Saints May Be Just What Dickerson Needs to Get Going Again

Eric Dickerson will probably look back upon the early fall of ’85 as the low point of his career, a nightmare of tacklers at every turn, lead in his shoes instead of wings on his feet.

Take the Rams’ game at Kansas City two weeks ago. Dickerson netted 68 yards, but it took him 26 cracks to get it. Rock climbers have made better progress.

At the end of the first quarter, his quarterback, Dieter Brock, who runs the 40 by an hour glass, had out-rushed him, eight yards to seven.

Dieter Brock, for gosh sake!

That same weekend a waddling refrigerator wearing a Chicago Bear uniform scored as many touchdowns as Dickerson: one.

William Perry, for gosh sake!

And last week against the San Francisco 49ers, Dickerson was upstaged not only by Jarvis Redwine’s former Nebraska blocking back, Roger Craig, but by the man he replaced with the Rams, Wendell Tyler.

For gosh sake, enough!

Dickerson hasn’t topped 75 yards in the five games since he returned from his holdout with a 150-yard, three-touchdown performance at Seattle. He has not only stopped running like the old Dickerson but also stopped talking.

Coach John Robinson said: “He had five specific interview requests this week and the theme of all of them was, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ ”

Dickerson clammed up because there was only one thing he could continue to say--that there’s been precious little daylight to run to--and that sounded as if he were blaming his blockers.

But if he had blamed himself, he wouldn’t have been entirely honest. He has been like a humpback whale fighting his way upstream away from the open sea, and it has started to show. He’s frustrated, discouraged--and angry.

Dickerson is dangerous when he’s angry.

The Rams (7-1) hope the solution will be the return of captain and right guard Dennis Harrah against the New Orleans Saints (3-5) at Anaheim today. This is the first time this season that Dickerson will have the starting offensive line intact in front of him.

Maybe that’s what he needs. Maybe the Saints are what he needs. Their defense allowed the Giants 234 yards rushing last week, and Dickerson has motored for better mileage against the Saints in his first two seasons than any other team. In 90 attempts, he has gained 512 yards, a 5.7-yard average.

Harrah, out for six weeks with a torn thigh muscle, isn’t sure he was terribly missed.

“That’s a nice thing for somebody to say, but I don’t believe that,” he said. “These guys are working hard, and the guys that took my place worked very hard and did a fine job.”

In the first two games, when the Ram line was intact and Dickerson was still holding out, Charlie White rushed for 83 and 144 yards. The Rams’ problem in his subsequent absence, Harrah suggested, could be creeping self-doubt among the troops--”thinking a little too much and not just coming off the ball and letting the energy flow.

“If we do that I think everything will work out. Just come off the ball, don’t hesitate and whip somebody’s butt and have a good time.”

Certainly, the Rams are having more fun than the Saints. Despite the 28-14 number done on them by Joe Montana and the 49ers last week, they are still three games in front in the NFC West.

And if he thinks he has it rough, Dickerson needs only to look at counterpart Earl Campbell, a fellow Texan who has been treated so rudely by home fans that he starts only road games to avoid being booed during introductions.

A banner last week was directed at Campbell, who represents a chewing tobacco company: “If you can’t hold onto the ball, put it between your cheek and gum. Skoal, brother!”

The lesson here is that no matter how bad things seem, there is always somebody worse off.

Ram Notes Coach John Robinson remains earnest in his desire to “mix our offense in terms of both the run and the pass.” He noted that when Dieter Brock completed a club-record 35 passes trying to play catch-up against the 49ers, “we got a sense of opening the game up, and maybe that’s the way we should play more.” . . . Saint quarterback Dave Wilson got his first pro start in Anaheim, where he grew up. He was a rookie when he took over for an injured Archie Manning in 1981 and led the Saints to a 21-13 victory. Last season he relieved Richard Todd and threw three touchdown passes in a 34-21 defeat. . . . The Rams are plus-11 in turnovers, second in the league. The Saints are minus-2 and have committed 12 in their three straight losses to the Eagles, Raiders and Falcons, who turned the miscues into 42 points. . . . The Saints’ leading receiver is tight end Hoby Brenner from USC, who has 26 catches. . . . Rookie offensive tackle Daren Gilbert, a second-round draft choice from Cal State Fullerton, is a backup on both sides of the Saint line.