Honestly, if you look back at the 2014 St Louis Rams, you’re looking at one of the weirdest "what if" scenarios in modern NFL history. It was a season defined by a devastating injury before the first meaningful snap was even taken. People forget how much hype there was around this team in the summer of 2014. They had this terrifying defensive line that looked like it was built in a lab to destroy Russell Wilson and Colin Kaepernick. But then, Sam Bradford’s knee gave out in a preseason game against the Browns. Just like that, the air left the balloon.
The 2014 St Louis Rams ended up finishing 6-10. On paper, that looks like a failure. Boring. Forgettable. But the actual tape tells a different story entirely. This was a team that beat the defending champion Seahawks. They shut out back-to-back opponents in December. They had a rookie defensive tackle named Aaron Donald who was basically a human wrecking ball. They were dangerous, inconsistent, and ultimately doomed by an offense that couldn't stay out of its own way.
The Sam Bradford Heartbreak and the Quarterback Carousel
It’s hard to overstate how much the Sam Bradford injury shifted the trajectory of the franchise. It wasn't just a backup coming in; it was the psychological weight of knowing your "franchise guy" had torn his ACL for the second time in less than a year. Jeff Fisher had to pivot to Shaun Hill. Then Austin Davis. Then back to Hill.
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Davis actually had these flashes of brilliance where people thought, Wait, is this the next Kurt Warner? He threw for over 300 yards against the Eagles and Cowboys. He looked poised. But the consistency just wasn't there. By the time the 2014 St Louis Rams hit the mid-season mark, the offensive limitations were glaring. They couldn't protect the ball. When you’re playing in the NFC West, which was the toughest division in football at the time, you can’t win with a "just okay" passing game.
The running game didn't exactly set the world on fire either. Zac Stacy, who had been a bit of a cult hero the year before, lost his job to Tre Mason. Mason was explosive, sure. He had that big game against Denver where he looked like a star. But the offense ranked 28th in yards. You just can't expect to make the playoffs when you're bottom-five in moving the chains.
That Ridiculous Defensive Line
If the offense was a tragedy, the defense was a high-octane action movie. This was the year Gregg Williams took over as defensive coordinator. He brought that aggressive, "hit everything that moves" mentality. And he had the horses to do it.
Robert Quinn was coming off a 19-sack season. Chris Long was a veteran anchor, though he missed a huge chunk of the year with an ankle injury. But the real story was the emergence of Aaron Donald. Most scouts thought he was "too small" coming out of Pitt. The 2014 St Louis Rams took him anyway at 13th overall.
Donald was a lightning bolt. He didn't just play defensive tackle; he lived in the opponent's backfield. He finished his rookie campaign with 9 sacks and 18 tackles for loss. Watching him that year, you could tell he was going to be a Hall of Famer. He won Defensive Rookie of the Year, and it wasn't even close.
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Then you had the "Sack City" stretch. In late November and early December, the defense went on a tear. They held the Raiders to zero points. Then they went to Washington and shut them out too. Back-to-back shutouts in the modern NFL is basically impossible. It showed what the 2014 St Louis Rams could have been if they had even a league-average quarterback. They were physically punishing people.
Why the 2014 St Louis Rams Still Matter
You might wonder why we even talk about a 6-10 team a decade later. It's because this season was the beginning of the end for the St. Louis era. The rumors about Kroenke moving the team to Los Angeles were starting to get louder. The stadium situation at the Edward Jones Dome was a mess.
There was also the "Hands Up, Don't Shoot" entrance before the Raiders game. Five players—Kenny Britt, Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey, Jared Cook, and Chris Givens—walked out with their hands raised in solidarity with protesters in nearby Ferguson. It was a massive national news story that transcended football. It showed a locker room that was deeply connected to its community during a time of intense social unrest.
Key Moments from the 2014 Season
- The Special Teams Masterclass: In Week 7, the Rams used a "hidden ball" punt return trick to beat the Seahawks. Stedman Bailey acted like he caught the ball on one side of the field while the actual ball went to the other side. It was peak Jeff Fisher—weird, gutsy, and it worked.
- The Denver Upset: The Broncos came to St. Louis as heavy favorites. Peyton Manning was still Peyton Manning. The Rams' defense absolutely harassed him all day, winning 22-7. It was the loudest that dome had been in years.
- The Injury Bug: Beyond Bradford, losing Chris Long for 10 games killed their pass rush rotation early on.
A Roster of "What Ifs"
Look at the talent on that roster. You had Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson at corner. T.J. McDonald and Rodney McLeod at safety. That secondary was gritty. On offense, Kenny Britt actually had a decent year, proving he could still play after his Titans' woes. Tavon Austin was used as a gadget player, but the team never quite figured out how to make him a consistent threat.
The 2014 St Louis Rams were essentially a Ferrari with a lawnmower engine. The chassis was beautiful. The tires were top-tier. But when you stepped on the gas, it just sputtered. They finished the season with a point differential of -32, which actually isn't that bad for a 10-loss team. It means they were in almost every game. They lost four games by a touchdown or less. Change a couple of plays, keep Bradford healthy, and you're looking at a 10-6 wild card team.
Instead, it became a footnote. A year of "almost."
How to Evaluate This Era Today
When you’re looking back at the 2014 St Louis Rams, use these specific metrics to understand their impact:
- Focus on Defensive Efficiency: Don't just look at the 6-10 record. Look at the DVOA (Defense-adjusted Value Over Average). They finished high in defensive metrics but were dragged down by an offense that turned the ball over 25 times.
- The Aaron Donald Effect: 2014 is the "Year Zero" for Donald’s dominance. If you're a scout or a fan of defensive line play, studying his 2014 tape is a masterclass in leverage and hand fighting.
- The Coaching Transition: This was the peak of the Jeff Fisher "7-9 bullshit" era (even though they went 6-10). It highlights the limitations of a defensive-minded coach who can't solve the quarterback position.
If you're researching the history of the franchise, don't skip over 2014. It wasn't a winning season, but it was the most talented 6-10 team you'll ever see. It was a bridge between the "Greatest Show on Turf" nostalgia and the eventual move to Hollywood.
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To get a better sense of how this team functioned, go back and watch the Week 11 highlights against the Broncos. It captures everything that made the 2014 St Louis Rams fascinating: a relentless defense, a raucous (but dwindling) fan base, and a backup quarterback just doing enough to survive. It’s a snapshot of a franchise in transition, fighting for relevance in a city it was about to leave behind.