BUCS Football Flashback: A look back at Buccaneers VS Rams History

How old is Bucs/Rams? It goes back to the Bucs very first game ever! And with the Rams coming to town to take on the Bucs, it’s a renewal of a very old and somewhat forgotten rivalry that has even been heated a few times in our history.

The Bucs first ever head coach John McKay was 4 time National Championship winner with the USC Trojans who played in the same stadium as the Los Angeles Rams. The Bucs first ever preseason game was in Los Angeles at the Memorial Coliseum, where McKay became a legend much as A Bobby Bowden was a decade or so ago.

The rules for expansion franchises were terrible back then, Unlike the Panthers and Jaguars who got two picks per round, Tampa Bay only got their normal draft picks, no free agency, only a list of players from each team, which were allowed to protect over 30 players. So the Bucs could choose from the worst 8 or so players from each team. The Rams whitewashed the Bucs 3-26, Pete Rajeki kicked the first and only points for any Tampa Bay team that night. (If you love John McKay humor, Rajeki was the kicker who admitted to coach that he made him nervous when he watched. McKay quipped “Well thats bad news because I intend to come to every game”)

Then the Bucs were asked to play there again, this time a slightly better team, but with a similar result, L 31-0. But in an indication of what was to come, the 1978 Bucs went into Los Angeles and put a scare into the Rams, even though Los Angeles with a late hit broke the jaw of rookie QB Doug Williams. Former Trojan Mike Rae QB’ed the Bucs with some crazy plays…flea flicker halfback pass for TD….but it wasn’t enough, the Rams won. They were the older established team, putting the infant Bucs to bed for the season.

Then 1979 came along, and the Bucs were 3-0. Critics said Big Deal, it was over a bunch of nobodies, and the Rams were coming to Tampa Stadium to show John McKay how a veteran, playoff team played football. Tampa Bay had other plans, with the No.1 defense from 1979, the Bucs did not allow one single offensive point buy the Rams. Bucs won 21-6, which was the half time score, and served notice to the NFL….The Bucs are w for real!

Of all the places for an NFC Championship game, no one

expected it to be in Tampa Stadium! But it was, and the Rams came too once again, another NFC final game, having lost so many to the  Vikings, and Cowboys throughout the ’70’s. The Rams would fight hard and win, but only 9-0, three field goals, the Bucs defense refused to give up a TD to the Super Bowl bound Rams offense in two complete games that year (Week 4 meeting and Championship game).

Then in 1980, the Bucs got to be in, and host, their first ever Monday Night Football game! It was a Thursday Night Special Edition, and Tampa Stadium was rocking in Orange for the whole

country to see, as Bucs got revenge, 10-9, again holding the Rams to no TDs by their offense.

There were a few games here and there in the 80s, an offensive explosion of points in 84 and 85, but on Dec 6, 1992, the Bucs suffered one of the greatest collapses in football history. The Bucs r                                olled in a Nationally televised game on TNT, up 27-3 at half time!! The Big Sombrero was rocking!!!

The Rams won 31-27. When asked if the Bucs had anything they could take from this to learn from, Joe Theisman; TNT’s announcer said, “well,  NO”!!

The Bucs came up winners again in 1995/96 without even playing, as the Rams lost their fans, leaving Los Angeles and moving to St. Louis. In 1999, one of the greatest offensive teams ever put together would be formed, making it to the NFC Championship game. Their opponent was dthe Bucs, who had built one of the best defenses of all time. Once again, 20 years later, the Bucs and Rams would play in the Championship game with NO.1Offense vs NO.1 Defense. The score was 6-5 Tampa Bay with 4 minutes left in the 4th Quarter. Rookie QB Shawn King fumbled, and the Rams QB Kurt Warner   threw a TD pass to Ricky Proell to ruin the Bucs day.

The next year, the Bucs and Rams played what many consider to be the best Tampa Bay Buccaneers game ever, a thrilling Monday Night Football game between the Rams at Tampa Bay. Instead of a defensive struggle, it was offense as the Bucs out produced the Rams offense for the 38-35 win.

Three years later, the Bucs too would hoist the Lombardi Trophy as Super Bowl Champs, 27 years after that first ever game against the LA Rams!

The current series has the Rams winning the last two games in a row,  One  home, one road. The Rams lead the overall series 11-8, but the Bucs are 7-5 at home.

For TONS of stats, don’t miss our GAME DAY each Sunday Morning or whenever Bucs games are being played. You won’t find more content anywhere!