 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "2003 St. Louis Rams season" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(November 2025) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| 2003 St. Louis Rams season | |
|---|---|
| Owner | Georgia Frontiere |
| Head coach | Mike Martz |
| Home stadium | Edward Jones Dome |
| Results | |
| Record | 12–4 |
| Division place | 1stNFC West |
| Playoffs | LostDivisional Playoffs (vs.Panthers) 23–29(2OT) |
| Pro Bowlers | QBMarc Bulger WRTorry Holt TOrlando Pace DELeonard Little SAeneas Williams KJeff Wilkins |
The2003 season was theSt. Louis Rams' 66th in theNational Football League, their ninth season in St. Louis and their fourth underhead coachMike Martz. The Rams were coming off a disappointing 7–9 season and former MVPKurt Warner was demoted to backup quarterback;Marc Bulger earned the starting job after replacing Warner in 2002 and winning six of his seven starts. Though many agree thatThe Greatest Show on Turf ended after the 2001 season, the Rams nonetheless finished 12–4, winning the NFC West, only to lose to the eventual NFC championsCarolina Panthers in double overtime. This would be the last time the Rams won the NFC West until the2017 NFL season.
It was the Rams' first home loss in the playoffs since the1984 season, and ultimately their only home playoff loss during their tenure in St. Louis. 2003 was also the last winning season that the Rams would achieve in St. Louis and was their last winning season anywhere[1] until2017 in Los Angeles. They did make the playoffsthe following season despite a mediocre 8–8 record, considered one of the worst teams to make the playoffs, along with the2010 Seahawks (7–9), the1999 Lions (8–8), and the1998 Cardinals (9–7).
Bulger was voted to play in thePro Bowl following the season and was the game's MVP. As for Kurt Warner, he was released after the season in order to clear up cap space, and Bulger would spend the next six seasons as the Rams' starting quarterback.
Departures: Running BackTrung Canidate was traded to the Washington Redskins for guardDavid Loverne. Wide receiverRicky Proehl went to thePanthers. Full backJames Hodgins went to the Cardinals. Tight endErnie Conwell went to the Saints. Wide receiverTroy Edwards went to the Jaguars. CornerbackDre Bly went to theLions.
Acquisitions: Acquired offensive tackleKyle Turley from theSaints in a trade.
| 2003 St. Louis Rams draft | |||||
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | College | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 | Jimmy Kennedy | DT | Penn State | |
| 2 | 43 | Pisa Tinoisamoa | LB | Hawaii | |
| 3 | 74 | Kevin Curtis | WR | Utah State | |
| 4 | 106 | Shaun McDonald | WR | Arizona State | |
| 4 | 107 | DeJuan Groce | CB | Nebraska | |
| 5 | 148 | Dan Curley | TE | Eastern Washington | |
| 5 | 170 | Shane Walton | S | Notre Dame | Compensatory pick |
| 5 | 172 | Kevin Garrett | CB | SMU | Compensatory pick |
| 6 | 184 | Scott Tercero | G | California | |
| 7 | 251 | Scott Shanle | LB | Nebraska | Compensatory pick |
| 7 | 254 | Richard Angulo | TE | Western New Mexico | Compensatory pick |
| Made roster † Pro Football Hall of Fame * Made at least onePro Bowl during career | |||||
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Record | Venue | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 7 | atNew York Giants | L 13–23 | 0–1 | Giants Stadium | 78,666 | |
| 2 | September 14 | San Francisco 49ers | W 27–24(OT) | 1–1 | Edward Jones Dome | 65,990 | |
| 3 | September 21 | atSeattle Seahawks | L 23–24 | 1–2 | Seahawks Stadium | 65,841 | |
| 4 | September 28 | Arizona Cardinals | W 37–13 | 2–2 | Edward Jones Dome | 65,758 | |
| 5 | Bye | ||||||
| 6 | October 13 | Atlanta Falcons | W 36–0 | 3–2 | Edward Jones Dome | 66,075 | |
| 7 | October 19 | Green Bay Packers | W 34–24 | 4–2 | Edward Jones Dome | 66,201 | |
| 8 | October 26 | atPittsburgh Steelers | W 33–21 | 5–2 | Heinz Field | 62,665 | |
| 9 | November 2 | atSan Francisco 49ers | L 10–30 | 5–3 | San Francisco Stadium | 67,812 | |
| 10 | November 9 | Baltimore Ravens | W 33–22 | 6–3 | Edward Jones Dome | 66,085 | |
| 11 | November 16 | atChicago Bears | W 23–21 | 7–3 | Soldier Field | 61,820 | |
| 12 | November 23 | atArizona Cardinals | W 30–27(OT) | 8–3 | Sun Devil Stadium | 42,089 | |
| 13 | November 30 | Minnesota Vikings | W 48–17 | 9–3 | Edward Jones Dome | 66,134 | |
| 14 | December 8 | atCleveland Browns | W 26–20 | 10–3 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | 73,108 | |
| 15 | December 14 | Seattle Seahawks | W 27–22 | 11–3 | Edward Jones Dome | 66,152 | |
| 16 | December 21 | Cincinnati Bengals | W 27–10 | 12–3 | Edward Jones Dome | 66,061 | |
| 17 | December 28 | atDetroit Lions | L 20–30 | 12–4 | Ford Field | 61,006 | |
| Note: Intra-division opponents are inbold text. | |||||||
Kurt Warner was given one more shot as starter for the Rams and passed for 353 yards and one touchdown toTorry Holt. However, Warner was sacked six times and fumbled on five of them, losing three. The Giants, still smarting fromtheir chaotic playoff loss to the 49ers the previous season, bullied the Rams by recovering the three fumbles and wracking up 146 rushing yards byTiki Barber en route to a 23–13 win. Warner was briefly hospitalized with a concussion and Rams coachMike Martz would startMarc Bulger at QB for the remainder of the season.
