1966 Los Angeles Rams season

The 1966 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 29th year with the National Football League and the 21st season in Los Angeles.

OwnerDan Reeves

Head coachGeorge Allen

Home stadiumLos Angeles Memorial Coliseum

Record8–6

Quick facts Los Angeles Rams season, Owner ...

1966 Los Angeles Rams season
Owner	Dan Reeves
Head coach	George Allen
Home stadium	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Results
Record	8–6
Division place	3rd NFL Western
Playoffs	Did not qualify
All-Pros	DE Deacon Jones, DT Merlin Olsen
Pro Bowlers	FB Dick Bass, LB Maxie Baughan, K Bruce Gossett, DE Deacon Jones, TE Marlin McKeever, FS Eddie Meador, DT Merlin Olsen
← 1965 Rams seasons 1967 →

The Rams had an 8–6 record, their first winning season since 1958, and only their second since 1955, when the Rams went all the way to the NFL Championship Game. Los Angeles finished in third place in the Western Conference, four games behind the Green Bay Packers. The Rams were led by first-year head coach George Allen, who was inducted in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2002.

Offseason

NFL draft

More information Round, Pick ...

Round	Pick	Player	Position	College
1966 Los Angeles Rams draft
1	2	Tom Mack * ^†	Guard	Michigan
2	18	Mike Garrett *	Running back	USC
3	34	Dick Tyson	Guard	Tulsa
4	50	Henry Dyer	Running back	Grambling
5	66	Diron Talbert *	Defensive tackle	Texas
5	77	Dick Arndt	Defensive tackle	Idaho
6	82	Bruce Anderson	Defensive end	Willamette
7	97	George Youngblood	Cornerback	Cal State Los Angeles
8	112	Vilnis Ezerins	Running back	Whitewater State
Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least one Pro Bowl during career

Roster

**1966 Los Angeles Rams roster**
Quarterbacks (QB) 18 Roman Gabriel 19 Bill Munson Running backs (RB) 22 Dick Bass 43 Les Josephson 25 Tom Moore 26 Jim Stiger Wide receivers (WR) 20 Steve Heckard 29 Tommy McDonald 80 Bucky Pope 84 Jack Snow Tight ends (TE) 86 Marlin McKeever 87 Billy Truax		Offensive linemen (OL) 63 Joe Carollo T 62 Don Chuy G 73 Charley Cowan T 50 Ken Iman C 65 Tom Mack G 77 Bob Nichols T 71 Joe Scibelli G 54 Joe Wendryhoski C Defensive linemen (DL) 76 Rosey Grier DT 75 Deacon Jones DE 72 Earl Leggett DT/DE 85 Lamar Lundy DE 74 Merlin Olsen DT		Linebackers (LB) 55 Maxie Baughan OLB 58 Dan Currie OLB 32 Jack Pardee OLB 66 Myron Pottios MLB 61 Bill George MLB 57 Doug Woodlief OLB Defensive backs (DB) 49 Claude Crabb SS 27 Irv Cross CB 44 Chuck Lamson SS 21 Eddie Meador FS 46 Hank Gremminger FS 24 Clancy Williams CB 45 George Youngblood CB Special teams (ST) 30 Bruce Gossett K 13 Jon Kilgore P		Practice squad 61 Billy Anderson QB 79 Bruce Anderson DE -- Willie Brown WR 51 George Burman C -- Mike Capshaw T 37 Vilnis Ezerins RB 17 Danny McIlhany CB -- Dennis Murphy DT 83 Dave Pivec TE -- David Ray K/P 81 Gregg Schumacher DE 36 Ben Wilson RB 47 Kelton Winston S Reserve 43 Mike Dennis RB (IR) 35 Henry Dyer RB (IR) 88 Tony Guillory LB (IR) Rookies in italics

Regular season

Schedule

More information Week, Date ...

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Attendance
1	September 11	at Atlanta Falcons	W 19–14	1–0	Atlanta Stadium	54,418
2	September 16	Chicago Bears	W 31–17	2–0	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	58,916
3	September 25	at Green Bay Packers	L 13–24	2–1	Lambeau Field	50,861
4	September 30	San Francisco 49ers	W 34–3	3–1	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	45,642
5	October 9	at Detroit Lions	W 14–7	4–1	Tiger Stadium	52,793
6	October 16	at Minnesota Vikings	L 7–35	4–2	Metropolitan Stadium	47,426
7	October 23	at Chicago Bears	L 10–17	4–3	Wrigley Field	47,475
8	October 30	Baltimore Colts	L 3–17	4–4	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	57,898
9	November 6	at San Francisco 49ers	L 13–21	4–5	Kezar Stadium	35,372
10	November 13	New York Giants	W 55–14	5–5	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	34,746
11	November 20	Minnesota Vikings	W 21–6	6–5	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	38,775
12	November 27	at Baltimore Colts	W 23–7	7–5	Memorial Stadium	60,238
13	December 4	Detroit Lions	W 23–3	8–5	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	40,039
14	Bye
15	December 18	Green Bay Packers	L 23–27	8–6	Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum	72,416
Note: Intra-conference opponents are in bold text.

A bye week was necessary in 1966, as the league expanded to an odd-number (15) of teams (Atlanta); one team was idle each week.

Game summaries

Week 1 at Atlanta Falcons

Week One: Los Angeles Rams (0–0) at Atlanta Falcons (0–0)

More information Quarter, Total ...

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Rams	3	13	3	0	19
Falcons	0	7	7	0	14

at Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta

Date: September 11
Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C)
Box Score

More information Game information ...

Game information

First quarter

Los Angeles – Bruce Gossett 15-yard field goal, Rams 7–0.

Second quarter

Los Angeles – Jack Snow) 51-yard pass from Roman Gabriel (Gossett kick), Rams 10–0.
Los Angeles – Bruce Gossett 15-yard field goal, Rams 13–0.
Los Angeles – Bruce Gossett 23-yard field goal, Rams 16–0.
Atlanta – Gary Barnes 53-yard pass from Randy Johnson (Traynham kick), Rams 16–7.

Third quarter

Atlanta – Randy Johnson 3-yard rush (Traynham kick), Rams 16–14.
Los Angeles – Bruce Gossett 22-yard field goal, Rams 19–7.

Fourth quarter

Top Passers

Rams – Roman Gabriel: 21/35, 294 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Falcons – Randy Johnson: 9/25, 154 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

Rams – Dick Bass: 14 car, 81 yds.
Falcons – Ernie Wheelwright: 6 car, 91 yds,

Top receivers

Rams– Tommy McDonald: 9 rec, 114 yds
Falcons – Gary Barnes: 1 rec, 53 yds 1 TD

Week 10 vs New York Giants

Week Ten: Los Angeles Rams (4-5) vs New York Giants (1-6-1)

More information Quarter, Total ...

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Giants	0	7	0	7	14
Rams	14	10	10	21	55

at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles

Date: November 13
Game weather: 62 °F (17 °C)
Box Score