Knox’s Firing Signals End of an Era for Rams : Reaction: Players are not surprised, but they also don’t blame Knox for team’s lackluster performance.

With a shaky season behind them and an uncertain future ahead of them, Ram players received some firm information Monday: Coach Chuck Knox had been fired.

Now they will have a new coach, regardless of where they play next season.

“Everything has been up in the air all season,” safety Marquez Pope said. “Now things are starting to go down. Everything is coming to an end. Maybe it should end. If there is a move, we won’t take any extra luggage.”

Knox was 15-33 in three seasons, including a 4-12 record in 1994.

Pope, like other Ram players contacted, was not surprised by Knox’s firing. Nor did he blame him for the team’s lackluster performance. But he and others saw a positive side to the announcement: decisions were finally being made.

“It’s been a crazy year and no one wanted it to end like this,” Pope said. “But it was so crazy and there have been so many things that affected our performance. All the distraction made it look like it was Chuck’s fault. It wasn’t, but he was going to get the blame.”

Other players shouldered the blame.

“The bottom line is you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink,” safety Anthony Newman said. “He can tell us what to do, but we, as players, have to make the plays.”

The firing was the first of many expected changes for the Rams, who are expected to announce their move to St. Louis in the near future. The talk of possible relocation and the speculation that Knox would be fired if the team did not win were unwanted distractions for the players.

Nevertheless, they couldn’t help but speculate about the future.

“I felt anything was possible,” defensive back Todd Lyght said. “There was just so much uncertainty.”

Some Ram players tried to clear up those questions late in the season.

They circulated a petition supporting Knox the week before the regular-season finale against the Washington Redskins. They then went out and lost the game, 24-21.

Afterward, receiver Todd Kinchen said the document “got into the right hands,” but doubted it would have much impact on management’s decision on the future of the coaching staff.

“It was going to be totally (Ram President) John Shaw’s call,” Pope said. “If he felt there needed to be a move, then there would be a move.”

That move was made Monday.

“No one likes to be fired,” Newman said. “I feel for Chuck because he’s a good person and has done a lot for the team in the three seasons. It wasn’t enough and people move on.”

Said Lyght: “Now the question is, ‘Who will be the new coach?’ ”

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Chuck Knox’s Coaching Record

Career coaching record of Chuck Knox, who was fired as coach of the Rams on Monday: REGULAR SEASON

Year Team W L T Pct 1973 Rams 12 2 0 .857 1974 Rams 10 4 0 .714 1975 Rams 12 2 0 .857 1976 Rams 10 3 1 .750 1977 Rams 10 4 0 .714 1978 Buffalo 5 11 0 .313 1979 Buffalo 7 9 0 .438 1980 Buffalo 11 5 0 .688 1981 Buffalo 10 6 0 .625 1982 *Buffalo 4 5 0 .444 1983 Seattle 9 7 0 .563 1984 Seattle 12 4 0 .750 1985 Seattle 8 8 0 .500 1986 Seattle 10 6 0 .625 1987 *Seattle 9 6 0 .600 1988 Seattle 9 7 0 .563 1989 Seattle 7 9 0 .438 1990 Seattle 9 7 0 .563 1991 Seattle 7 9 0 .438 1992 Rams 6 10 0 .375 1993 Rams 5 11 0 .313 1994 Rams 4 12 0 .250

TEAM-BY-TEAM BREAKDOWN

Team Seasons W L T Pct Rams (1st Time) Five (1973-77) 54 15 1 .783 Buffalo Five (1978-82) 37 36 0 .507 Seattle Nine (1983-1991) 80 63 0 .559 Rams (2nd Time) Three (1992-94) 15 33 0 .313 Overall 22 Seasons 186 147 1 .558

PLAYOFFS

Year Team W L Pct 1973 Rams 0 1 .000 1974 Rams 1 1 .500 1975 Rams 1 1 .500 1976 Rams 1 1 .500 1977 Rams 0 1 .000 1980 Buffalo 0 1 .688 1981 Buffalo 1 1 .625 1983 Seattle 2 1 .563 1984 Seattle 1 1 .750 1987 Seattle 0 1 .600 1988 Seattle 0 1 .563 Total 7 11 .389

*-strike season

ALL-TIME REGULAR-SEASON VICTORIES

Coach Yrs W L T Pct. Don Shula 32 319 149 6 .682 George Halas 40 318 148 31 .671 Tom Landry 29 250 162 6 .605 Curly Lambeau 33 226 132 22 .624 Chuck Noll 23 193 148 1 .566 Chuck Knox 21 186 147 1 .558 Paul Brown 21 166 100 6 .621 Bud Grant 18 158 96 5 .620 Steve Owen 23 151 100 17 .595 Hank Stram 17 131 97 10 .571

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

Division titles: 7

NFL Coach of the Year: 4 times

Knox and Paul Brown are the only two coaches in history to win division titles in each of their first five season.

Knox is the only coach who has twice inherited a team with a losing record and taken them to the playoffs the next season.