afterwards, including head coaching stints with the Indianapolis Colts and Carolina Panthers . Reich played college football for the Maryland Terrapins and
358-514: A Walmart heir , also owned Altitude Sports and Entertainment . These interests violated the NFL's cross-ownership rule. Nevertheless, on August 25, 2010, NFL owners unanimously approved him as the owner of the franchise contingent upon his eventual divestment of his Colorado sports interests. Kroenke complied with the rule when he transferred ownership of the Nuggets, Avalanche, the Pepsi Center, and
537-422: A gridiron in appearance. Other major rule changes included a reduction of the field size to 110 by 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (100.6 m × 48.8 m) and the adoption of a scoring system that awarded four points for a touchdown, two for a safety and a goal following a touchdown , and five for a goal from the field . Additionally, tackling below the waist was legalized, and a static line of scrimmage
716-403: A halftime period, and the first and third quarters are followed by a short break. Before the game starts, the referee and each team's captain meet at midfield for a coin toss . The visiting team can call either "heads" or "tails"; the winner of the toss chooses whether to receive or kick off the ball or which goal they wish to defend. They can defer their choice until the second half. Unless
895-401: A 10-yard-long chain between them, are used to measure for a first down. The chain crew stays on the sidelines during the game, but if requested by the officials they will briefly bring the chains on to the field to measure. A typical chain crew will have at least three people—two members of the chain crew will hold either of the two sticks, while a third will hold the down marker. The down marker,
1074-568: A 10–6 record, but then were defeated by Minnesota in the wild card round. Los Angeles won the first five games of 1989 , including a sensational defeat of the defending champion 49ers . They beat the Eagles in the wild card game , then beat the Giants in overtime before suffering a 30–3 flogging at the hands of the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. Although it was not apparent at the time,
1253-724: A 1–5 start, Reich led the Colts to a 10–6 record winning nine of their final 10 games. Indianapolis became just the third team in NFL history to make the playoffs following a 1–5 start, and also reached their first postseason appearance since 2014. In the Wild Card Round, they defeated the Houston Texans 21–7 before falling to the Kansas City Chiefs 31–13 in the Divisional Round. Following Luck's unexpected retirement ahead of
1432-525: A PAT attempt or successful field goal, the scoring team must kick the ball off to the other team. A safety is scored when the ball carrier is tackled in the carrier's own end zone. Safeties are worth two points, which are awarded to the defense. In addition, the team that conceded the safety must kick the ball to the scoring team via a free kick . Football games are played on a rectangular field that measures 120 yards (110 m) long and 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (48.8 m) wide. Lines marked along
1611-468: A coach. In 2005, Martz was ill, and was hospitalized for several games, allowing assistant head coach Joe Vitt to coach the remainder of the season. Although Martz was cleared later in the season, team president John Shaw did not allow him to come back to coach the team. After the Rams fired Martz, former Minnesota offensive coordinator Scott Linehan took control of an 8–8 team in 2006 . In 2007 , Linehan led
1790-496: A comeback vs. the Indianapolis Colts , four games after Reich had been fired from his head-coaching position and been replaced by interim head coach Jeff Saturday . The Vikings' comeback was 33 points, one more than the Reich and the Bills' comeback in the 1992-93 postseason. After retiring as a player, Reich began an NFL coaching career. Holding assistant positions from 2008 to 2017, he was
1969-473: A common draft that would take place each year, and it instituted an annual World Championship game to be played between the champions of each league. This championship game began play at the end of the 1966 season. Once the merger was completed, it was no longer a championship game between two leagues and reverted to the NFL championship game, which came to be known as the Super Bowl . College football maintained
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#17328517374192148-628: A disappointing 3–5–1 start to the 2022 season, Reich was fired on November 7. On January 26, 2023, the Carolina Panthers hired Reich as their next head coach . On November 27, 2023, after a 1–10 start, the Panthers fired Reich. Reich became the first head coach to be fired mid season in back-to-back seasons after he was fired from the Panthers . Reich has served under five head coaches: Four of Reich's coaching assistants have become head coaches in
2327-567: A feat the Professional Football Researchers Association compared to "selling refrigerators to Eskimos ". Princeton, Harvard, Yale, and Columbia then agreed to intercollegiate play using a form of rugby union rules with a modified scoring system. These schools formed the Intercollegiate Football Association , although Yale did not join until 1879. Yale player Walter Camp , now regarded as
2506-453: A field goal instead. A group of officials, the chain crew, keeps track of both the downs and the distance measurements. On television, a yellow line is electronically superimposed on the field to show the first down line to the viewing audience. There are two categories of kicks in football: scrimmage kicks, which can be executed by the offensive team on any down from behind or on the line of scrimmage, and free kicks. The free kicks are
2685-428: A game between Yale and Princeton, both teams used this strategy to maintain their undefeated records. Each team held the ball, gaining no ground, for an entire half, resulting in a 0–0 tie. This "block game" proved extremely unpopular with both teams' spectators and fans. A rule change was necessary to prevent this strategy from taking hold, and a reversion to the scrum was considered. However, Camp successfully proposed
2864-576: A game for the Allegheny Athletic Association against the Pittsburgh Athletic Club . This is the first recorded instance of a player being paid to participate in a game of American football , although many athletic clubs in the 1880s offered indirect benefits, such as helping players attain employment, giving out trophies or watches that players could pawn for money, or paying double in expense money. Despite these extra benefits,
3043-651: A handful of quarterbacks who is undefeated as a starter in post-season play, as well as the only one with more than one start to his credit. Kelly recovered and started the AFC Championship where the Bills defeated the Miami Dolphins 29–10. During Super Bowl XXVII , the Bills faced the Dallas Cowboys and Reich again replaced an injured Kelly in the first half of the Super Bowl. Reich led the Bills to 10 points to make
3222-533: A large stick with a dial on it, is flipped after each play to indicate the current down and is typically moved to the approximate spot of the ball. The chain crew system has been used for over 100 years and is considered an accurate measure of distance, rarely subject to criticism from either side. Football is a full-contact sport, and injuries are relatively common. Most injuries occur during training sessions, particularly ones that involve contact between players. To try to prevent injuries, players are required to wear
3401-584: A lawsuit. The owners eventually acquiesced to her demands, wary of going through a long, protracted legal battle. Tagliabue simply stated that "The desire to have peace and not be at war was a big factor" in allowing the Rams move to go forward. In a matter of a month, the vote had gone from 21–6 opposed to 23–6 in favor, with the Raiders, who left the Coliseum and returned to Oakland later in 1995, abstaining. Jonathan Kraft, son of Patriots owner Robert Kraft , elaborated on
3580-553: A league-suggested numbering scheme. Although the sport is played almost exclusively by men, women are eligible to play in high school, college, and professional football. No woman has ever played in the NFL, but women have played in high school and college football games. In 2018, 1,100 of the 225,000 players in Pop Warner Little Scholars youth football were girls, and around 11% of the 5.5 million Americans who report playing tackle football are female according to
3759-408: A long circumference of 28 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (71 to 72 cm), and a short circumference of 21 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). In college and high school play the ball has a long axis of 10 + 7 ⁄ 8 to 11 + 7 ⁄ 16 inches (27.6 to 29.1 cm), a long circumference of 27 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 28 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches (70 to 72 cm), and
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#17328517374193938-420: A minimum of 10 feet (3.0 m) on high school fields. Goal posts are padded at the base, and orange ribbons are normally placed at the tip of each upright as indicators of wind strength and direction. The football itself is a prolate spheroid leather ball, similar to the balls used in rugby or Australian rules football . To contain the compressed air within it, a pig's bladder was commonly used before
