The Atlanta Falcons reignite a rivalry against an old school NFC West opponent of yesteryear when they step into the prime time lights to face the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football this week.
It really was sheer misery for the Birds whenever they matched up against the Rams in the early days, as they won just two out of the team’s first 19 matchups through the 1976, while suffering a 56-0 beatdown in that ‘76 season. That’s still the largest margin of defeat in franchise history.
It was decisive L after decisive L for the Falcons, as the Rams almost felt like an auto loss on the schedule in the 1970s and 1980s. Despite facing off twice a year, Atlanta didn’t put together back-to-back wins in this matchup until 1986 and then they didn’t have sustained success until the calendar flipped into the 1990s, when they won eight out of nine meetings throughout the first half of that decade.
After going 4-13 against the Birds from 1990-1998, the now St. Louis Rams plucked future MVP and Hall of Famer Kurt Warner out of the Arena League and put together the Greatest Show on turf in 1999, then proceeded to beat Atlanta seven straight times through 2003, just like old times.
The Falcons have since bounced back since leaving the Rams’ division, going 7-3 from 2004 through modern day, including beating their old foes twice in the playoffs — the first in the 2004 NFC Divisional Round, led by the DVD offense, and then in the 2017 NFC Wildcard Round, which to this day remains the last playoff win the Falcons have enjoyed.
The Falcons were up against it when they traveled to Sofi Stadium in Week 2 of the 2022 season for a matchup against the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams, already reeling after blowing a double digit fourth quarter lead against the New Orleans Saints at home in the season opener.
The Rams’ offense was a well oiled machine, scoring a touchdown on four of their first five drives, including two by the reigning offensive player of the year Cooper Kupp, to take a 28-3 lead against a Falcons offense which looked helpless behind Marcus Mariota.
The game flipped on its head when Mykal Walker intercepted Matthew Stafford and set the Birds up in the red zone, however. Mariota wound up connecting with Drake London in the end zone for the rookie receiver’s first ever touchdown reception, before another touchdown pass thrown to Olamide Zaccheaus and a Troy Andersen blocked punt touchdown put the Falcons within striking distance at 31-25.
A Darren Hall forced and recovered fumble against Kupp gave Mariota a chance at completing a famous comeback as Atlanta quickly got into the red zone at the 2-minute warning. The Oregon product took a sack on the first play on the other side of the warning and then threw a back-breaking interception into the hands of Jalen Ramsey to seal it.