The Rams and Niners squared off in a tight contest where the game lead tied or changed seven times.Tai Streets andTorry Holt traded touchdown catches in the first quarter, and after aJeff Chandler field goal put the Niners up 10–7 at the half the game kicked up a gear asMarshall Faulk andKevan Barlow traded rushing scores in the third, then after twoMarc Bulger drives produced ten Rams points and a 24–17 leadJeff Garcia drove the Niners down field andTerrell Owens' 13-yard catch with 19 seconds to go forced overtime. A missed 43-yard field goal try by Chandler wound up dooming the Niners as the Rams whipped down field in the opening two minutes of overtime and former NinerJeff Wilkins sank his old team from 28 yards out, and a 27–24 Rams win.
The Rams butted their way to a 23–10 lead in the third quarter, but in the fourth it all went away asMatt Hasselbeck foundDarrell Jackson in the opening minute of the fourth, then finished off the Rams onKoren Robinson's three yard catch in the closing minute of the fourth and a 24–23 Seahawks win.
Already without Kurt Warner, star running backMarshall Faulk left the game with a fractured left hand, which would sideline him for the next five weeks.
The Rams limited the Cardinals to 161 total yards of offense and put up 401 yards themselves even thoughMarshall Faulk did not play.Lamar Gordon picked up the slack with 81 rushing yards and a touchdown whileMarc Bulger ran in one score and threw touchdowns toTorry Holt andDane Looker in a 37–13 rout.
Coming out of their bye week, the Rams hosted the Falcons in the two clubs' first meeting since 2002 divisional realignment put the Falcons into the now-second yearNFC South. WithMichael Vick sidelined with injury, the Falcons' season was essentially over at 1–4 entering the game, and the Rams merely added more punishment; they downedT. J. Duckett in the Falcons endzone for a safety and put up 496 yards of offense and 36 points in a 36–0 shutout; the last touchdown came whenTravis Fisher picked offKurt Kittner and ran back a 74-yard touchdown.
The Rams faced the Packers for the first time since their 45–17 embarrassment of Green Bay in the 2001 playoffs.Marc Bulger's two first-half scores toTorry Holt kept Green Bay from making any serious run as St. Louis stormed to a 34–17 lead, and not even a 76-yardNajeh Davenport touchdown run in the fourth could stop a 34–24 Rams win.
In a rematch ofSuper Bowl XIV the Rams faced their former backup quarterbackTommy Maddox. The game lead tied or changed six times as Maddox tossed a pair of scores toHines Ward but was intercepted three times. Bulger threw for 375 yards and a 36-yard score toTorry Holt. WithMarshall Faulk still sidelined,Arlen Harris ran for three touchdowns as the Rams won 33–21.
The Rams' four-game win streak ended in a 30–10 thumping atCandlestick Park.Cedrick Wilson opened up scoring with a 95-yard kickoff return score, and it never got better for the Rams.Tim Rattay unloaded three touchdowns toBrandon Lloyd,Terrell Owens, andTai Streets while Bulger was sacked five times and picked off twice. The Rams run game was limited to nine total yards, all byArlen Harris.
The Rams faced the Ravens four years afterWeek One of 1999, and the Rams got back on track.Marshall Faulk returned and despite only 48 rushing yards and three catches for six yards, he managed two touchdowns. The game was a spree of turnovers; the Rams fumbled twice whileMarc Bulger was picked off twice (byRay Lewis andEd Reed), but the Ravens were even worse; they fumbled four times (Adam Archuleta ran back one fumble 45 yards for the score) while Baltimore quarterbacks (Chris Redman andKyle Boller) were intercepted three times. The end result was a 33–22 Rams win.