4117-670: A national champion of college football. The first was the Bowl Coalition , in place from 1992 to 1994. This was replaced in 1995 by the Bowl Alliance , which gave way to the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) in 1997. The BCS arrangement proved to be controversial , and was replaced in 2014 by the College Football Playoff (CFP). A football game is played between two teams of 11 players each. Playing with more on
4296-460: A needed boost for pro football in Orange County. The former University of Southern California coach began by cutting the aged veterans left over from the 1970s teams. His rebuilding program began to show results when the team rebounded to 9–7 in 1983 and defeated Dallas in the playoffs . However, the season ended after a rout at the hands of the defending champion Redskins . Another trip to
4475-428: A pass hits the ground without a player having caught it. A forward pass can be legally attempted only if the passer is behind the line of scrimmage; only one forward pass can be attempted per down. As in rugby, players can also pass the ball backwards at any point during a play. In the NFL, a down also ends immediately if the runner's helmet comes off. The offense is given a series of four plays, known as downs . If
4654-778: A professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play their home games at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood , which they share with the Los Angeles Chargers . The franchise was founded in 1936 as the Cleveland Rams in Cleveland, Ohio . The franchise won
4833-427: A quarter ends, play continues until the down is completed. If certain fouls are committed during play while time has expired, the quarter may be extended through an untimed down . Games last longer than their defined length due to play stoppages—the average NFL game lasts slightly over three hours. Time in a football game is measured by the game clock. An operator is responsible for starting, stopping and operating
5012-519: A rookie from UCLA , passed, ran, and place-kicked his way to the league's Most Valuable Player award, which was known as the Joe F. Carr Trophy back then, and helped the Rams achieve a 9–1 record and win their first NFL Championship , a 15–14 home field victory over the Washington Redskins on December 16. The margin of victory was provided by a safety : Redskins great Sammy Baugh 's pass bounced off
5191-414: A round ball that could not be picked up or carried. It could, however, be kicked or batted with the feet, hands, head, or sides, with the objective being to advance it into the opponent's goal. Rutgers won the game 6–4. Collegiate play continued for several years with games played using the rules of the host school. Representatives of Yale, Columbia , Princeton and Rutgers met on October 19, 1873, to create
5370-422: A rule in 1882 that limited each team to three downs , or tackles, to advance the ball 5 yards (4.6 m). Failure to advance the ball the required distance within those three downs would result in control of the ball being forfeited to the other team. This change effectively made American football a separate sport from rugby, and the resulting five-yard lines added to the field to measure distances made it resemble
5549-436: A secondary signal. Women can serve as officials; Sarah Thomas became the NFL's first female official in 2015. The seven officials (of a standard seven-man crew; lower levels of play up to the college level use fewer officials) on the field are each tasked with a different set of responsibilities: Another set of officials, the chain crew , are responsible for moving the chains. The chains, consisting of two large sticks with
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5728-597: A set of equipment. At a minimum players must wear a football helmet and a set of shoulder pads , but individual leagues may require additional padding such as thigh pads and guards, knee pads, chest protectors, and mouthguards . Most injuries occur in the lower extremities, particularly in the knee, but a significant number also affect the upper extremities. The most common types of injuries are strains , sprains , bruises , fractures , dislocations , and concussions . Los Angeles Rams National Football League ( 1937 –present) The Los Angeles Rams are
5907-435: A shadow of its former self. Accusations and excuses were constantly thrown back and forth between the Rams fanbase, ownership, and local politicians. Many fans heavily blamed the ownership of Georgia Frontiere for the franchise's woes, while ownership cited the outdated stadium and withering fan support as direct factors. Frontiere quickly gave up and decided to move the Rams franchise to St. Louis. However, on March 15, 1995,
6086-410: A short circumference of 20 + 3 ⁄ 4 to 21 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (53 to 54 cm). Football games last for a total of 60 minutes in professional and college play and are divided into two halves of 30 minutes and four quarters of 15 minutes. High school football games are 48 minutes in length with two halves of 24 minutes and four quarters of 12 minutes. The two halves are separated by
6265-452: A standard set of rules for use by all schools. Teams were set at 20 players each, and fields of 400 by 250 feet (122 m × 76 m) were specified. Harvard abstained from the conference, as they favored a rugby-style game that allowed running with the ball. After playing McGill University using both American (known as "the Boston game ") for the first game and Canadian (rugby) rules for
6444-550: A stunning 1,495 receiving yards with 17 touchdowns. In 1950 the popularity of this wide-open offense enabled the Los Angeles Rams to become the first pro football team to have all their games televised. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the Rams went from being the only major professional sports franchise in Southern California and Los Angeles to being one of five. The Los Angeles Dodgers moved from Brooklyn in 1958,
6623-449: A tradition of postseason bowl games . Each bowl game was associated with a particular conference and earning a spot in a bowl game was the reward for winning a conference. This arrangement was profitable, but it tended to prevent the two top-ranked teams from meeting in a true national championship game, as they would normally be committed to the bowl games of their respective conferences. Several systems have been used since 1992 to determine
6802-425: Is called on the offense. There are two main ways the offense can advance the ball: running and passing . In a typical play, the center passes the ball backwards and between their legs to the quarterback in a process known as the snap . The quarterback then either hands the ball off to a running back, throws the ball, or runs with it. The play ends when the player with the ball is tackled or goes out-of-bounds or
6981-437: Is caught or recovered behind the line of scrimmage. If it is touched or recovered by the kicking team beyond this line, it becomes dead at the spot where it was touched. The kicking team is prohibited from interfering with the receiver's opportunity to catch the ball. The receiving team has the option of signaling for a fair catch , which prohibits the defense from blocking into or tackling the receiver. The play ends as soon as
7160-403: Is known as a two-point conversion . In general, the extra point is almost always successful, while the two-point conversion is a much riskier play with a higher probability of failure; accordingly, extra point attempts are far more common than two-point conversion attempts. A field goal (FG), worth three points, is scored when the ball is place kicked or drop kicked through the uprights and over
7339-407: Is responsible for all kicking plays. The special teams unit of the team in control of the ball tries to execute field goal (FG) attempts, punts , and kickoffs , while the opposing team's unit will aim to block or return them. Three positions are specific to the field goal and PAT (point-after-touchdown) unit: the placekicker (K or PK), holder (H), and long snapper (LS). The long snapper's job
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7518-421: Is to block members of the defensive line from tackling the ball carrier on running plays or sacking the quarterback on passing plays. The leader of the offensive line is the center, who is responsible for snapping the ball to the quarterback, blocking, and for making sure that the other linemen do their jobs during the play. On either side of the center are the guards (G), while tackles (T) line up outside
7697-437: Is to snap the football to the holder, who will catch and position it for the placekicker. There is not usually a holder on kickoffs, because the ball is kicked off a tee; however, a holder may be used in certain situations, such as if wind is preventing the ball from remaining upright on the tee. The player on the receiving team who catches the ball is known as the kickoff returner (KR). The positions specific to punt plays are
7876-669: The 1945 NFL Championship Game , then moved to Los Angeles in 1946 , making way for Paul Brown 's Cleveland Browns of the All-America Football Conference and becoming the only NFL championship team to play the following season in another city. The club played its home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum until 1980, when it moved into a reconstructed Anaheim Stadium in Orange County, California . The Rams made their first Super Bowl appearance at
8055-541: The 1958 NFL Championship game between the Baltimore Colts and the New York Giants , still referred to as the "Greatest Game Ever Played". The game, a 23–17 overtime victory by the Colts, was seen by millions of television viewers and had a major influence on the popularity of the sport. This, along with the innovations introduced by the new American Football League (AFL) in the early 1960s, helped football to become
