The Raiders and the Rams will meet in the regular season for the first time since 2006. Photo by Tony Gonzales.
The Oakland Raiders will open regular season action September 12, 2010 as they travel to Tennessee to face the Titans. Week 2 will bring the regular season home opener for the Silver and Black as they meet the St. Louis Rams on September 19. The two teams have met 11 times over the course of the past four decades, with the Raiders leading the all-time regular season series 7-4. Although the two teams have only met 11 times, the series has resulted in some historic moments.
The first meeting between the Raiders and the then-Los Angeles Rams took place on October 29, 1972. The Raiders took control of the game early, with the Silver and Black's defense dominating throughout of the first half, allowing only a field goal. In the end, the Raiders came out victorious 45-17.
The 1979 meeting between the two teams marked the season opener for the Raiders, as Head Coach Tom Flores led the Silver and Black for the first time. The Raiders trailed the Rams the entire first half and as they headed into the locker room. The third quarter presented the turning point as the Raiders rallied from behind. The Silver and Black came out of the locker room and marched down the field, tying the game 17-17 on a 27-yard touchdown pass from Ken Stabler to Raymond Chester. In the final minutes of the third quarter, Stabler and Raymond connected once again for what turned out to be the game winning score as the Raiders came out on top, 24-17, giving Flores his first league victory.
The year of 1982 provided another memorable game for the series. This meeting was the first time the Raiders had met the Rams since they had relocated to Los Angeles. The game became a marquee matchup as the two neighbors battled it out for bragging rights. Early into the game things quickly turned very physical. Announcer Pat Summerall stated "The players on both teams say there isn't bad blood between the teams," as Hall of Fame and former Raiders Head Coach, John Madden replied, "I don't know about that, there have been three fights and we have just played two downs." The Raiders came away on top with a score of 37-31, ending the season with a five-game win streak on route to an AFC Western Division title. The Raiders finished the strike-shortened 1982 season with the best regular season record (8-1) in the NFL.
On December 23, 1985 the Raiders concluded their regular season schedule against the Rams marking the first team they had met on Monday Night Football. The Raiders were successful with a 16-6 win closing the season with another AFC West title. The Raiders took the next two meetings against the Rams in 1991 and 1994. The 1997 meeting between the two teams was the first match-up since the Rams moved to St. Louis. The Raiders handled the Rams, coming away with a 35-17 win. The 2010 matchup will mark the first time the two teams have met in the regular season since.
