The 1985Los Angeles Rams season was the franchise's 48th season in the National Football League, their 38th overall, and their 40th in the Greater Los Angeles Area. In the playoffs, the Rams shutout the Dallas Cowboys 20–0 in the Divisional playoffs, advancing to the NFC Championship Game, but were shutout themselves by the eventual Super Bowl championChicago Bears 0–24. Eric Dickerson rushed for 1,234 yards in 1985 while missing the first two games while in a contract dispute. He missed the Pro Bowlfor the first time in his short NFL career. He did, however, go on to rush for a playoff record 248 yards against the Dallas Cowboys in post-season play. It was also the last time the Rams would win an NFC West divisional title when based in Los Angeles until 2017, and the last NFC West title until 1999 while they were in St. Louis.
Offseason
NFL Draft
Personnel
Staff
Roster
Regular season
The Los Angeles Rams got off to a surprisingly successful start in 1985, winning their first seven games. However, the team struggled somewhat during the second half of the season. After suffering humiliating losses to the 1–9 Atlanta Falcons and the 4–8 New Orleans Saints, the Rams upset their main rival, the San Francisco 49erson the road in a prime time Monday-Night match-up, despite being 10-point underdogs going into the game. This crucial victory helped the Rams redeem their season and the team went on to clinch their first NFC West division title in six years, finishing the regular season with an 11–5 record.
Running back Eric Dickerson led the Rams to a victory by scoring two touchdowns and recording a playoff record 248 rushing yards. After the first half ended with a 3–0 Los Angeles lead, Dickerson scored on a 55-yard touchdown run early in the third period. On the ensuing kickoff, Kenny Duckett fumbled, and the ball was recovered by Vince Newsome to set up kicker Mike Lansford's second field goal. In the fourth period, Tony Hunter recovered a fumbled punt to set up Dickerson's 40-yard rushing touchdown. The Rams' defense dominated the Cowboys' offense all afternoon as the Cowboys never got inside the Rams' 20-yard-line. This was the last home playoff game for the Rams in Los Angeles until 2017. This was also the last playoff game in which Tom Landry coached.
Conference Championship
The Bears defense dominated the game by limiting Rams running back Eric Dickerson to 46 yards rushing, and holding quarterback Dieter Brock to just 10 completions out of 31 pass attempts for 66 passing yards. Los Angeles only gained 130 yards of total offense. The Rams had a chance to get back in the game as they got inside the Bears' 15-yard line in the waning moments of the first half, but poor play calling and clock management, as well as a controversial call by the officials on the last play of the half, resulted in the clock running out. Officials' ability to review plays was not made available until the following season.
