St. Louis Rams: The 5 Most Difficult Records To Break

The Rams have a rich history, dating back to their origins as the Cleveland Rams in 1936. In their 79 years of existence, the Rams have produced an illustrious group of all-time great players. Many of these players set NFL records that still stand to this day, and team records that will be difficult for any future Rams player to eclipse. As the old saying goes, records are made to be broken. The following 5 records will be the most difficult for any Rams player to break. Three of the five may never be broken by ANY NFL player.

Most Games Played In A Rams Uniform

259 Games - Jackie Slater - 1976-1995

A 7-time Pro Bowler and 2001 Hall of Fame inductee, Slater played his entire career in a Rams uniform (as a right tackle). He retired at the age of 41, after 20 seasons in the NFL. Only 12 players (among non-kickers) in NFL history have played in more games.

Of the 5 records listed, this one is the least likeliest to be broken. The NFL has become a young man's league, where 30 years of age is now considered to be "old". The Collective Bargaining Agreement, Free Agency and the salary cap ensure that players rarely remain with one team for their entire careers.

On the teams' current roster, Chris Long has played the most games in a Rams uniform (102). James Laurinaitis is next with 96 games in a Rams uniform.

Rushing Yards In A Single Season

2105 Yards - Eric Dickerson - 1984

After rushing for 1,808 yards in his rookie season with the Rams, Dickerson broke O.J. Simpson's NFL single season rushing record (2,003 yards) in his second season with Los Angeles. The record has stood the test of time, remaining an NFL (and Rams) record for the past 30 seasons.

Dickerson ranks among the Rams' and NFL's all-time greats. A 6-time Pro Bowler and 5-time 1st Team All-Pro, Dickerson was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1999. For my money, Dickerson is the greatest RB in NFL history, narrowly beating out Jim Brown, Gale Sayers and Barry Sanders. All four were transcendent talents.

The Minnesota Vikings' Adrian Peterson has come the closest to breaking Dickerson's record, rushing for 2,097 yards in 2012. Only 7 running backs have rushed for 2,000+ yards in a single season. It will take a special kind of season, from a special running back, to eclipse Dickerson's record. In Dickerson's record-breaking season, he averaged 23.5 carries per game, 5.6 yards per carry, and 131.6 yards rushing per game.

The Rams have had three other outstanding running backs in the past thirty years: Jerome Bettis, Marshall Faulk and Steven Jackson. Faulk produced three consecutive seasons with between 1,300 and 1,400 rushing yards (1999-2001). 2006 was Jackson's best season with the Rams, rushing for 1,528 yards. As a rookie in 1993, Bettis rushed for 1,429 yards. Can 2015 1st round selection Todd Gurley join the long list of Rams greats at the running back position, and challenge Dickerson's team rushing record?

Interceptions In A Single Season

14 Interceptions - Dick "Night Train" Lane - 1952

Another NFL record that has stood the test of time. 62 years unbroken and counting. Lane broke the single season record for interceptions in his rookie season with the Rams, and revolutionized the way the cornerback position was played.

Lane was a 7-time Pro Bowler, a 3-time First-Team All-Pro, and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1974. One of the all-time greats at the cornerback position.

What makes the record all the more remarkable (and unbreakable)? It was accomplished over a 12 game schedule (the norm in the 1950's) and at a time when rushing the football predominated the game (20 passes per game were a lot in those days).

Most Receiving Yards In A Single Game

336 Yards - Willie "Flipper" Anderson - Nov. 26, 1989 (New Orleans)

Talk about all the stars aligning and a player being at the right place at the right time. An injury to the Rams' leading WR Henry Ellard allowed Anderson to become Jim Everett's primary deep threat in the game against New Orleans. Anderson responded to the challenge by contributing a once-in-a-lifetime performance, breaking the NFL record for most receiving yards in a single game. In addition, he scored the game-tying touchdown in the 4th quarter. The Rams went on to win the game 20-17 in overtime.

In his 7 seasons with the Rams, Anderson caught 259 passes for 5,246 yards, averaging 20.1 yards per reception. In 1989, he led the league with an extraordinary 26.0 yards per reception.

To put Anderson's record-setting game against New Orleans into perspective, let's take a look back at Tavon Austin's astonishing, electrifying performance against the Indianapolis Colts on November 10, 2013. Austin came close to Anderson's 336 yards (on 15 receptions) in the game against the Colts, accumulating 314 yards. Except Austin's results were a total of multi-purpose yards for the game, not just receiving yards. Austin's numbers: 4 yards rushing on one attempt, 2 receptions for 138 yards, a 27-yard kickoff return and 4 punt returns for 145 yards. Anderson's performance was truly one for the ages. It's still an NFL record, 25 years after the fact.

In 2013, Detroit's Calvin Johnson came the closest to breaking Anderson's record. In Week 8, in a game versus the Dallas Cowboys, Johnson caught 14 passes for 329 yards, just 7 yards shy of Flipper's all-time record.

Career Receiving Yards

15,208 Yards - Isaac Bruce - 1994-2009 (14,109 yards with the Rams)

Isaac Bruce was an integral part of the famed GSOT. His 15,208 career receiving yards ranks 4th on the NFL all-time list (behind Jerry Rice, Terrell Owens and Randy Moss). In 14 seasons with the Rams, Bruce accumulated 14,109 receiving yards, another team record.

A 4-time Pro Bowler, Bruce was a Hall of Fame semi-finalist in 2015, and is arguably the greatest wide receiver in Rams history.

For a wide receiver to put up the kind of numbers Bruce produced, he would need to average 1008 receiving yards per year over 14 seasons. A tall order to fill. The majority of Rams fans would be ecstatic with one 1,000-yard season from their current receiving corps.

Honorable Mention

Rushing Yards In A Single Season (Rookie): Eric Dickerson - 1808 yards - 1983

Passing Yards In A Single Game: Norm Van Brocklin - 554 yards - Sept. 28, 1951

Touchdowns In A Single Season: Marshall Faulk - 26 (18-run, 8-pass) - 2000

Receiving Yards In A Single Season: Isaac Bruce - 1,781 yards - 1995

Total Rushing/Receiving Yards In A Single Season: Marshall Faulk - 2,429 yards (1,381 rushing, 1,048 receiving) - 1999