Robinson Calls On White Again; Rams Beat Broncos, 20-16

While the rest of the NFC West got left at the National Football League starting gate Sunday, the Rams clawed out a 20-16 win over the Denver Broncos to find themselves alone in first place.

The 52,522 spectators in Anaheim Stadium were even treated to a human interest story named Charles White and a cliffhanger finish in which the Rams dodged John Elway’s final, futile bullet.

Could things be any better with Eric Dickerson in the lineup?

Well . . .

“We’ve got some other good running backs,” said linebacker Norwood Vann, who is Dickerson’s best friend on the team. “But it’s kind of a comfort when Eric’s back there.”

The Rams may wrap up their security blanket today. Dickerson, who returned from Sealy, Tex. Sunday but didn’t attend the game, is scheduled to meet with owner Georgia Frontiere and Coach John Robinson in an attempt by both sides to resolve his six-week holdout.

In Dickerson’s absence and with new quarterback Dieter Brock struggling, Barry Redden ran as far as his sprained right ankle could carry him. He retired after the first half with 46 yards on 13 attempts and the Rams trailing, 16-10, then watched as White ran for 83 yards on 18 rushes to lead the second-half comeback.

Robinson said: “We had talked all week about how we’d wear them down. They were worn down in the fourth quarter.”

That’s when the Rams scored the game’s last 10 points on a 33-yard field goal by Mike Lansford and White’s eight-yard run.

Earlier, they built a 10-3 lead on Lansford’s 37-yard kick and tight end David Hill’s tumbling catch of a two-yard touchdown pass from Brock, only to have Elway zap it away with 28- and 25-yard scoring strikes to Butch Johnson and Clint Sampson.

At halftime it didn’t look good for the Rams. Elway seemed to have adjusted to a defense that had dealt him some early lumps, and offensive tackle Bill Bain was semi-sleepwalking around the field, allowing two of the four sacks against Brock.

“I took a sleeping pill last night because I was nervous as hell,” Bain said. “The first half I was lethargic. I told (offensive line coach) Hudson Houck, ‘Hey, put (Irv) Pankey in.’ Then about the middle of the third quarter everything cleared up.”

Bain returned to lay one of three key blocks on White’s charge off right tackle for the winning touchdown, one old Trojan’s favor for another.

Robinson couldn’t have been more pleased, considering all of the overtones. If Dickerson couldn’t be there to be the hero, who better than the man who fell into hard times after winning a Heisman Trophy with Robinson at USC?

“A lot of people would have liked to have Charlie White buried,” Robinson said. “A lot of people thought Charlie White wasn’t good enough to play anymore. Well, Charlie White is good enough.”

The defeat all but broke the Broncos’ hearts. The defending AFC West champions, 13-3 last season, were the only team in their division to lose on a day when they seemed to be doing a lot of the right things to win.

They not only got their usual quota of turnovers with a fumble recovery and two interceptions but a strong effort from Elway, whose statistics (18 for 38 for 229 yards) didn’t reflect the respect the Rams held for him.

“Elway puts a lot of pressure on us because he’s an agile quarterback who can buy time for his receivers,” said cornerback Gary Green, who intercepted Elway’s “Big Ben” desperation pass in the end zone on the last play. “And his receivers are the best in the league at breaking their patterns and getting open.”

But on the Rams’ side, who would have given them a chance to beat as good a team as the Broncos without Dickerson and with only a so-so performance from their quarterback?

Brock, a 34-year-old, 11-year veteran from the Canadian League playing in his first NFL game, completed 16 of 29 for 174 yards but only three to a wide receiver--all of them to Henry Ellard. Most of the others were dumpoffs to his backs and tight ends, and several times he had to dance around the backfield--he’s no Fred Astaire--before finding anyone open.

“I didn’t feel like I threw the ball consistently well,” Brock said. “I wasn’t nervous, but you have to be patient. They do such a good job getting back in their zone that we were going underneath.”

The Rams may have gained the edge they needed on their next-to-last possession when the Broncos lost strong safety Dennis Smith on a separated shoulder and free safety Steve Foley with a bruised knee. They already were without veteran cornerback Louis Wright, and his backup, Steve Wilson, was injured in the third quarter.

