2011 St. Louis Rams season explained

Team:St. Louis Rams
Year:2011
Record:2–14
Division Place:4th NFC West
Coach:Steve Spagnuolo
General Manager:Billy Devaney
Owner:Stan Kroenke
Stadium:Edward Jones Dome
Playoffs:Did not qualify
Pro Bowlers:none
Mvp:Steven Jackson
Roy:Robert Quinn
Uniform:File:St louis rams uniforms12.png
Shortnavlink:Rams seasons

The 2011 season was the St. Louis Rams' 74th in the National Football League (NFL), their 17th in St. Louis, and their third and final season under head coach Steve Spagnuolo. They finished with a 2–14 record, a failure to improve on their 7–9 record from 2010. The day after the season finale, head coach Steve Spagnuolo and general manager Billy Devaney were fired from the team.

The Rams' offense was among the worst in the league in 2011. They scored only 193 points (12.1 points per game), last in the league, and 11th-fewest all-time for a 16-game season.[1] Their −214-point differential was last in the league.[2]

Football Outsiders ranked St. Louis the worst team in the league, per play, in 2011.[3] The 2012 Football Outsiders Almanac, however, noted that the Rams went from the league's easiest schedule in 2010 to the league's hardest schedule in 2011.[4]

With their 2–14 record, the Rams capped a stretch from 2007 to 2011 in which they went 15–65, setting a new mark for the worst five-season span in NFL history. This mark has since been matched by the Cleveland Browns of 2013 to 2017. To date, this is the last season with the Rams getting at most two victories. As of 2022, the 2011 Rams are the most recent team to finish a season scoring less than 200 points.

Offseason

Coaching changes

On January 18, the Rams hired former Denver Broncos' head coach Josh McDaniels as the team's new offensive coordinator, replacing Pat Shurmur, who became the new head coach of the Cleveland Browns five days earlier (January 13).[5] [6]

Draft

See main article: 2011 NFL draft.

The Rams traded its sixth-round selection (#145 overall) to the Atlanta Falcons in exchange for the Falcons' sixth-round selection (#158 overall) and their seventh-round selection (#229 overall).

The Rams traded its sixth-round selection (#180 overall) to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for the Ravens' seventh-round selection (#228 overall) and WR Mark Clayton.

Preseason

Schedule

The Rams' preseason schedule was announced on April 12, 2011.

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordGame siteNFL.com
recap
HOFAugust 7vs. Chicago BearsCancelled due to the 2011 NFL Lockout[7]
1August 13Indianapolis ColtsW 33–101–0Edward Jones DomeRecap
2August 20Tennessee TitansW 17–162–0Edward Jones DomeRecap
3August 26at Kansas City ChiefsW 14–103–0Arrowhead StadiumRecap
4September 1at Jacksonville JaguarsW 24–174–0EverBank FieldRecap

Regular season

Schedule

WeekDateOpponentResultRecordGame siteNFL.com
recap
1September 11Philadelphia EaglesL 13–310–1Edward Jones DomeRecap
2September 19at New York GiantsL 16–280–2MetLife StadiumRecap
3September 25Baltimore RavensL 7–370–3Edward Jones DomeRecap
4October 2Washington RedskinsL 10–170–4Edward Jones DomeRecap
5Bye
6October 16at Green Bay PackersL 3–240–5Lambeau FieldRecap
7October 23at Dallas CowboysL 7–340–6Cowboys StadiumRecap
8October 30New Orleans SaintsW 31–211–6Edward Jones DomeRecap
9November 6at Arizona CardinalsL 13–19 (OT)1–7University of Phoenix StadiumRecap
10November 13at Cleveland BrownsW 13–122–7Cleveland Browns StadiumRecap
11November 20Seattle SeahawksL 7–242–8Edward Jones DomeRecap
12November 27Arizona CardinalsL 20–232–9Edward Jones DomeRecap
13December 4at San Francisco 49ersL 0–262–10Candlestick ParkRecap
14December 12at Seattle SeahawksL 13–302–11CenturyLink FieldRecap
15December 18Cincinnati BengalsL 13–202–12Edward Jones DomeRecap
16December 24at Pittsburgh SteelersL 0–272–13Heinz FieldRecap
17January 1San Francisco 49ersL 27–342–14Edward Jones DomeRecap

Game summaries

Week 1: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

With the loss, the Rams started the season 0–1.

