Brock or Kemp: Can Either Get Offense in Gear? : Rams’ Problems Scoring May Extend Well Beyond Quarterback Dilemma

The Rams will be on the verge of blowing the NFC West championship when they play at San Francisco Monday night. But even with a loss, they should manage to hold on to a wild-card playoff position.

Then again, no misfortune seems beyond their grasp.

Coach John Robinson is wondering whether he can reverse the skid (four losses in six games) with that most desperate of moves: switching quarterbacks. Robinson must decide whether replacing Dieter Brock with Jeff Kemp will really help the Rams beat the 49ers.

One thing is apparent. In the age of specialization in football, the Rams have produced a new wrinkle: the prevent offense.

In the 29-3 loss at New Orleans Sunday, three Ram turnovers led to the Saints’ last 17 points. In the losses at Atlanta and New Jersey, the offense’s backward ways helped the opponents to another 17, combined.

That’s 34 points, about what the Rams’ offense has earned in the last four games. It’s asking a lot of any defense to overcome that kind of bumbling. If something isn’t done about it, the offense will drag a respectable defense and some excellent special teams down with it.

The key for the Rams is not to keep the opponents’ offense off the field but to keep their offense off the field.

They managed that superbly against Green Bay two weeks ago when Ron Brown returned two kickoffs for touchdowns, leaving the offense to watch how it’s done. No passes, no runs, no errors.

At New Orleans, the defense got the idea: Give Brown lots of chances to return kickoffs without giving the Saints many points. They accomplished that trick by allowing the Saints four field goals through the first three quarters. Brown almost broke a couple of returns and gave the offense good field position, which it squandered. Worse, the offense then began paving the way for Saint scores with turnovers.

The Rams, with Eric Dickerson, Brock, and four past Pro Bowl players in the line, may be achieving less on offense with more talent than any team in the National Football League. They are making some mediocre defenses look good.

The Rams’ passing game showed a flicker of life when Robinson switched from Brock to Kemp--a better scrambler--early in the fourth quarter at New Orleans. Brock had been sacked six times. But matters quickly worsened.

Kemp, who hadn’t practiced with the offense all week, was able to complete as many passes (five) in a few series as Brock had through three quarters, but he was sacked three times and fumbled twice, something Brock hadn’t done.

Brock finds himself at ground zero of the criticism falling on the Rams, but it may not make any difference who plays quarterback.

The fault may lie in the Rams’ offensive scheme, which seems to pose few problems to opponents, running or passing. Perhaps all the parts aren’t assembled correctly.

Brock may be a misfit in the Rams’ offense--a fighter pilot trying to be a foot soldier. After playing Space Invaders for 11 years in Canada, he’s been hitched to the wagon pulling Dickerson, and now that isn’t going anywhere, either.

Brock’s agent, Gil Scott of Toronto, said: “There’s no question you haven’t seen the real Dieter Brock yet.”

To Brock’s credit, at 34 he has tried to adjust without complaining, but it hasn’t been easy. Only twice has he thrown 30 or more passes in a game. His best game was when he completed 35 of 51 (with 3 dropped) for 344 yards and 2 touchdowns.

That was against the 49ers.