Dickerson and Brock Reveal Game Plan(s) for Cowboys

Running back Eric Dickerson and quarterback Dieter Brock revealed the Rams’ game plan for Saturday’s divisional playoff against the Dallas Cowboys at Anaheim Stadium.

“I know we’re gonna run the football,” Dickerson said Thursday. “That’s our plan: run the football.”

In a separate interview, Brock said: “We’ve got to try to make some big plays. We’ve got to go in with the idea of winning and not sitting back and hoping the other team loses.”

Coach John Robinson endorsed both plans.

“We’ll run about 90 plays so they’ll both be able to do what they want to do,” he said.

Dickerson also said: “You’ll see everything we have. I feel the running game is good, although I haven’t carried the ball as much I’d like to.”

Dickerson, who missed the first two games of the season as a holdout, said he is far from being burned out this season after averaging about 21 rushes per game, compared to 24 over his first two seasons.

“I’m the type of runner that has to carry the ball 20 to 29 times a game to have the big days, and I’ve been carrying it only 16 or 18 times,” he said. “You only get burned out when you start having injuries. I feel fine.”

But he doesn’t think he has to have a big day for the Rams to win.

“They’ve stopped me all year long and we won 11 games,” he said. “I can think of games we won (five) when I didn’t have over 100 yards.”

Brock said that after playing 11 years in the Canadian Football League, his biggest adjustments haven’t been on the field.

“It’s different than Winnipeg,” he said, smiling. “But there hasn’t been a big adjustment I’ve had to make.”

He said that the Rams ranked last in passing only because they threw fewer passes than any other team, while Brock ranked eighth in passing efficiency.

“If you look at the stats, I’ve done something right,” he said. “I ask myself, ‘What kind of stats would Dan Fouts or Dan Marino have if they threw only 20 times a game (actually, 24.3)?’ I’m doing the best I can with the amount of times I’m throwing the football.”

Asked about the Rams’ inclination to run on third and long, Brock said: “I’d like to take a chance on converting some of those.”

Robinson told reporters: “I’m sure you’ll all write that the key to the game is turnovers, and then you’ll say, ‘Why didn’t they open up the offense?’

“I’ll admit, we have yet to achieve a wide-open offense that doesn’t turn over the football, but I don’t know of anyone else who has, either. We want to be better on offense, but just to open it up for some statistical acclaim, I’m not thrilled with that.”