8234-429: The 1979 NFL season , owner Carroll Rosenbloom died in a drowning accident, and his widow, Georgia Frontiere , inherited 70 percent ownership of the team. Frontiere then fired stepson Steve Rosenbloom and assumed total control of Rams operations. As had been planned prior to Rosenbloom's death, the Rams moved from their longtime home at the Coliseum to Anaheim Stadium in nearby Orange County in 1980. The reason for
8413-501: The 1998 NFL season . In 2014, Pro Football Hall of Fame Executive Bill Polian , who was general manager of the Bills when they drafted Reich, called him "the greatest backup quarterback in NFL history." Reich was a coaching intern for the Indianapolis Colts from 2006 to 2007. In 2008, he served as an offensive coaching staff assistant for the Colts. After Tony Dungy retired following the 2008 season, former Colts quarterback coach Jim Caldwell took over as head coach and Reich became
8592-623: The 2015 NFL season , the team sought and received approval from the other owners to move back to Los Angeles in time for the 2016 NFL season . The Rams appeared in Super Bowl LIII but lost to the Patriots , 13–3. Three years later, the Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23–20 to win Super Bowl LVI , becoming the second NFL team to win the Super Bowl in its home stadium. The club is
8771-529: The Chicago Bears . At the end of the season Walsh resigned as head coach. The Coliseum was home for the Rams for more than 30 years, but the facility was already over 20 years old on the day of the first kickoff. Bob Snyder coached the team for one season. In 1947, he led the team to a 6–6 record and a fourth place finish in the NFC West. In 1948, halfback Fred Gehrke painted horns on the Rams' helmets, making
8950-448: The Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings , they lost the first four conference championship games they played in that decade, losing twice each to Minnesota (1974, 1976) and Dallas (1975, 1978) and failing to win a league championship. The Rams' head coach for this run was Chuck Knox , who led the team through 1977. His teams featured unremarkable offenses carried into the playoffs annually by elite defensive units. The defining player of
9129-626: The Houston Oilers defeated Buffalo 27–3 in Houston, where Kelly suffered strained ligaments in his knee and yielded to Reich to finish the game in his place. With Kelly out, Reich took the reins as the starter for the wild card game the following week, on January 3, 1993. The wild card game was a rematch with the Oilers, hosted in Buffalo, where they led the Bills 35–3 early in the 3rd quarter, but Reich then led
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#17328517374199308-775: The Jacksonville Jaguars after the 2011 season. Pursuant to NFL rules, owners are prohibited from owning other sports teams in markets where there is already an NFL team. At the time of purchase, Kroenke (d/b/a Kroenke Sports Enterprises ) owned the Denver Nuggets , the Colorado Avalanche , the Colorado Rapids , and the Pepsi Center (home to the Nuggets and the Avalanche). Kroenke, a real estate and sports mogul married to
9487-663: The Los Angeles Chargers of the upstart AFL was established in 1960, the Los Angeles Lakers moved from Minneapolis in 1960, and the Los Angeles Angels were awarded to Gene Autry in 1961. In spite of this, the Rams continued to thrive in Southern California. In the first two years after the Dodgers moved to California, the Rams drew an average of 83,681 in 1958 and 74,069 in 1959. The Rams were so popular in Los Angeles that
9666-532: The Los Angeles Dons compete there as well. Reeves was taking a gamble that Los Angeles was ready for its own professional football team—and suddenly there were two in the City of Angels. Reeves was proven to be correct when the Rams played their first pre-season game against the Washington Redskins in front of a crowd of 95,000 fans. The team finished their first season in L.A. with a 6–4–1 record, second place behind
9845-690: The MLB the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series in 1981 and 1988 , and even in the NHL the Los Angeles Kings made a deep run in the playoffs in 1982, and acquired fan interest following the arrival of Wayne Gretzky in 1988. As a result, the Rams declined sharply in popularity during the 1980s, despite being playoff contenders for most of the decade. The hiring of coach John Robinson in 1983 provided
10024-535: The NFC Championship by the Cowboys . It was the Rams' weakest divisional winner (an aging 1979 team that only achieved a 9–7 record) that achieved the team's greatest success in that period. Led by third-year quarterback Vince Ferragamo , the Rams shocked the heavily favored and two-time defending NFC champion Dallas Cowboys 21–19 in the divisional playoffs, then shut out the upstart Tampa Bay Buccaneers 9–0 in
10203-496: The NFC West during all three years of Knox's second stint. As the losses piled up and the team was seen as playing uninspired football, the Rams' already dwindling fan base was reduced even further. By 1994, support for the Rams had withered to the point where they were barely part of the Los Angeles sports landscape. With sellouts becoming fewer and far between, the Rams saw more of their games blacked out in Southern California. One of
10382-573: The National Football League on February 12, 1937, and were assigned to the Western Division. The Rams would be the fourth in a string of short-lived teams based in Cleveland, following the Cleveland Tigers , Cleveland Bulldogs , and Cleveland Indians . From the beginning, they were a team marked by frequent moves, playing in three stadiums over several losing seasons. However, the team featured
10561-618: The Philadelphia Eagles He went on to win Super Bowl LII over the New England Patriots with the team in the 2017 season. On February 11, 2018, he was named the new head coach of the Colts, seven years after he had been fired as wide receivers coach. After losing his first career game against the Cincinnati Bengals , Reich earned his first win as a head coach over the Washington Redskins . In Week 3 against his former team
10740-644: The Rams in 1981 , as they only won six games and missed the playoffs for the first time in nine years; adding to the woes was Ferragamo being wrested away by the CFL 's Montreal Alouettes that year (although he returned the following season). After the 1982 season was shortened to nine games by a strike , the Rams went 2–7, the worst record in the NFC. In 1982 , the Oakland Raiders moved to Los Angeles and took up residence in
10919-470: The Rams were booted from the playoffs by Washington . After one game of the 1987 season was lost to the players' strike , the NFL employed substitutes, most of which were given derogatory nicknames (in this case the Los Angeles Shams). After a 2–1 record, the Rams' regulars returned, but the team only went 6–9 and did not qualify for the postseason . The Rams managed to return in 1988 with
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#173285173741911098-411: The kickoff , which starts the first and third quarters and overtime and follows a try attempt or a successful field goal; the safety kick follows a safety. On a kickoff, the ball is placed at the 35-yard line of the kicking team in professional and college play and at the 40-yard line in high school play. The ball may be drop kicked or place kicked. If a place kick is chosen, the ball can be placed on
11277-638: The offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles when they won their first Super Bowl title in Super Bowl LII . He later served as the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts from 2018 to 2022 and guided the team to two playoff appearances. He was the Panthers head coach in 2023 before being fired before the end of the season after a 1–10 record. Reich, who is of German descent , attended Cedar Crest High School in Lebanon, Pennsylvania , where he played baseball, football, and basketball. Reich started on
11456-407: The punter (P), long snapper, upback , and gunner . The long snapper snaps the football directly to the punter, who then drops and kicks it before it hits the ground. Gunners line up split outside the line and race down the field, aiming to tackle the punt returner (PR)—the player who catches the punt. Upbacks line up a short distance behind the line of scrimmage, providing additional protection to
11635-462: The "Father of American Football", secured rule changes in 1880 that reduced the size of each team from 15 to 11 players and instituted the snap to replace the chaotic and inconsistent scrum . While the game between Rutgers and Princeton is commonly considered the first American football game, several years prior in 1862, the Oneida Football Club formed as the oldest known football club in
11814-515: The "Father of American Football", established the snap , the line of scrimmage , eleven-player teams, and the concept of downs. Later rule changes legalized the forward pass , created the neutral zone , and specified the size and shape of the football. The sport is closely related to Canadian football , which evolved in parallel with and at the same time as the American game, although its rules were developed independently from those of Camp. Most of
11993-570: The "Rams", because his favorite college football team was the Fordham Rams from Fordham University ; Marshman, the principal owner, also liked the name choice. The team was part of the newly formed American Football League and finished the 1936 regular season in second place with a 5–2–2 record, trailing only the 8–3 record of league champion Boston Shamrocks . The team featured players such as William "Bud" Cooper , Harry "The Horse" Mattos , Stan Pincura , and Mike Sebastian . The Rams joined
