Ram Notebook : Marshall’s Plan Is to Secure More Sack Time : ‘Freezer’ Hopes He Can Thaw Out Last Year’s Performance Against the Rams

Leonard Marshall thinks he has Californians all figured out.

“Lots of kinky times, huh?” the New York Giant defensive end said by phone this week. “That’s the word on you guys out there. All you guys are kinky. You do everything funny. All the guys are left-handed and drive little sports cars, low to the ground.”

What Marshall may not realize is that the Ram he’ll face Sunday, Bill Bain, is a right-hander who drives a ’72 Lincoln and commutes to work by train, just like Eastern folk.

But Marshall had the Ram offense figured out on one particular play in last December’s wild-card playoff game at Anaheim.

It was second-and-goal at the 4-yard line with the Rams trailing, 16-10, in the last quarter. Jeff Kemp faked a pitch left to Eric Dickerson, then gave the ball to Dwayne Crutchfield, who Marshall tackled for a loss. The Rams settled for a field goal and lost, 16-13.

“It was just a great football play,” Marshall said. “We called a line stunt and I was unblocked and that was it. Naw, that fake didn’t fool me.”

Marshall, a 285-pound, third-year pro, leads the NFL with 11. sacks, three more than the two-time defending champion, Mark Gastineau of the Jets.

“Everybody’s given me a nickname,” Marshall said. “One guy put in the paper that ‘we should give the ball to The Freezer.’ One guy calls me Dr. McSack.

“I’m not a hooray-type guy. I’m not a Gastineau guy. I’m low-key, not a real mouth-off-type guy.”

Marshall is stealing some of Gastineau’s thunder in the Big Apple, but he doesn’t talk to his rival.

“No, his head’s too big,” Marshall said.

When Marshall became a starter last season, he changed his attitude.

“I put a lot into the off-season with a training program, wanting the same success that everybody wants in the game, everything that goes along with the success of it: the big cars, the homes, the Rolexes, the whole nine yards.

“That’s what guys look forward to if they love the game and the benefits of the game.”

Marshall’s performance this season has even shadowed the play of teammate Lawrence Taylor, the perennial All-Pro linebacker, who has seven sacks.

And even Taylor’s one-time backup at North Carolina, Mike Wilcher, is catching up. The Rams’ right outside linebacker has seven sacks plus one interception, which Taylor doesn’t have.

Taylor was two years ahead of Wilcher, who became a Ram starter because of George Andrews’ two knee injuries the last two years.

“I learned a lot just by watching him (Taylor) in college,” Wilcher said. “We rushed a lot more, but we did have some (pass) coverage responsibilities.

“That’s what I like to do the most. I like to rush. Last year, we were having a lot of problems with the pass rush, so I was hoping I’d get a chance to do that. There are a couple of defenses where I have sort of a green light to run different stunts and rush from different positions--go inside, come outside. That’s what I like to do most. I get excited about it.”

Wilcher is not concerned about clobbering quarterbacks too hard.

“No, that’s their worry. Nobody out there’s worrying about hurting me.”

Wilcher and Taylor aren’t exactly pen pals.

“Last season was the last time I talked to him, at the playoff game when they beat us.”

Taylor may be a half-step quicker, but they are exactly the same size--6-feet 3-inches and 245 pounds--and Wilcher says: “I definitely feel I can play as good as him. I haven’t been watching him play recently, but the way I’m playing right now, I don’t think there are a whole lot of people a lot better than I am, and I can feel myself getting better and more comfortable and confident with different things every week. I’m more into the flow of the game and more relaxed.”

Marshall hasn’t had a sack in the last two games, and his chances may have diminished when Dieter Brock’s kidney stone surgery forced the Rams to switch to the more agile Jeff Kemp at quarterback.

Kemp was sacked only 24 times in 13 games last season. Brock has been sacked 31 times in nine.

“We’ve played a couple of scramblers this season,” Marshall said. “The big thing is to keep him in the pocket and force him to have miscues--throw interceptions, take a couple sacks.

“But that’s not the big thing for us. We’re really concentrating on their running game and containing Eric (Dickerson). We don’t know the key. If we knew the key and a lot of other teams knew the key, they wouldn’t be sitting 8-1.

“The Rams are a good football team. They’re not 8-1 for nothing.”

