page_title: History of the Los Angeles Rams
section_title: 1992–1994: The end of the original Southern California team
hierarchical_section_title: History of the Los Angeles Rams / History / 1946–1994: Origins in  Los Angeles / 1992–1994: The end of the original Southern California team
caption_attribution_description: English: The Los Angeles Rams playing host to the Atlanta Falcons during a December 8, 1991 home game at Anaheim Stadium. This photograph was taken using an unspecified 35mm camera and scanned using a Canon CanoScan LiDE 60 scanner
context_page_description: The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team that plays and competes in the National Football League. The Rams franchise was founded in 1936 as the Cleveland Rams in the short-lived second American Football League before joining the NFL the next year. In 1946, the franchise moved to Los Angeles. The Rams franchise remained in the metro area until 1994, when they moved to St. Louis, and were known as the St. Louis Rams from 1995 to 2015. The Rams franchise returned to Los Angeles in 2016.
context_section_description: Robinson was fired at the end of the 1991 season. The return of Chuck Knox as head coach, after Knox’ successful stints as head coach of the Buffalo Bills and Seattle Seahawks, would not boost the Rams’ fortunes. His run-oriented offense marked the end of the Zampese tenure in 1993. Knox’ game plans called for an offense that would be steady, if unspectacular. Unfortunately for the Rams, Knox’ offense was not only aesthetically unpleasing but dull as well, especially by 1990s standards.  The Rams finished last in the NFC West during all three years of Knox’ second stint, and were never a serious contender.
  As the losses piled up and the team was seen as playing uninspired football, the Rams’ already dwindling fan base was reduced even further. By 1994, support for the Rams had withered to the point where they were barely part of the Los Angeles sports landscape. With sellouts becoming fewer and far between, the Rams saw more of their games blacked out in Southern California. One of the few bright spots during this time was Jerome Bettis, a bruising running back from Notre Dame. Bettis flourished in Knox’ offense, running for 1,429 yards as a rookie, and 1,025 in his sophomore effort.
  As has become increasingly common with sports franchises, the Rams began to blame much of their misfortune on their stadium situation. With Orange County mired in a deep recession resulting largely from defense sector layoffs, the Rams were unable to secure a new or improved stadium in the Los Angeles area, which ultimately cast their future in Southern California into doubt.
caption: The Rams hosting the Atlanta Falcons at Anaheim Stadium in 1991
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