12172-462: The 100,000 mark twice during the 1958 campaign. The 1960s were defined by the great defensive line of Rosey Grier , Merlin Olsen , Deacon Jones , and Lamar Lundy , dubbed the " Fearsome Foursome ". It was this group of players who restored the on-field luster of the franchise in 1967 when the Rams reached (but lost) the conference championship under head coach George Allen . That 1967 squad became
12351-529: The 1970s Los Angeles Rams was Jack Youngblood . Youngblood was called the 'Perfect Defensive End' by fellow Hall of Famer Merlin Olsen. His toughness was legendary, notably playing on a broken leg during the Rams' run to the 1980 Super Bowl . His blue-collar ethic stood in opposition to the perception that the Rams were a soft 'Hollywood' team. However, several Rams players from this period took advantage of their proximity to Hollywood and crossed over into acting after their playing careers ended. Most notable of these
12530-452: The 1989 NFC Championship Game was the end of an era. The Rams did not have another winning season for the rest of their first tenure in Los Angeles before moving to St. Louis. They crumbled to 5–11 in 1990 , followed by a 3–13 season in 1991 . Robinson resigned at the end of the 1991 season. However, the return of Chuck Knox as head coach, after his successful stints as head coach of the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks , did not boost
12709-413: The 2019 season, Reich's Indianapolis tenure became noted for quarterback instability, with the team starting Brissett in 2019, Philip Rivers in 2020, Carson Wentz in 2021, and Matt Ryan and Sam Ehlinger in 2022. Although Reich guided the Colts to a playoff berth in 2020 , he and his team suffered a major setback in 2021 . That season, the Colts missed the playoffs despite having a 98% chance to make
12888-531: The AFL New York Jets signed rookie Joe Namath to a then-record $ 437,000 contract (equivalent to $ 4.23 million in 2023). A five-year, $ 40 million NBC television contract followed, which helped to sustain the young league. The bidding war for players ended in 1966 when NFL owners approached the AFL regarding a merger, and the two leagues agreed on one that took full effect in 1970. This agreement provided for
13067-512: The Altitude to his son Josh Kroenke . The Rams received the first pick in the 2010 NFL draft after finishing the 2009 season with a 1–15 record. The team used the pick to select quarterback Sam Bradford from the University of Oklahoma . The Rams finished the 2010 season second in the NFC West with a record of 7–9. Bradford started all 16 games for the Rams after earning the starting position during
13246-582: The Bills on a 38–3 run en route to a 41–38 overtime victory. The rally from a 32-point deficit remained the largest comeback in NFL history until the Minnesota Vikings made a 33-point comeback against the Indianapolis Colts on December 17, 2022. Reich started his second consecutive playoff game, as the Bills defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 24–3 in the divisional round. This made Reich one of
13425-444: The Bills to two straight victories. He rallied the Bills in the fourth quarter by throwing two drives down the field for a 23–20 victory over the previously unbeaten Los Angeles Rams . This first game for Reich occurred in front of a Rich Stadium crowd of 76,231 and a Monday Night Football audience. In Super Bowl XXV , kicker Scott Norwood famously missed the potential game winning field goal wide-right , partially because Reich, as
13604-578: The Charlotte Campus of Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte and he earned a Master of Divinity degree. He served as president of RTS' Charlotte campus from 2003 to 2006. Reich was also a pastor at Ballantyne Presbyterian until he moved to Indianapolis . Reich and his wife Linda have three daughters. # denotes interim head coach # denotes interim head coach American football American football , referred to simply as football in
13783-556: The Eagles, with the Colts down 20–16 with seconds left in the game, Reich pulled starting quarterback Andrew Luck and put in Jacoby Brissett to attempt a Hail Mary pass from his own 46-yard line. Brissett overthrew several players in the back of the end zone and the Colts lost the game. The move was questioned by some journalists and fans, and led to some speculation about the health of Luck's shoulder, although Reich and Luck both said it
13962-576: The FCS and 85 scholarship players in the FBS, respectively. Individual players in a football game must be designated with a uniform number between 1 and 99, though some teams may "retire" certain numbers , making them unavailable to players. NFL teams are required to number their players by a league-approved numbering system, and any exceptions must be approved by the commissioner . NCAA and NFHS teams are "strongly advised" to number their offensive players according to
14141-498: The Giants, Spagnuolo's first season as head coach of the Rams was disappointing as the team won only once in 16 attempts. On May 31, 2009, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the majority owners Rosenbloom and Rodriguez officially offered their majority share of Rams for sale. They retained the services of Goldman Sachs , a prominent investment banking firm, to help facilitate the sale of
14320-586: The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The combined effect of these two moves was to divide the Rams' traditional fan base in two. This was coupled with the early 1980s being rebuilding years for the club, while the Raiders were winners of Super Bowl XVIII in the 1983 season . Meanwhile, in the NBA the Los Angeles Lakers won championships in 1980 and 1982 en route to winning five titles in that decade, in
14499-695: The Most Valuable Player of the 1939 season, rookie halfback Parker Hall . In June 1941, the Rams were bought by Dan Reeves and Fred Levy Jr. Reeves, an heir to his family's grocery-chain business that had been purchased by Safeway , used some of his inheritance to buy his share of the team. Levy's family owned the Levy Brothers department store chain in Kentucky and he came to own the Riverside International Raceway . Levy owned part of
14678-526: The NFL and get out of the professional football business altogether unless the transfer to Los Angeles was permitted. A settlement was reached and, as a result, Reeves was allowed to move his team to Los Angeles. Consequently, the NFL became the first professional coast-to-coast sports entertainment industry. From 1933, when Joe Lillard left the Chicago Cardinals , through 1946, there were no black players in professional American football . After
14857-506: The NFL or NCAA: Reich's German American father, Frank Sr., played for the Penn State Nittany Lions from 1953 to 1955 as a center and linebacker . He was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 14th round of the 1956 NFL draft , but did not play in the National Football League . Frank Reich Sr. was a teacher in technology education and also a football coach at Lebanon High School, retiring in 1992. Reich's brother, Joe ,
15036-580: The Rams as it was played in Pasadena at the Rose Bowl . Although some oddsmakers set the Rams as a 10 1 ⁄ 2 -point underdog, the Rams played Pittsburgh very tough, leading at halftime 13–10 and at the end of the third quarter 19–17. In the end, however, the Steelers asserted themselves, scoring two touchdowns in the fourth quarter and shutting down the Rams offense to win their fourth Super Bowl, 31–19. Prior to
15215-403: The Rams by evaluating bids and soliciting potential buyers. The sale price was unknown, but at the time Forbes magazine's most recent estimate listed the Rams' value at $ 929 million. On the final day to do so, then-minority owner Stan Kroenke invoked his right of first refusal to buy the 60% of the team that he did not already own. The original intended buyer, Shahid Khan , later acquired
15394-441: The Rams chose Oregon State running back Steven Jackson as the 24th pick of the draft. Although the Rams were one of the most productive teams in NFL history at the time, head coach Martz was criticized by many as careless with game management. He often feuded with several players as well as team president and general manager, Jay Zygmunt. However, most of his players respected him and went on record saying that they enjoyed him as
15573-448: The Rams from 1962 to 1972. From 1967 to 1971, Gabriel led the Rams to either a first- or second-place finish in their division every year. He was voted the MVP of the NFL in 1969, for a season in which he threw for 2,549 yards and 24 TDs while leading the Rams to the playoffs. During the 1970 season , Gabriel combined with his primary receiver Jack Snow for 51 receptions totaling 859 yards. This
15752-435: The Rams had received approval to move to Los Angeles, they entered into negotiations to lease the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The Rams were advised that a precondition to them getting a lease was that they would have to integrate the team with at least one African-American; the Rams agreed. Subsequently, the Rams signed Kenny Washington on March 21, 1946. The signing of Washington caused "all hell to break loose" among
15931-403: The Rams in 1987 by being traded to the Indianapolis Colts for a number of players and draft picks after a bitter contract dispute, shortly after the players' strike that year ended. Dickerson was the Rams' career rushing leader until 2010, with 7,245 yards. Despite this trade, the Rams remained contenders due to the arrival of the innovative offensive leadership of Ernie Zampese . Zampese brought