On that particular drive, the Rams moved to within three points (16-13) on Lansford’s second field goal. But the next time, working against a makeshift secondary, Brock completed all five passes for 58 yards leading to White’s touchdown.

“They did try to use a nickel (defense) once,” Brock said, “but looked like they were kind of screwed up in it. That’s when Charlie ran the trap for the big gain (nine yards on third and four).”

On the next play, White followed Bain, Mike Guman and guard Dennis Harrah off right tackle, bounced off a defender at the five and scored on his feet with 2:07 remaining.

Following the kickoff, the Broncos had the ball at their own 29-yard line with 1:57 to play--enough time for 10 plays, all passes by Elway that had the fans on their feet, too.

The third-year multi-millionaire completed four, the last a 23-yard shot to Butch Johnson at the Rams’ 29. But from there the Rams’ defensive backs turned tenacious as Elway zeroed in on Steve Watson, who had 7 catches for 84 yards.

First, Eric Harris got in front of Watson on a deep slant and almost intercepted. Elway went to Watson again, but Johnnie Johnson knocked the catch loose at the 10. Then came the “Big Ben Play,” with Watson and Johnson both going to the right side of the end zone, where they were outjumped by Green for the ball.

“I got up on that one, didn’t I?” Green said, laughing.

The game went the Rams’ way early. They started their first possession at Denver’s 45 after a 29-yard punt by Chris Norman, and when Lansford’s 47-yard field goal try was wide left referee Gordon McCarter flagged Ken Woodard for running into the kicker.

Lansford almost forgot to fall down, but four plays later he teed it up again for a 3-0 lead.

Late in the first quarter Brock had Ron Brown open at the Broncos’ 20 on what could have been a 58-yard pass play, but Brown juggled the ball into the hands of Foley--the first of his two interceptions.

On the Rams’ next series, Karl Mecklenburg got around Bain to blindside Brock, who fumbled, Mike Harden recovering at the Rams’ nine. That led to Rich Karlis’ 24-yard field goal to tie.

The Rams went ahead, 10-3, after rookie Vance Johnson, back to field Dale Hatcher’s high punt, made a late signal for a fair catch, then peeked at the Rams’ converging coverage team, lost the ball and let it bounce off his hands. Vann recovered at the Denver four.

Redden rammed for two yards, then Brock rolled right and looked right and suddenly lobbed the ball back left to Hill, who tipped the ball and grabbed it as his arms ground into the rough dirt and gravel warning track of the outfield.

“The best catch I’ve seen in my 10-year career,” said Mike Barber, the other tight end who was a few feet away.

Hill displayed a skinned elbow and said: “I’ll be glad when baseball season is over and they can put the grass back in.”

Vance Johnson partly redeemed himself with a 36-yard kickoff return leading to Elway’s first scoring pass, on which Butch Johnson turned Nolan Cromwell outside and ran inside for an easy catch.

But Karlis’ extra-point attempt hit the left upright and bounced back--double deja vu for the barefoot kicker who had the same thing happen twice late last season.

It hurt the Broncos again Sunday, because at the end it meant they had to go for a touchdown instead of a tying field goal.

“It was a low snap,” Karlis said. “Gary (Kubiak) did a good job of digging it out. I just don’t have any luck on those things.”

It didn’t seem to matter immediately, especially when Elway brought the Broncos right back 52 yards on five plays to take the lead at 16-10. Again, Sampson split the Rams’ zone and was open at the post.

The Rams missed on their first chance to regain the lead when they drove to Denver’s three. First Brock was smothered on a sneak, then White lost two yards when he slipped trying to cut inside Guman’s block.

On that drive White had his longest run of 20 yards but was ordered off the field by McCarter to clean a sticky substance off his hands--the stuff trainers use when taping players.

From that point the Rams’ defense held on until the Rams could generate enough offense to win. Linebacker Jim Collins pulled one threat out of the fire when he knocked the ball loose from Gene Lang at the Rams’ 38, Cromwell scooping it up for a 12-yard return.

“We made errors but our courage was absolutely outstanding,” Robinson said.

Hill said: “We were too busy to think about Eric today. I miss him being here. You can always think back to a couple of plays where it would have been nice to have him.

“But Barry Redden showed courage playing on that bad ankle, and Charlie White came in and ran hard.”