Robinson Says Rams Look Forward to Fun and Game in Chicago

Ram Coach John Robinson believes that big games are the most fun, and they’ve been getting bigger every week.

Preparing to play the Chicago Bears for the NFC championship at Chicago next Sunday, he said: “We’re playing a team that has been given accolades of being a great football team, and we’re also playing in a hostile environment, so we have some real challenges.”

So . . . are we still having fun?

“Oh, sure,” said Robinson, whose USC teams won three Rose Bowls in seven years. “You spend your life trying to get into as many big games as you can. You probably want to test yourself against the best teams.”

That, Robinson believes, is starting to give the Ram skeptics a problem.

“People are finding it harder as we go along to continue the general perception of our team,” he said. “We’re doing a good job and we want to be great, too.”

But even after disposing of the Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers in the NFC West and trampling the Dallas Cowboys Saturday, 20-0, the Rams were posted as 10-point underdogs by CBS tout Jimmy (The Greek) Snyder after the Bears’ 21-0 win over the New York Giants Sunday.

“Good,” Robinson said. “That’s what he had us against the 49ers.”

Robinson said he thought the Bears’ constant physical pressure eventually discouraged the Giants mentally.

“I had the impression that the physical dominance and the physical pressure on them maybe forced them (the Giants) out of running the ball,” Robinson said.

But, he added, the Rams did the same to the Cowboys, who beat the Giants twice in winning the NFC East.

“Even without the runs (by Eric Dickerson), my impression was that we were dominant on the line of scrimmage and the physical part of the game. That was one of our prime goals, and we certainly did it.”

And they’ll have to do it again in Chicago.

“I think it’s gonna be a physical contest,” Robinson said. “We can’t play any other way.”

Dickerson rushed for a playoff- and Ram-record 248 yards, but Robinson’s old boyhood chum, John Madden, said late in Sunday’s game that to play the Bears, “You’d better bring more than a running game. You’d better bring a little passing game, and with that a lot of pass protection.”

Robinson agreed.

“You’ve got to throw the ball against the Bears or you’re gonna get stuffed on the run,” he said. “I think we’ll play well in the passing game. I’m confident that we can pass the ball and I’m confident that we can protect.

“Obviously, we’re playing a club that has unusual weapons in terms of the amount of pressure they can bring to bear against you.”

Dieter Brock had perhaps his worst game of the season against Dallas. The Ram quarterback completed only 6 of 22 for 50 yards, with an interception. Three were dropped and three batted down.

“I thought it was temporary,” Robinson said. “I think Dieter Brock will have an outstanding game.”

Brock will play with a splint on the top of his left ring finger. He tore the extensor tendon between the last knuckle and the tip of the finger taking a snap late in the first half.

If it was his right hand he’d be out of the game, but he said he’ll be able to take snaps.

Robinson said he wasn’t particularly concerned about the Bears’ “46” defense or even the “zircon” defense, as Madden called it, featuring three down linemen instead of four.

“That’s part of ‘nickel’ packages that everybody that plays those things uses,” Robinson said. “It’s certainly not a unique defense. A lot of teams have used that against us. It’s the people playing the defense that’s important.

“I think it’s gonna be a game of turnovers. The key to the games this week was that the Bears did not make any turnovers and, basically, neither did we, and they put together an outstanding game the way they were able to move the football and throw the football against the wind. They were able to throw enough to control the game.”

The Bears led the league with 54 takeaways and a plus-23 in turnovers. The Rams had 46 takeaways and were plus-11.

Weather conditions can affect turnovers, especially for a team from the sun belt.

“I don’t think there’s any sense in pretending that it’s something you can ignore or pretend it’ll go away,” Robinson said. “Everybody has an advantage if their environment is unique.

“I think they (the Bears) found that the Miami Dolphins’ environment is unique (the Bears’ only loss), so I think there is some advantage there. It’s part of the challenge we’ll have to face.”

The Rams have not fared well in cold-weather playoff games, losing seven in a row over the last 36 seasons--most recently, the 51-7 New Year’s Day Massacre at Washington two years ago.

In that one, cornerback LeRoy Irvin slipped on some ice, Art Monk caught an easy 40-yard touchdown pass from Joe Theismann, and the Redskins were off and running.

The other setbacks were 1950 at Cleveland, 30-28; ’52 at Detroit, 31-21; ’67 at Green Bay, 28-7; ’69 at Minnesota, 23-20; ’74 at Minnesota, 14-10, and ’76 at Minnesota, 24-13.

The club’s only postseason “ice bowl” success was in its last game as the Cleveland Rams long before any of the current players were born. They defeated the Redskins, 15-14, to win the National Football League championship before 32,178.

How cold was it?

It was so cold that the band’s instruments froze.

It was so cold that some reporters left the press box to sit outside because their windows kept fogging up.

It was 6 degrees at kickoff and even colder by the end. Even the NFL title wasn’t worth it. The late Dan Reeves moved the franchise to Los Angeles the following year.

Ram Notes The Rams may be waiting for the Bears in Chicago next weekend. The Rams probably will fly east after Thursday’s practice, while the Bears are due to return Friday from another week of warm-weather work at the Atlanta Falcons’ complex in Suwanee, Ga. . . . Coach John Robinson indicated he will reactivate Pro Bowl center Doug Smith, who has been on injured reserve with an undiagnosed nerve problem. However, Tony Slaton will probably start again.