16110-435: The Rams to a 3–13 record. Following the 2007 season, Georgia Frontiere died on January 18, 2008, after a 28-year ownership that began in 1979. Ownership of the team passed to her son Dale "Chip" Rosenbloom and daughter Lucia Rodriguez. Chip Rosenbloom was named the new Rams majority owner. Linehan was already faced with scrutiny from several players in the locker room, including Torry Holt and Steven Jackson . Linehan
16289-519: The Rams to one of the most prolific offenses in history, posting 526 points for the season. This was the beginning of what later became known as " The Greatest Show on Turf ". Warner shocked the league by throwing for 41 touchdowns. This led the Rams to Super Bowl XXXIV , where they beat the Tennessee Titans , 23–16. Warner was named the Most Valuable Player of the Super Bowl . Following
16468-462: The Rams with Bob Hope , another of the owners, until Reeves bought out his partners in 1962. The franchise suspended operations and sat out the 1943 season because of a shortage of players during World War II and resumed playing in 1944 . The team finally achieved success in 1945 , which was their last season in Ohio. Adam Walsh took over as head coach that season. Quarterback Bob Waterfield ,
16647-469: The Rams' sagging fortunes. In his first season back, he led the team to a 6–10 record in 1992. His run-oriented offense marked the end of the Zampese tenure with a 5–11 record in 1993. Knox's game plans called for an offense that was steady, if unspectacular. Unfortunately for the Rams, Knox's offense was not only aesthetically unpleasing but dull as well, especially by 1990s standards. The Rams finished last in
16826-470: The Rams' win, Vermeil retired, and Vermeil's offensive coordinator Mike Martz was hired as head coach. He managed to take the Rams to Super Bowl XXXVI , where the team lost to the New England Patriots , 20–17. Martz helped the Rams establish a pass-first identity that posted an NFL record number of points over the course of three seasons (1999–2001). However, in the first round in the 2004 draft ,
17005-452: The Sports and Fitness Industry Association. The role of the offensive unit is to advance the football down the field with the ultimate goal of scoring a touchdown . The offensive team must line up in a legal formation before they can snap the ball. An offensive formation is considered illegal if there are more than four players in the backfield or fewer than five players numbered 50–79 on
17184-469: The Terrapins on multiple scoring drives. Three touchdowns in the third quarter and a fourth at the start of the final quarter turned what was a blowout into a close game. With Miami leading 34–28, Reich hit Greg Hill with a 68-yard touchdown pass, which deflected off the hands of Miami safety Darrell Fullington to take the lead. Maryland scored once more to cap a 42–9 second half, and won 42–40, completing what
17363-579: The United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia. American football evolved from the sports of rugby and soccer . Rugby, like American football, is a sport in which two competing teams vie for control of a ball, which can be kicked through a set of goalposts or run into the opponent's goal area to score points. What is considered to be the first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between Rutgers and Princeton , two college teams. They consisted of 25 players per team and used
17542-461: The United States and Canada and also known as gridiron football , is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense , the team with possession of the oval-shaped football , attempts to advance down the field by running with the ball or throwing it , while the defense , the team without possession of the ball, aims to stop
17721-455: The United States. The team consisted of graduates of Boston's elite preparatory schools and played from 1862 to 1865. The introduction of the snap resulted in an unexpected consequence. Before the snap, the strategy had been to punt if a scrum resulted in bad field position. However, a group of Princeton players realized that, as the snap was uncontested, they could now hold the ball indefinitely to prevent their opponent from scoring. In 1881, in
17900-547: The United States: official time was kept on a scoreboard clock rather than on a watch in the referee's pocket, as the NFL did; optional two-point conversions by pass or run after touchdowns; names on the jerseys of players; and several others, including expansion of the role of minority players, actively recruited by the league in contrast to the NFL. The AFL also signed several star college players who had also been drafted by NFL teams. Competition for players heated up in 1965, when
18079-460: The advent of artificial rubber inside the leather outer shell to sustain crushing forces . At all levels of play, the football is inflated to 12 + 1 ⁄ 2 to 13 + 1 ⁄ 2 psi (86 to 93 kPa), or just under one atmosphere, and weighs 14 to 15 ounces (400 to 430 g); beyond that, the exact dimensions vary slightly. In professional play the ball has a long axis of 11 to 11 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches (28 to 29 cm),
18258-435: The ball is caught, and the ball may not be advanced. Officials are responsible for enforcing game rules and monitoring the clock. All officials carry a whistle and wear black-and-white striped shirts and black hats except for the referee, whose hat is white. Each carries a weighted yellow flag that is thrown to the ground to signal that a foul has been called. An official who spots multiple fouls will throw their hat as
18437-478: The ball off, throws it, or runs with it. The primary role of the halfback, also known as the running back or tailback, is to carry the ball on running plays. Halfbacks may also serve as receivers. Fullbacks tend to be larger than halfbacks and function primarily as blockers, but they are sometimes used as runners in short-yardage or goal-line situations. They are seldom used as receivers. The offensive line (OL) consists of several players whose primary function
18616-467: The ball through the opponent's goalposts for a field goal . The team with the most points at the end of the game wins. American football evolved in the United States, originating from the sports of soccer and rugby . The first American football game was played on November 6, 1869 , between two college teams, Rutgers and Princeton , using rules based on the rules of soccer at the time. A set of rule changes drawn up from 1880 onward by Walter Camp ,
18795-422: The best offense in the NFL, even though there was a quarterback change from Bob Waterfield to Norm Van Brocklin in 1951 . The defining Offensive players of this period were wide receiver Elroy Hirsch , Van Brocklin and Waterfield. Teamed with fellow Hall of Famer Tom Fears , Hirsch helped create the style of Rams football as one of the first big play receivers. During the 1951 championship season, Hirsch posted
18974-422: The bridges have been burned and people get turned off on a sports franchise, years of loyalty is not respected and it is difficult to get it back. By the same token, there are millions of fans in that area who have supported the Rams in an extraordinary way. The Rams have 50 years of history and the last 5 or so years of difficult times can be corrected." However, Frontiere responded with a thinly veiled threat at
19153-511: The commissioner's remarks by saying that "about five or six owners didn't want to get the other owners into litigation, so they switched their votes." Only six franchises remained in opposition to the Rams move from Los Angeles: the Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Giants, New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, Arizona Cardinals (who played in St. Louis from 1960 to 1987), and Washington Redskins. After the vote
19332-449: The conference championship game to win the NFC and reach their first Super Bowl. Along with Ferragamo, key players for the Rams were halfback Wendell Tyler , offensive lineman Jackie Slater , and Pro Bowl defenders Jack Youngblood and Jack "Hacksaw" Reynolds . The Rams' opponent in their first Super Bowl was the defending champion Pittsburgh Steelers . The game was a virtual home game for
19511-413: The crossbars of the defense's goalposts. In practice, almost all field goal attempts are done via place kick. While drop kicks were common in the early days of the sport, the shape of modern footballs makes it difficult to reliably drop kick the ball. The last successful scoring play by drop kick in the NFL was accomplished in 2006; prior to that, the last successful drop kick had been made in 1941. After
19690-399: The defense is to prevent the offense from scoring by tackling the ball carrier or by forcing turnovers . Turnovers include interceptions (a defender catching a forward pass intended for the offense) and forced fumbles (taking possession of the ball from the ball-carrier). The defensive line (DL) consists of defensive ends (DE) and defensive tackles (DT). Defensive ends line up on
19869-430: The defensive backfield. They are divided into two types: middle linebackers (MLB) and outside linebackers (OLB). Linebackers tend to serve as the defensive leaders and call the defensive plays, given their vantage point of the offensive backfield. Their roles include defending the run, pressuring the quarterback, and tackling backs, wide receivers, and tight ends in the passing game. The defensive backfield , often called
20048-508: The end of the 1979 NFL season , losing Super Bowl XIV to the Pittsburgh Steelers , 31–19. After the 1994 NFL season , the Rams left southern California and moved to St. Louis , Missouri , becoming the St. Louis Rams . Five seasons later, the team defeated the Tennessee Titans to win Super Bowl XXXIV , 23–16. The club then lost Super Bowl XXXVI , 20–17, to the New England Patriots . After