Week 2: at New York Giants

With the loss, the Rams fell to 0–2.

Week 3: vs. Baltimore Ravens

With the loss, the Rams fell to 0–3.

Week 4: vs. Washington Redskins

With the loss, the Rams went into their bye week at 0–4.

Week 6: at Green Bay Packers

Coming off of their bye week in week 5, the Rams traveled to Lambeau Field to take on the undefeated Packers. The loss dropped the team to 0–5.

Week 7: at Dallas Cowboys

With the loss, the Rams dropped to 0–6.

Week 8: vs. New Orleans Saints

This home game for the team also had a celebration of the St. Louis Cardinals showing off the World Series trophy. The Rams would then go on to win this game and improve to 1–6.

Week 9: at Arizona Cardinals

The game featured the Rams' scoring the four points in the third quarter as they got two safeties on consecutive drives. This was first time in NFL history that a team had recorded four points in a quarter.

With the loss, the Rams fell to 1–7 and last place in the NFC West.[8]

Week 10: at Cleveland Browns

With the close win, the Rams improved to 2–7.

Week 11: vs. Seattle Seahawks

With the loss, the Rams dropped to 2–8.

Week 12: vs. Arizona Cardinals

With the loss, the Rams dropped to 2–9 securing them their 5th straight losing season.

Week 13: at San Francisco 49ers

With the loss, the Rams fell to 2–10.

Week 14: at Seattle Seahawks

With the loss, the Rams fell to 2–11 and were swept by the Seahawks for the first time since 2009.

Week 15: vs. Cincinnati Bengals

With the loss, the Rams fell to 2–12.

Week 16: at Pittsburgh Steelers

This game became the Steelers' 2nd shutout win of the season as the Rams dropped to 2–13.

Week 17: vs. San Francisco 49ers

With the loss, the Rams finished the season at 2–14 tied with the Colts for the league's worst record.

Standings

Notes and References

  1. http://pfref.com/tiny/a3n2J Pro-Football-Reference.com: In a single season, from 1978 to 2012, in the regular season, sorted by ascending Points For.
  2. http://pfref.com/tiny/bdU1t Pro-Football-Reference: In a single season, in 2011, in the regular season, sorted by ascending Points Differential
  3. http://www.footballoutsiders.com/dvoa-ratings/2012/final-2011-dvoa-ratings Football Outsiders: Final 2011 DVOA Ratings
  4. Football Outsiders Almanac 2012, p.216-217: "In 2011, St. Louis became the first person in [Football Outsiders' history] (1991–2011) to go from the easiest schedule one season to the hardest schedule the next."
  5. News: Shurmur Named Head Coach of Cleveland Browns . therams.com . January 13, 2011 . January 13, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160306111426/http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Shurmur-Named-Head-Coach-of-Cleveland-Browns/de63f05c-5080-4f51-b4aa-ada38af4b96d . March 6, 2016 . dead .
  6. News: Rams Name McDaniels Offensive Coordinator . therams.com . January 18, 2011 . January 18, 2011 .
  7. Web site: NFL cancels Bears-Rams Hall of Fame Game . Chicago Bears . July 21, 2011 . August 6, 2011 . https://archive.today/20120721155826/http://www.chicagobears.com/news/NewsStory.asp?story_id=7977 . July 21, 2012 . dead .
  8. Web site: King . Peter . Super deja vu for Manning, Giants in clutch win over Patriots . Monday Morning QB . Sports Illustrated . November 7, 2011 . Peter King (sportswriter) . 3 . November 7, 2011 .