Marshall Faulk exploded to his first 100-yard rushing day of the season as he reached 103 yards. The Bears behindChris Chandler led 14–3 before the Rams rallied to a 20–14 lead in the fourth. Chandler drove the Bears down and foundDez White for an 11-yard touchdown with 6:03 to go. Bulger was intercepted on the next possession, but the Bears had to punt with 2:55 to go. Bulger completed five passes to the Bears 19, and after a Faulk runJeff Wilkins booted the winning field goal from 31 yards out and a 23–21 Rams win.
The Arizona portion of the Rams' annual New St. Louis vs. Old St. Louis rivalry turned into a wild affair afterMarshall Faulk andIsaac Bruce put them up 14–3 in the second quarter.Marc Bulger was picked off byRenaldo Hill and Hill ran back a 70-yard touchdown. In the thirdTravis Fisher picked offJeff Blake and stormed 57 yards for a Rams score. Blake found rookieAnquan Boldin, who bounced off two defenders and carried a 54-yard touchdown throw, then early in the fourth anotherRenaldo Hill pick set up a three-yard Blake score to Boldin. Bulger was then strip-sacked byRonald McKinnon and the subsequentNeil Rackers field goal put the Cardinals up 27–24. But Bulger completed a key fourth-down throw andJeff Wilkins drilled a 24-yarder as time expired. In overtime Bulger then ran 18 yards for a key first down, and Wilkins finished off the Cardinals from 49 yards out, ending a 30–27 win, the third overtime game (afterthe Seahawks-Ravens andPatriots-Houston overtime shootouts earlier that day) of the league weekend.
Despite ten catches for 160 yards and a fifteen-yard touchdown catch,Randy Moss could not help the Vikings stop a 48–17 rout by the Rams. The Rams sackedDaunte Culpepper eight times and forced three Minnesota turnovers.Marc Bulger threw for 222 yards but the longest pass play came whenIsaac Bruce completed a 41-yarder toDane Looker in the third quarter.
The 4–8 Browns fell to 4–9 after two interceptions (one a pick-six byAeneas Williams) and two fumbles aided the Rams to a 26–20 win.Marshall Faulk broke 100 yards for the fourth straight game. They defeated all AFC North opponents for the season.
Entering the game at 10–3, the Rams slammed the door on any Seattle hope for the NFC West title. AfterMarc Bulger was sacked for a safety, the Rams erupted with 21 first half points, including two Bulger touchdowns, one a 40-yard strike toTorry Holt. Two additional field goals stiff-armed the Seahawks asMatt Hasselbeck led the Seahawks to 20 additional points, insufficient as the Rams salted away a 27–22 win and the division, leaving the Seahawks at 8–6.
The Rams were now in a tight race with theEagles for the top seed in the NFC playoffs, and the49ers gave the Rams some help by winning in overtime atPhilly that same day. The Rams for their part picked offJon Kitna three times andMarshall Faulk had his highest rushing game of the year (121 yards and a score). The 27–10 win put the Rams at 12–3 with the Eagles falling to 11–4.
The NFL held three games on Saturday, and the Eagles routed theWashington Redskins 31–7 to finish 12–4. The Rams needed to defeat the 4–11 Lions to secure the NFC top seed; they were already guaranteed a playoff bye as a top-two seed.Marc Bulger threw for 170 yards and a touchdown as the Rams scored 20 points in the second quarter. But in the second half the Lions erupted; former RamAz-Zahir Hakim caught a 13-yard touchdown fromJoey Harrington as the Lions scored 20 unanswered points.Kurt Warner replaced Bulger in the final ten minutes of the game and completed only four passes for 23 yards; they were the final plays by Warner in a Rams uniform. The 30–20 loss put the Eagles as the NFC's top playoff seed.
| NFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| (2)St. Louis Rams | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 447 | 328 | L1 |
| (5)Seattle Seahawks | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 5–1 | 8–4 | 404 | 327 | W2 |
| San Francisco 49ers | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2–4 | 6–6 | 384 | 337 | L1 |
| Arizona Cardinals | 4 | 12 | 0 | .250 | 1–5 | 3–9 | 225 | 452 | W1 |
| Round | Date | Opponent | Result | Venue | Attendance | NFL.com recap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wild Card | First-round bye | |||||
| Divisional | January 10, 2004 | Carolina Panthers | L 23–29(2OT) | Edward Jones Dome | 66,165 | |
https://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/ram/2003.htm
https://www.nfl.com/sitemap/html/rosters/2003/st.-louis-rams