20227-472: The ends and sides of the field are known as the end lines and sidelines . Goal lines are marked 10 yards (9.1 m) inward from each end line. Weighted pylons are placed the sidelines on the inside corner of the intersections with the goal lines and end lines. White markings on the field identify the distance from the end zone. Inbound lines, or hash marks , are short parallel lines that mark off 1-yard (0.91 m) increments. Yard lines , which can run
20406-404: The ends of the line, while defensive tackles line up inside, between the defensive ends. The primary responsibilities of defensive ends and defensive tackles are to stop running plays on the outside and inside, respectively, to pressure the quarterback on passing plays, and to occupy the line so that the linebackers can break through. Linebackers line up behind the defensive line but in front of
20585-603: The entire season; the starting job fell to backup Kurt Warner , who came out of college as an undrafted free agent and whose career had included stints with the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League and the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe . Vermeil told the public that the Rams would "Rally around Kurt Warner, and play good football." Warner synced up with Marshall Faulk and Isaac Bruce to lead
20764-556: The features that distinguish American football from rugby and soccer are also present in Canadian football. The two sports are considered the primary variants of gridiron football . American football is the most popular sport in the United States in terms of broadcast viewership audience. The most popular forms of the game are professional and college football , with the other major levels being high-school and youth football. As of 2022 , nearly 1.04 million high-school athletes play
20943-474: The few bright spots during this time was Jerome Bettis , a bruising running back from Notre Dame earning the nickname "The Battering Ram". Bettis flourished as the only bright spot in Knox's offense, running for 1,429 yards as a rookie, and 1,025 in his sophomore effort. As had become increasingly common with sports franchises, the Rams began to blame much of their misfortune on their stadium situation. Anaheim Stadium
21122-468: The field is punishable by a penalty. Teams may substitute any number of their players between downs; this "platoon" system replaced the original system, which featured limited substitution rules, and has resulted in teams utilizing specialized offensive, defensive and special teams units. The number of players allowed on an active roster varies by league; the NFL has a 53-man roster, while NCAA Division I allows teams to have 63 scholarship players in
21301-454: The field was shortened to 100 yards (91 m) long, two 10-yard-long (9.1 m) end zones were created, and teams were given four downs instead of three to advance the ball 10 yards (9.1 m). The roughing the passer penalty was implemented in 1914, and eligible players were first allowed to catch the ball anywhere on the field in 1918. On November 12, 1892, Pudge Heffelfinger was paid $ 500 (equivalent to $ 16,956 in 2023) to play
21480-471: The first special teams coaches. Though Allen would enjoy five straight winning seasons and win two divisional titles in his time with the Rams he never won a playoff game with the team, losing in 1967 to Green Bay 28–7 and in 1969 23–20 to Minnesota . Allen would leave after the 1970 season to take the head coaching job for the Washington Redskins. Quarterback Roman Gabriel played 11 seasons for
21659-403: The first NFL team to surpass one million spectators in a season, a feat the Rams repeated the following year . In each of those two years, the L.A. Rams drew roughly double the number of fans that could be accommodated by their current stadium for a full season. George Allen led the Rams from 1966 to 1970 and introduced many innovations, including the hiring of a young Dick Vermeil as one of
21838-548: The first helmet emblem in pro football. In 1948, Clark Shaughnessy took over as head coach and led the team to a 6–5–1 record. Late in 1949, the Dons were folded into the Rams when the All-America Football Conference ceased operations. The Rams' heyday in Southern California was from 1949 to 1955, when they played in the pre-Super Bowl era NFL Championship Game four times, winning once in 1951 . During this period, they had
22017-607: The first touchdown pass in franchise history to former Bills player Pete Metzelaars in Atlanta against the Falcons. Their first home game was in Week 3 against the Rams at Memorial Stadium in Clemson, as Bank of America Stadium was still under construction. The Panthers had drafted Kerry Collins as their intended franchise quarterback, but Reich was the starter for the first three games until Collins
22196-471: The football team for his last two years in high school. He played quarterback in the Big 33 Football Classic in 1980 following his senior year of high school. Reich was accepted to the University of Maryland on an athletic scholarship and played for the Maryland Terrapins football team. He was both backup to and roommate of starter Boomer Esiason for three years. The biggest highlight of Reich's college career
22375-599: The formation of the Intercollegiate Athletic Association of the United States, later renamed the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The legal forward pass was introduced in 1906, although its effect was initially minimal due to the restrictions placed on its use. The idea of a 40-yard-wider field was opposed by Harvard due to the size of the new Harvard Stadium . Other rule changes introduced that year included
22554-419: The game clock based on the direction of the appropriate official . A separate play clock is used to show the amount of time within which the offense must initiate a play. The play clock is set to 25 seconds after certain administrative stoppages in play and to 40 seconds when play is proceeding without such stoppages. If the offense fails to start a play before the play clock reads "00", a delay of game foul
22733-409: The game had a strict sense of amateurism at the time, and direct payment to players was frowned upon, if not prohibited outright. Over time, professional play became increasingly common, and with it came rising salaries and unpredictable player movement, as well as the illegal payment of college players who were still in school. The National Football League (NFL), a group of professional teams that
22912-492: The goal post, then backward, through his team's own end zone . The next season, NFL rules were changed to prevent this from ever again resulting in a score; instead, it would merely result in an incomplete pass. On January 12, 1946, Reeves was denied a request by the other NFL owners to move the Cleveland Rams to Los Angeles and the then-103,000-seat Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum . He threatened to end his relationship with
23091-443: The ground or a tee; a holder may be used in either case. On a safety kick, the kicking team kicks the ball from their own 20-yard line. They can punt, drop kick or place kick the ball, but a tee may not be used in professional play. Any member of the receiving team may catch or advance the ball. The ball may be recovered by the kicking team once it has gone at least ten yards and has touched the ground or has been touched by any member of
23270-434: The guards. The principal receivers are the wide receivers (WR) and the tight ends (TE). Wide receivers line up on or near the line of scrimmage, split outside the line. The main goal of the wide receiver is to catch passes thrown by the quarterback, but they may also function as decoys or as blockers during running plays. Tight ends line up outside the tackles and function both as receivers and as blockers. The role of
23449-464: The helm, the Rams won the division with a 10–4 record and advanced to the playoffs , but lost at home to Minnesota 14–7. Chuck Knox left for the Bills in 1978 , after which Ray Malavasi became head coach. Going 12–4, the team won the NFC West for the sixth year in a row and defeated the Vikings , thus avenging their earlier playoff defeat. However, success eluded them again as they were shut out in
23628-463: The holder on the attempt, mistakenly aligned the laces to the right, positioning the kicked ball to fade right once in the air. Reich returned the following year, however when Kelly was injured again late in the 1990 season. Reich provided the Bills with two key wins, clinching them the AFC East title and home field advantage throughout the playoffs . During the final game of the 1992 regular season,
23807-491: The home of the California Angels . To accommodate the Rams' move, the ballpark was reconfigured and enclosed to accommodate a capacity of 69,008 in the football configuration. With their new, smaller home, the Rams had no problem selling out games. In 1980 , the team posted an 11–5 record, but only managed a wild card spot and were sent packing after a 34–13 loss to the Cowboys . Age and injuries finally caught up with
23986-516: The intricate timing routes he had used in making the San Diego Chargers a state-of-the-art offense. Under Zampese, the Rams rose steadily from 28th rated offense in 1986 to 3rd in 1990. The late 1980s Rams featured a gifted young quarterback in Jim Everett , a solid rushing attack and a fleet of talented wide receivers led by Henry Ellard and Flipper Anderson . After a 10–6 season in 1986 ,
