| 2003 St. Louis Rams season | |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Mike Martz |
| Home Field | Edward Jones Dome |
| Results | |
| Record | 12-4 |
| Place | 1st NFC West |
| Playoff Finish | Lost NFC Divisional |
| Uniform | |
 | |
| Timeline | |
| Previous season | Next season |
| 2002 | 2004 |
The 2003 St. Louis Rams season was the team's 66th year with the National Football League and the ninth season in St. Louis. The Rams were coming off a disappointing 7-9 season and former MVP Kurt Warner was demoted to backup quarterback; Marc Bulger earned the starting job after replacing Warner in 2002 and winning six of his seven starts.
Regular season[]
Schedule[]
| Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Results | Stadium | Box scores | Attendance | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final score | Team record | |||||||
| 1 | September 7 | 1:00 p.m. EDT | at New York Giants | L 13–23 | 0–1 | Giants Stadium | Boxscore | 78,666 |
| 2 | September 14 | 12:00 p.m. CST | San Francisco 49ers | W 27-24 | 1–1 | Edward Jones Dome | Boxscore | 65,990 |
| 3 | September 21 | 1:05 p.m. PDT | at Seattle Seahawks | L 23–24 | 1–2 | Seahawks Stadium | Boxscore | 65,841 |
| 4 | September 28 | 12:00 p.m. CST | Arizona Cardinals | W 37–13 | 2–2 | Edward Jones Dome | Boxscore | 65,758 |
| 5 | Bye | |||||||
| 6 | October 13 | 8:00 p.m. CST | Atlanta Falcons | W 36–0 | 3–2 | Edward Jones Dome | Boxscore | 66,075 |
| 7 | October 19 | 12:00 p.m. CST | Green Bay Packers | W 34-24 | 4-2 | Edward Jones Dome | Boxscore | 66,201 |
| 8 | October 26 | 1:00 p.m. EST | at Pittsburgh Steelers | W 33-21 | 5-2 | Heinz Field | Boxscore | 62,665 |
| 9 | November 2 | 1:15 p.m. PST | at San Francisco 49ers | L 10-30 | 5-3 | San Francisco Stadium | Boxscore | 67,812 |
| 10 | November 9 | 12:00 p.m. CST | Baltimore Ravens | W 33-22 | 6-3 | Edward Jones Dome | TBD | 66,085 |
| 11 | November 16 | 12:00 p.m. CST | at Chicago Bears | W 23-21 | 7-3 | Soldier Field | TBD | 61,820 |
| 12 | November 23 | 2:15 p.m. MST | at Arizona Cardinals | W 30-27 | 8-3 | Sun Devil Stadium | TBD | 42,089 |
| 13 | November 30 | 12:00 p.m. CST | Minnesota Vikings | W 48-17 | 9-3 | Edward Jones Dome | TBD | 66,134 |
| 14 | December 8 | 1:00 p.m. EST | at Cleveland Browns | W 26-20 | 10-3 | Cleveland Browns Stadium | TBD | 73,108 |
| 15 | December 14 | 12:00 p.m. CST | Seattle Seahawks | W 27-22 | 11-3 | Edward Jones Dome | TBD | 66,152 |
| 16 | December 21 | 12:00 p.m. CST | Cincinnati Bengals | W 27-10 | 12-3 | Edward Jones Dome | TBD | 66,061 |
| 17 | December 28 | 12:00 p.m. | at Detroit Lions | L 20-30 | 12-4 | Ford Field | TBD | 61,006 |
Notable Games[]
- September 7 @ New York Giants
Kurt Warner was given one more shot as starter for the Rams but despite 342 passing yards managed just one garbage-time touchdown, to Torry Holt. The Giants, still smarting from their chaotic playoff loss to the 49ers the previous season, bullied the Rams by forcing three fumbles and wracking up 146 rushing yards by Tiki Barber en route to a 23-13 win. Warner was thus finished as Rams starter.
- September 14 vs. San Francisco 49ers
The Rams and Niners squared off in a tight contest where the game lead tied or changed seven times. Tai Streets and Torry Holt trqaded touchdown catches in the first quarter, and after a Jeff Chandler field goal put the Niners up 10-7 at the half the game kicked up a gear as Marshall Faulk and Kevan Barlow traded rushing scores in the third, then after two Marc Bulger drives produced ten Rams points and a 24-17 lead Jeff Garcia drove the Niners down field and Terrell 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 Niner Jeff Wilkins sank his old team from 28 yards out, and a 27-24 Rams win.
- September 21 @ Seattle Seahawks
The Rams butted their way to a 23-10 lead in the third quarter, but in the fourth it all went away as Matt Hasselback found Darrell Jackson in the opening minute of the fourth, then finished off the Rams on Koren Robinson's three yard catch in the closing minute of the fourth and a 24-23 Seahawks win.
- October 19 vs. Green Bay Packers
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 to Torry Holt kept Green Bay from making any serious run as St. Louis stormed to a 34-17 lead, and not even a 76 yard Najeh Davenport touchdown run in the fourth could stop a 34-24 Rams win.
- November 23 @ Arizona Cardinals
The Arizona portion of the Rams' annual New St. Louis vs. Old St. Louis rivalry turned into a wild affair after Marshall Faulk and Isaac Bruce put them up 14-3 in the second quarter. Marc Bulger was picked off by Renaldo Hill and Hill ran back a 70-yard touchdown. In the third Travis Fisher picked off Jeff Blake and stormed 57 yards for a Rams score. Blake found rookie Anquan Boldin, who bounced off two defenders and carried a 54-yard touchdown throw, then early in the fourth another Renaldo Hill pick set up a three-yard Blake score to Boldin. Bulger was then strip-sacked by Ronald McKinnon and the subsequent Neil Rackers field goal put the Cardinals up 27-24. But Bulger completed a key fourth-down throw and Jeff 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 (after the Seahawks-Ravens and Patriots-Houston overtime shootouts earlier that day) of the league weekend.
- December 14 vs. Seattle Seahawks
The Rams slammed the door on any Seattle hope for the NFC West title. After Marc Bulger was sacked for a safety, the Rams erupted with 21 first half points, including two Bulger touchdowns, one a 40-yard strike to Torry Holt. Two additional field goals stiffarmed the Seahawks as Matt Hasselback led the Seahawks to 20 additional points, insufficient as the Rams salted away a 27-22 win and the division.
Standings[]
| NFC West | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| W | L | T | PCT | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | STK | |
| St. Louis Rams | 12 | 4 | 0 | .750 | 4–2 | 8–4 | 447 | 328 | L1 |
| 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 |
Playoffs[]
| Week | Date | Kickoff | Opponent | Final Score | Stadium | Box scores | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divisional | January 10 | 7:00 p.m. CST | Carolina Panthers | L 23–29 | Edward Jones Dome | TBD | 66,165 |
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