RAMS-GIANTS STATISTICS RAMS PASSING

Player PA PC Pct. Yards Avg. TD Pct. Int. Pct. Lng Brock 243 144 59.3 1,770 7.28 9 3.7 10 4.1 t64 Rams 243 144 59.3 1,770 7.28 9 3.7 10 4.1 t64 Opponents 337 173 51.3 1,958 5.81 10 3.0 21 6.2 73

Player Rating Brock 77.0 Rams 77.0 Opponents 53.0

RUSHING

Player Att. Yards Avg. Lng TD Dickerson 149 543 3.6 43 7 White 61 250 4.1 20 3 Redden 51 225 4.4 37 0 Cain 11 46 4.2 9 0 Brock 17 34 2.0 13 0 Ellard 2 18 9.0 16 0 Guman 4 16 4.0 5 0 Kemp 1 -2 -2.0 -2 0 Rams 296 1,130 3.8 43 10 Opponents 220 830 3.8 36 3

RECEIVING

Player No. Yards Avg. Lng TD Ellard 34 511 15.0 t64 3 Hunter 26 320 12.3 35 2 Duckworth 20 341 17.1 42 3 D.Hill 15 138 9.2 22 1 Dickerson 14 102 7.3 33 0 Young 12 141 11.8 23 0 Redden 12 93 7.8 32 0 Cain 5 24 4.8 13 0 McDonald 4 46 11.5 23 0 Guman 2 21 10.5 11 0 Barber 1 29 29.0 29 0 Brown 1 15 15.0 15 0 White 1 12 12.0 12 0 Rams 144 1,770 12.3 t64 9 Opponents 173 1,958 11.3 73 10

INTERCEPTIONS

Player No. Yards Avg. Lng TD Irvin 5 63 12.6 t34 1 Green 5 43 8.6 20 0 Johnson 4 85 21.3 46 1 Ekern 2 55 27.5 t33 1 Cromwell 2 5 2.5 5 0 Collins 2 8 4.0 4 0 Wilcher 1 0 0.0 0 0 Rams 21 259 12.3 46 3 Opponents 10 107 10.7 29 1

PUNTING

Grs Net In Player No. Yds. Avg. Avg. 20 Lng Blk Hatcher 51 2,155 42.3 37.4 22 67 1 Rams 52 2,155 41.4 37.4 22 67 1 Opponents 52 2,210 42.5 35.3 12 60 0

PUNT RETURNS

Player No. FC Yards Avg. Lng TD Ellard 20 7 277 13.9 t80 1 Johnson 0 4 0 0.0 0 0 Rams 20 11 277 13.9 t80 1 Opponents 23 14 112 4.9 19 0

KICKOFF RETURNS

Player No. Yards Avg. Lng TD White 12 230 19.2 32 0 Brown 6 176 29.3 39 0 Cain 6 115 19.2 28 0 Slaton 1 18 18.0 18 0 Guman 1 17 17.0 17 0 Cromwell 1 3 3.0 3 0 Rams 27 559 20.7 39 0 Opponents 36 723 20.1 62 0

SCORE BY QUARTERS 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT Total Rams 27 57 55 52 0 191 Opponents 24 56 20 27 0 127

SCORING TOUCHDOWNS

Player Tot Rus Rec Ret XP/XPA Saf Pts Lansford 0 0 0 0 23/23 0 53 Dickerson 7 7 0 0 0/0 0 42 Ellard 4 0 3 1 0/0 0 24 Duckworth 3 0 3 0 0/0 0 18 White 3 3 0 0 0/0 0 18 Hunter 2 0 2 0 0/0 0 12 Ekern 1 0 0 1 0/0 0 6 D.Hill 1 0 1 0 0/0 0 6 Irvin 1 0 0 1 0/0 0 6 Johnson 1 0 0 1 0/0 0 6 Rams 23 10 9 4 23/23 0 191 Opponents 14 3 10 1 13/14 0 127

FIELD GOALS

Player 1-29 30-39 40-49 50+ Lng Tot Lansford 1/1 7/8 1/2 1/2 52 10/13 Opponents 3/4 1/2 4/5 2/4 51 10/15