24165-503: The most popular sport in the United States by the mid-1960s. The rival AFL arose in 1960 and challenged the NFL's dominance. The AFL began in relative obscurity but eventually thrived, with an initial television contract with the ABC television network. The AFL's existence forced the conservative NFL to expand to Dallas and Minnesota in an attempt to destroy the new league. Meanwhile, the AFL introduced many new features to professional football in
24344-411: The move was twofold. First, the NFL's blackout rule in effect then (repealed in 2015) forbade games from being shown on local television if they did not sell out within 72 hours of the opening kickoff. As the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum seated 92,604 at the time, it was rarely possible to sell that many tickets even in the Rams' best years, and so most Rams home games were blacked out. Second, this move
24523-487: The new quarterbacks coach. Reich switched to wide receivers coach in 2011, but was dismissed when the entire coaching staff was fired after a 2–14 season. Reich was the wide receivers coach for the Arizona Cardinals in 2012 under head coach Ken Whisenhunt , but along with Whisenhunt and other offensive coaches, was dismissed on December 31, 2012. Reich would not be retained under new head coach Bruce Arians . Reich
24702-429: The offense advances ten or more yards in the four downs, they are awarded a new set of four downs. If they fail to advance ten yards, possession of the football is turned over to the defense. In most situations, if the offense reaches their fourth down they will punt the ball to the other team, which forces them to begin their drive from farther down the field; if they are in field goal range , they might attempt to score
24881-410: The offense's advance and to take control of the ball for themselves. The offense must advance the ball at least ten yards in four downs or plays; if they fail, they turn over the football to the defense, but if they succeed, they are given a new set of four downs to continue the drive . Points are scored primarily by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone for a touchdown or kicking
25060-429: The offensive line. Players can line up temporarily in a position whose eligibility is different from what their number permits as long as they report the change immediately to the referee, who then informs the defensive team of the change. Neither team's players, except the center (C), are allowed to line up in or cross the neutral zone until the ball is snapped. Interior offensive linemen are not allowed to move until
25239-419: The only NFL franchise to win championships representing three different cities: Cleveland in 1945 , Los Angeles in 1951 and 2021 , and St. Louis in 1999 . The Cleveland Rams were founded in 1936 by Ohio attorney Homer Marshman and player-coach Damon Wetzel , a former Ohio State star who played briefly for the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Pirates . Wetzel, who served as general manager, selected
25418-438: The other league owners rejected her bid to move the franchise by a 21–3–6 vote. Commissioner Paul Tagliabue stated after rejecting the move, "This was one of the most complex issues we have had to approach in years. We had to balance the interest of fans in Los Angeles and in St. Louis that we appreciate very much. In my judgment, they did not meet the guidelines we have in place for such a move." The commissioner also added: "Once
25597-482: The owners of the NFL franchises. The Rams added a second black player, Woody Strode , on May 7, 1946, giving them two black players going into the 1946 season. The Rams were the first team in the NFL to play in Los Angeles (the 1926 Los Angeles Buccaneers represented L.A. but were strictly a traveling team), but they were not the only professional football team to play its home games in the Coliseum between 1946 and 1949. The upstart All-America Football Conference had
25776-445: The plane of the two end lines. The crossbar of these posts is 10 feet (3.0 m) above the ground, with vertical uprights at the end of the crossbar 18 feet 6 inches (5.64 m) apart for professional and collegiate play, and 23 feet 4 inches (7.11 m) apart for high school play. The uprights extend vertically 35 feet (11 m) on professional fields, a minimum of 10 yards (9.1 m) on college fields, and
25955-608: The playoffs in 1984 saw them lose to the Giants . They made the NFC Championship Game in 1985 after winning the division, where they were shut out by the eventual champion Chicago Bears 24–0. The most notable player for the Rams during that period was running back Eric Dickerson , who was drafted in 1983 out of Southern Methodist University and won the Rookie of the Year award. In 1984, Dickerson rushed for 2,105 yards, setting an NFL record. Dickerson ended his five hugely successful years for
26134-528: The playoffs with two games remaining in the season, according to FiveThirtyEight . The Colts lost both of those games, including a shocking 26–11 Week 18 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars , who entered the game with a league-worst 2–14 record. Minutes after that loss, the Pittsburgh Steelers , who needed Indianapolis to lose in order to clinch a playoff berth, won their overtime game against the Baltimore Ravens , thus eliminating Reich's Colts for good. After
26313-448: The point(s)-after-touchdown (PAT) or conversion, which is a single scoring opportunity. This is generally attempted from the two- or three-yard line, depending on the level of play. If the PAT is scored by a place kick or drop kick through the goal posts, it is worth one point, typically called the extra point. If the PAT is scored by what would normally be a touchdown, it is worth two points; this
26492-422: The punter. In football, the winner is the team that has scored more points at the end of the game. There are multiple ways to score in a football game. The touchdown (TD), worth six points, is the most valuable scoring play in American football. A touchdown is scored when a live ball is advanced into, caught, or recovered in the opposing team's end zone. The scoring team then attempts a try, more commonly known as
26671-401: The receiving team. The three types of scrimmage kicks are place kicks, drop kicks, and punts. Only place kicks and drop kicks can score points. The place kick is the standard method used to score points, because the pointy shape of the football makes it difficult to reliably drop kick. Once the ball has been kicked from a scrimmage kick, it can be advanced by the kicking team only if it
26850-439: The reduction of playing time from 70 to 60 minutes and an increase of the distance required for a first down from 5 to 10 yards (4.6 to 9.1 m). To reduce infighting and dirty play between teams, the neutral zone was created along the width of the football before the snap. Scoring was also adjusted: points awarded for field goals were reduced to three in 1909 and points for touchdowns were raised to six in 1912. Also in 1912,
27029-534: The rulebook for the 1876 college football season , when the sport first shifted from soccer-style rules to rugby-style rules. Although it could easily have been called "rugby" at this point, Harvard, one of the primary proponents of the rugby-style game, compromised and did not request the name of the sport be changed to "rugby". The terms " gridiron " or "American football" are favored in English-speaking countries where other types of football are popular, such as
27208-526: The score 31–17, with a possible comeback well within the Bills' capability as the 3rd quarter concluded. However, in the 4th quarter, the Cowboys scored 21 unanswered points to win 52–17, and Reich finished the game with two interceptions. After giving the Bills one more comeback victory late in the 1993 NFL season , Reich signed with the expansion Carolina Panthers in March 1995 to start off their first year. He threw
27387-452: The second one, the Harvard players preferred the Canadian style of having only 11 men on the field, running the ball without having to be chased by an opponent, the forward pass, tackling, and using an oblong instead of a round ball. An 1875 Harvard–Yale game played under rugby-style rules was observed by two Princeton athletes who were impressed by it. They introduced the sport to Princeton,
27566-503: The secondary, consists of cornerbacks (CB) and safeties (S). Safeties are themselves divided into free safeties (FS) and strong safeties (SS). Cornerbacks line up outside the defensive formation, typically opposite a receiver to be able to cover them. Safeties line up between the cornerbacks but farther back in the secondary. Safeties tend to be viewed as "the last line of defense" and are responsible for stopping deep passing plays as well as breakout running plays. The special teams unit
27745-411: The snap of the ball. The main backfield positions are the quarterback (QB), halfback/tailback (HB/TB), and fullback (FB). The quarterback is the leader of the offense. Either the quarterback or a coach calls the plays. Quarterbacks typically inform the rest of the offense of the play in the huddle before the team lines up. The quarterback lines up behind the center to take the snap and then hands
27924-523: The sport in the U.S., with another 81,000 college athletes in the NCAA and the NAIA . The National Football League (NFL) has the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the world . Its championship game, the Super Bowl , ranks among the most-watched club sporting events globally. In 2022, the league had an annual revenue of around $ 18.6 billion, making it the most valuable sports league in
28103-491: The time was played at the collegiate level . The upstart NFL received a boost to its legitimacy in 1925, however, when an NFL team, the Pottsville Maroons , defeated a team of Notre Dame all-stars in an exhibition game . A greater emphasis on the passing game helped professional football to distinguish itself further from the college game during the late 1930s. Football, in general, became increasingly popular following
