 "The 17-Game Streak: A History
Lesson" by Preston (10/8) |
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"Not to depress fellow
Rams fans, but rather as part of the cleansing process," Preston reposts an article
he wrote for a UK fanzine a couple months back about "The Streak." He adds,
"I pray it ends this weekend!" [It's worse than we thought! -Ed.] RAMS, 49ERS AND THE 17-GAME STREAK The Rams status as perhaps the poorest team of the 1990's, is highlighted by their total inability to compete with their fiercest divisional rival - the 49ers. Several heavy losses to San Francisco have doomed potential winning seasons in Ramland - such that now psychologically it's hard to see St. Louis having a successful season without beating the 49ers along the way. The 49ers have won 17 straight games over the Rams - which is the 3rd longest such streak in league history. Miami beat Buffalo every time they played in the 1970's constituting the longest such streak (20 games), while the Lions have dropped 18 straight to the Redskins (spanning 30 years). However, many of the games in those 2 streaks have been close. This isn't the case with the 49ers dominance over the Rams - in which most of the games have been one-sided. This is more remarkable because it is borne out of what was one of the most intense rivalries in the NFL throughout the 80's. For example from 1988 to 1990 when the 49ers were at their most dominant (a combined record of 45-11, winning 2 Super Bowls and looking invincible most of 1990 until being upset by the Giants in the NFC Championship Game) in each season the Rams went up to Candlestick Park and beat them. The last of these was a stirring 28-17 win by the 3-7 Rams, over the then 10-0 Niners, which ended San Francisco's attempt to become the first team in the NFL to win 19 consecutive games, let alone their perfect season. It's amazing to think that was the last time the blue and gold came out on top. 17 Facts about the 17 Game-Streak: 1. The 49ers have out-scored the Rams 538-222 over the 17 games, translating to an average score of 32-13. Ouch. 2. Even more impressive is the fact that in the first half of these games, the 49ers have outscored the Rams 296-85 (an average score of 17-5) - meaning most of these games were over early. 3. The Rams have only scored 20 or more points just twice in the 17 games, and 13 or more points just 5 times. 4. The 49ers have only scored less than 26 points amazingly in just one of the 17 games. This was the infamous "Jim Druckenmiller game" in 1997 that the 49ers won 15-12 (see point 14). 5. In the 17 games, the Rams have only scored a total of 7 first half TD's, and never managed more than 10 points at half-time (and they only managed those 10 points twice). 6. By contrast the 49ers have only managed less than 10 points at the half just once in 17 games (again the "Druckenmiller game"), and have scored more than 20 half-time points 8 times in these contests. Can you spell b-l-o-w-o-u-t? 7. No current Rams were with the team the last time they beat the 49ers in 1990. In fact only 3 players from that Rams squad are even still in the league (Kevin Greene, Anthony Newman and Fred Strickland). Apparently Maggie Thatcher was still Prime Minister of the UK back then also! 8. Talk about no home field advantage - the Rams are actually a shocking 1-17 in their last 18 home contests against the 49ers - with their only home win coming in 1986 16-13 on a last second field goal by Mike Lansford. The 49ers were quarterbacked by Jeff Kemp on that day after all ... 9. During the streak the Rams are a pitiful 15-47 vs. NFC West foes while the 49ers are an unbelievable 49-13. 10. The 49ers whipping of the Rams 33-10 (it was 30-3 at halftime) on Monday Night in 1991 was so bad that the Rams have not been on Monday night since (currently the longest such drought in the NFL). Ineptitude highlight of the game was Rams kick returner Vernon Turner (and future Claymore) fielding a kick-off inside his five yard line and retreating back into the end zone where he was tackled for a safety. Doh! 11. The streak has now meant that the 49ers have tied the all-time regular season series at 48-48-2. The Rams did actually dominate the series in the 70's going 17-3, though most of those contests were actually close unlike the current games. However the 49ers hold the edge in post-season meetings 1-0, beating the Rams in their only meeting - a 30-3 in the 1989 NFC Championship Game. 12. The incompetence of the Rams in the streak has increased since the move to St. Louis. The average margin of defeat is 22 points from 1995 onwards, and the Rams haven't managed 20 points in any of those 8 contests. 13. Since the team moved to St. Louis, their inability to run the ball against the 49ers is jaw dropping. 7 different players have been the leading rushers in those 8 games (Jerome Bettis 34, Greg Robinson 28, Lawrence Phillips 15, Harold Green 28, Lawrence Phillips 72, Ron Moore 25, Tony Banks 21 and June Henley 51). The only respectable number (Phillips 72) again came in the "Druckenmiller game." No Ram running back has rushed for a TD in the streak in those 8 contests either. What ever happened to that Lawrence guy anyway? 14. The Rams have started 6 different quarterbacks in the streak (Jim Everett TJ Rubley, Chris Miller, Steve Walsh, Tony Banks and Steve Bono) with no success. Of the five QBs the 49ers have started (Joe Montana, Steve Young, Steve Bono, Elvis Grbac and Jim Druckenmiller), for two of them it was their first NFL start (Grbac in 95 and Druckenmiller in 97). The Druckenmiller start is to date his only for the 49ers, and his team's ability to win despite his shaky numbers (102 yards and 3INTs) is symbolic of the psychological edge the 49ers have. The Rams who fell to 1-1 after that Week 2 game, which was in all reality was their best chance to beat the Niners during the streak (Jerry Rice was out also), was a blow that they never recovered from all year. 15. In 1995 Ram QB Chris Miller threw 4 TD passes in the Rams-49er contests, however 3 of them were for San Francisco as Ken Norton (twice) and Eric Davis both returned interceptions for touchdowns. 16. Tony Banks failure as a Ram can be directly traced to his 49er game performances. From his ill-advised first NFL series (Coach Rich Brooks inserted him when the Rams were pinned back at their 1 yard line in the 2nd quarter of the first 96 meeting - three plays later he was sacked for a safety), to his last home game (his first two passes were picked off) he was completely ineffective. Consider these incredible numbers - in those five games he played he led his team to the following total offensive output (105, 202, 203, 113 and 168 total yards). That's an average of 158 yards total offense a game! Think about that one a while. For the record his career numbers in those 5 games were 57 of 132 (43%) for 606 yards 1TD and 5 INT's for a rating of 43.9. (The TD came with his team 28-3 down by the way). 17. Steve Young lost his first game as a 49er against the Rams (subbing for Montana in 89), however since then he is a perfect 12-0. In his 13 starts vs. the Rams as a 49er he has thrown for 3365 yards, 28 touchdowns and just 7 interceptions, plus rushed 55 times for 292 yards and 5 touchdowns. Consider that the Rams quarterbacks threw 8 interceptions in the two 1995 games alone. Can the Rams break the streak in 99? It would be appear to be crucial if they have any hopes of leaving the basement of NFL teams that they currently reside. That's why there were certainly more than a few raised eyebrows when it was discovered that Dick Vermeil's had urged Bill Walsh to sign Lawrence Phillips to help out the depleted 49er backfield. Although Vermeil's quotes such as "They've been beating us for a long time, so I don't know what difference one guy could make," may be true - if Phillips comes back to haunt the Rams in the Red and Gold, many Rams fans will be jumping off the Gateway Arch before the season's out. As for Vermeil . . . |
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