It was a rout made memorable by Marcus Allen’s incredible 74-yard touchdown run and, as he pirouetted in the backfield and surged through the heart of the Redskins’ defense, nobody envisaged that being the last time for 35 years that LA would have a shot at the Lombardi Trophy.

Yet on Sunday, after a series of franchise relocations, the Rams will have the chance to end the drought for a city that has endured a love-hate relationship with the NFL when they take on the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LIII.

Here we look at the long road from that Raiders’ triumph to the Rams booking their place in this season’s showpiece at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Raiders’ title defence falls short as they are beaten 13-7 by the Seattle Seahawks in the Wild Card Round. A day later, the Rams lose 16-13 to the New York Giants at the same stage.

January 12, 1986

The Rams fall a game short of the Super Bowl as they are throttled by the famed 1985 Chicago Bears defense in a 24-0 NFC Championship Game loss. A week earlier, the top-seeded Raiders – led by league MVP Allen – stunningly lose to the Patriots in the AFC Divisional Round.

January 14, 1990

Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers crush the Rams 30-3 in the NFC Championship Game en route to retaining the Lombardi Trophy.

January 20, 1991

Further playoff humiliation comes for LA in the playoffs, as the Raiders suffer a 51-3 demolition at the hands of Jim Kelly and the Buffalo Bills in the AFC Championship Game.

June 23, 1995

The Raiders sign a letter of intent to return to Oakland. Their switch back to the Bay Area is followed by the Rams leaving for St. Louis after owner Georgia Frontiere threatened a lawsuit following the league’s initial rejection of the move. That leaves no professional football teams in LA.

January 30, 2000

Los Angeles has to deal with the pain of watching the Rams win the Lombardi Trophy for another city, as the Rams and an offense known as the ‘Greatest Show on Turf’ deliver St. Louis a title with a 23-16 victory over the Tennessee Titans in Super Bowl XXXIV.

February 3, 2002

What proved to be the Rams’ final Super Bowl appearance representing St. Louis ends with them being stunned by the Patriots as Tom Brady and Bill Belichick’s victory ushers in the start of New England’s dominant run.

January 12, 2016

NFL owners vote 30-2 to allow the Rams to return to Los Angeles, the franchise deciding to play in the Coliseum for four seasons before moving to a new stadium in Inglewood.

January 12, 2017

Despite seeing the move fail to inspire the Rams as they miss the playoffs in their first year back, Chargers owner Dean Spanos announces his intention to move the franchise from San Diego to Los Angeles from the 2017 season onwards.

January 6, 2018

After winning the NFC West in Sean McVay’s first season, the Rams disappoint in the postseason as their offense is shut down by the Atlanta Falcons in a 26-13 Wild Card Round defeat.

January 13, 2019

An extremely promising Chargers season is ended by the Patriots, who cruise to a 41-28 victory to reach the AFC Championship Game, in which they dramatically beat the Kansas City Chiefs in overtime.

January 20, 2019

The Rams punch their ticket to Atlanta in hugely controversial fashion, forcing overtime against the New Orleans Saints with the help of a clear pass interference penalty not being called by the officials. After John Johnson’s interception of Drew Brees, kicker Greg Zuerlein boots a 57-yard field goal to send Los Angeles to Super Bowl LIII.

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