28282-497: The upstart Chargers chose to move to San Diego rather than attempt to compete with the Rams. The Los Angeles Times put the Chargers plight as such: " Hilton [the Chargers owner at the time] quickly realized that taking on the Rams in L.A. was like beating his head against the wall." During this time, the Rams were not as successful on the field as they had been during their first decade. The team's combined record from 1957 to 1964
28461-411: The width of the field, are marked every 5 yards (4.6 m). A one-yard-wide line is placed at each end of the field; this line is marked at the center of the two-yard line in professional play and at the three-yard line in college play. Numerals that display the distance from the closest goal line in yards are placed on both sides of the field every ten yards. Goalposts are located at the center of
28640-408: The winning team decides to defer, the losing team chooses the option the winning team did not select—to receive, kick, or select a goal to defend to begin the second half. Most teams choose to receive or defer, because choosing to kick the ball to start the game allows the other team to choose which goal to defend. Teams switch goals following the first and third quarters. If a down is in progress when
28819-402: The world. Other professional and amateur leagues exist worldwide, but the sport does not have the international popularity of other American sports like baseball or basketball ; the sport maintains a growing following in the rest of North America, Europe, Brazil, and Japan. In the United States, American football is referred to as "football". The term "football" was officially established in
28998-703: Was Fred Dryer , who starred in the TV series Hunter from 1984 to 1991, as well as Olsen, who retired after 1976, starred in Little House on the Prairie . During the 1977 off-season, the Rams, looking for a veteran quarterback, acquired Joe Namath from the Jets. In spite of a 2–1 start to the regular season , Namath's bad knees rendered him nearly immobile and after a Monday night defeat in Chicago, he never played again. With Pat Haden at
29177-470: Was 24–35–1 (.408), but the Rams continued to fill the cavernous Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum regularly. While the National Football League's average attendance ranged from the low 30,000s to the low 40,000s during this time, the Rams were drawing anywhere from 10,000 to 40,000 fans more than the league average. In 1957, the Rams set the all-time NFL attendance record that stood until 2006 and broke
29356-558: Was deemed ready to take the starting job. He was sacked 9 times on September 3 at Atlanta , a franchise record he shares with Cam Newton . Reich was signed by the New York Jets where he started for seven games in 1996. In 1997, Reich signed with the Detroit Lions , reuniting him with his coach at Maryland , Bobby Ross . Reich appeared in 6 games in 1997, all in relief, and 6 games in 1998, including 2 starts. Reich retired following
29535-430: Was following the population pattern in Southern California. During the 1970s and 1980s, the decline of manufacturing industries in the northeastern United States combined with the desire of many people to live in a warmer climate caused a large-scale population shift to the southern and western states. As a result, many affluent new suburbs were built in the Los Angeles area. Anaheim Stadium was originally built in 1966 to be
29714-404: Was hired by the San Diego Chargers , along with Whisenhunt, in 2013. When Whisenhunt left to become head coach of the Tennessee Titans , Reich was promoted to offensive coordinator . On January 4, 2016, he was fired from his position as offensive coordinator after the Chargers finished 31st in rushing and struggled on offense. On January 20, 2016, Reich was hired as the offensive coordinator for
29893-513: Was instituted. Despite these new rules, football remained a violent sport. Dangerous mass-formations like the flying wedge resulted in serious injuries and deaths. A 1905 peak of 19 fatalities nationwide resulted in a threat by President Theodore Roosevelt to abolish the game unless major changes were made. In response, 62 colleges and universities met in New York City to discuss rule changes on December 28, 1905. These proceedings resulted in
30072-581: Was named the new head coach of the franchise. In his previous post as defensive coordinator with the New York Giants , Spagnuolo masterminded a defensive scheme that shut down the potent offense of the previously undefeated and untied New England Patriots , the odds on favorite to win the Super Bowl that year. In one of the greatest upsets in Super Bowl history, the New York Giants defeated the Patriots, 17–14. In spite of his success as defensive coordinator with
30251-519: Was originally established in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, aimed to solve these problems. This new league's stated goals included an end to bidding wars over players, prevention of the use of college players, and abolition of the practice of paying players to leave another team. By 1922, the NFL had established itself as America's premier professional football league. The dominant form of football at
30430-469: Was over, Dan Rooney publicly stated that he opposed the move of the Los Angeles Rams because "I believe we should support the fans who have supported us for years." The 1995 and 1996 seasons , the Rams' first two in St. Louis, were under the direction of former Oregon Ducks head coach Rich Brooks. The team went 7–9 in 1995 and 6–10 in 1996. Their most prolific player from their first two seasons
30609-457: Was primarily suited for baseball, so the sightlines for football were deemed inadequate. With Orange County mired in a deep recession resulting largely from defense sector layoffs, the Rams were unable to secure a new or improved stadium in the Los Angeles area , which ultimately cast their future in Southern California into doubt. By 1995, the Rams fanbase in Southern California had withered to
30788-651: Was purely because Brissett had a stronger throwing arm. The following week against the Houston Texans , Luck led the Colts back from down 28–10 in the third quarter, including a game-tying two point conversion with :51 left, however the team lost in overtime, 37–34. Reich was the center of controversy after Indianapolis failed to convert a 4th and 4 on their own 43 and the Texans kicked the game-winning field goal, although he afterward said "I'll just address it now. We're not playing to tie. We're going for it 10 times out of 10." After
30967-579: Was selected by the Buffalo Bills in the third round of the 1985 NFL draft . He spent most of his career backing up Jim Kelly , although he achieved recognition when he led the Bills to the NFL's largest postseason comeback during the 1992–93 NFL playoffs , which was also the largest comeback in any game, including the regular season, in NFL history until December 27, 2022, when the Minnesota Vikings staged
31146-418: Was the best of their eight seasons as teammates. In 1972 , Chicago industrialist Robert Irsay purchased the Rams for $ 19 million and then traded the franchise to Carroll Rosenbloom for his Baltimore Colts and cash. The Rams remained solid contenders in the 1970s, winning seven straight NFC West championships between 1973 and 1979. Though they clearly were the class of the NFC in the 1970s along with
31325-524: Was the comeback he led against the Miami Hurricanes on November 10, 1984, at the Miami Orange Bowl . Reich came off the bench to play for Stan Gelbaugh , who had previously replaced him as the starter after Reich separated his shoulder in the fourth week of the season against Wake Forest . Quarterback Bernie Kosar had led Miami to a 31–0 halftime lead. At the start of the third quarter, Reich led
31504-473: Was the fan favorite Isaac Bruce . In 1997 , Dick Vermeil was hired as the head coach. That same year, the Rams traded up in the 1997 NFL draft to select future All-Pro offensive tackle, Orlando Pace . The team would struggle to find success in the first two seasons with Vermeil under the helm, going 5–11 in 1997 and 4–12 in 1998 . The 1999 season started with quarterback Trent Green injuring his leg in preseason play, which left him sidelined for
31683-421: Was the head coach at Wingate ; a position he held from 2001 to 2023, until he was promoted to Head Athletic Director on November 14, 2023. Throughout Reich's NFL career, he remained a devout Christian. He is a motivational speaker utilizing the great comebacks and the importance of God as a main keynote of his speeches. He credits the song "In Christ Alone" by Michael English as his inspiration. Reich attended
31862-468: Was then fired on September 29, 2008, after the team started the season 0–4. Jim Haslett , defensive coordinator under Linehan, was interim head coach for the rest of the 2008 season. John Shaw then resigned as president, and personnel chief Billy Devaney was promoted to general manager on December 24, 2008, after the resignation of former president of football operations and general manager Jay Zygmunt on December 22. On January 17, 2009, Steve Spagnuolo
32041-446: Was then the biggest comeback in NCAA history. Reich was drafted by the Buffalo Bills in the third round (57th overall) in the 1985 NFL draft . The Bills had already drafted future Hall of Famer Jim Kelly in 1983 and when Kelly signed with the Bills in 1986, Reich was relegated to a role as backup. Reich got his first start when Kelly went down with a shoulder injury in 1989. Reich led
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