GIANTS PASSING

Player PA PC Pct. Yards Avg. TD Pct. Int. Pct. Lng Simms 294 164 55.8 2,304 7.84 13 4.4 10 3.4 t70 Adams 1 0 00.0 0 0.00 0 0.0 0 0.0 0 Giants 295 164 55.6 2,304 7.81 13 4.4 10 3.4 t70 Opponents 294 157 53.4 1,845 6.28 12 4.1 15 5.1 55

Player Rating Simms 81.8 Adams 39.6 Giants 81.5 Opponents 65.1

RUSHING

Player Att. Yards Avg. Lng TD Morris 141 583 4.1 19 6 Adams 82 287 3.5 16 1 Galbreath 16 105 6.6 18 0 Simms 28 89 3.2 28 0 Carpenter 36 80 2.2 10 0 Carthon 17 48 2.8 12 0 B.Williams 1 17 17.0 17 0 Atkinson 1 14 14.0 t14 1 Giants 322 1,213 3.8 28 8 Opponents 243 839 3.5 38 3

RECEIVING

Player No. Yards Avg. Lng TD Manuel 38 678 17.8 t51 4 Bavaro 24 342 14.3 32 2 Johnson 19 268 14.1 35 3 Adams 16 244 15.3 t70 2 Galbreath 15 154 10.3 40 0 McConkey 13 201 15.5 29 1 Morris 13 122 9.4 17 0 Carpenter 11 97 8.8 23 0 B.Williams 5 91 18.2 30 0 Hasselbeck 5 71 14.2 30 1 Carthon 5 36 7.2 15 0 Giants 164 2,304 14.0 t70 13 Opponents 157 1,845 11.8 55 12

INTERCEPTIONS

Player No. Yards Avg. Lng TD Kinard 4 78 19.5 31 0 Patterson 4 59 14.8 t29 1 Reasons 1 10 10.0 10 0 Currier 1 9 9.0 9 0 Headen 1 7 7.0 7 0 Marshall 1 3 3.0 3 0 Hill 1 0 0.0 0 0 P.Williams 1 0 0.0 0 0 Welch 1 0 0.0 0 0 Giants 15 166 11.1 31 1 Opponents 10 90 9.0 29 2

PUNTING

Grs Net In Player No. Yds. Avg. Avg. 20 Lng Blk Landeta 39 1,757 45.1 37.5 12 68 0 Giants 39 1,757 45.1 37.5 12 68 0 Opponents 58 2,379 41.0 32.9 9 55 0

PUNT RETURNS

Player No. FC Yards Avg. Lng TD McConkey 27 9 271 10.0 37 0 Giants 27 9 271 10.0 37 0 Opponents 16 9 156 9.8 28 0

KICKOFF RETURNS

Player No. Yards Avg. Lng TD McConkey 12 234 19.5 43 0 Hill 6 105 17.5 24 0 Adams 6 100 16.7 26 0 Galbreath 5 86 17.2 37 0 Morris 1 7 7.0 7 0 Giants 30 532 17.7 43 0 Opponents 45 937 20.8 46 0

SCORE BY QUARTERS 1st 2nd 3rd 4th OT Total Giant 27 32 81 57 6 203 Opponents 44 34 17 56 0 151

SCORING TOUCHDOWNS

Player Tot Rus Rec Ret XP/XPA Saf Pts Atkinson 1 1 0 0 14/15 0 50 Morris 6 6 0 0 0/0 0 36 Manuel 4 0 4 0 0/0 0 24 Adams 3 1 2 0 0/0 0 18 Johnson 3 0 3 0 0/0 0 18 Schubert 0 0 0 0 1/1 0 16 Bavaro 2 0 2 0 0/0 0 12 Haji-Sheikh 0 0 0 0 5/5 0 11 Hasselbeck 1 0 1 0 0/0 0 6 McConkey 1 0 1 0 0/0 0 6 Patterson 1 0 0 1 0/0 0 6 Giants 22 8 13 1 20/21 0 203 Opponents 17 3 12 2 16/17 0 151

FIELD GOALS

Player 1-29 30-39 40-49 50+ Lng Tot Atkinson 3/4 3/4 4/6 0/1 49 10/15 Schubert 2/2 2/2 1/1 0/0 41 5/5 Haji-Sheikh 1/1 0/0 0/3 1/1 52 2/5 Giants 6/7 5/6 5/10 1/2 52 17/25 Opponents 4/4 2/2 4/5 1/3 53 11/14