Ram Reserves Lose Lead and Game : Everett Leaves Up by 10, but Broncos Rally to Win, 24-20
If you were rating Saturday night’s game against the Denver Broncos by the play of the first team, then the Rams came out of it in pretty good shape.
The rest of the team, though, could use some serious exercise.
For it was the Ram reserves who ultimately allowed the Broncos to rally from a 10-point third-quarter deficit and defeat the Rams, 24-20, before a crowd of 54,254 at Anaheim Stadium.
It was the Rams’ first exhibition loss of the season after three victories.
“Our play really deteriorated in the second half when we went with some of our young people,” Ram Coach John Robinson said.
So what’s a coach to do? Injuries have already shelved two starting inside linebackers, Mark Jerue and Carl Ekern. A promising backup, Richard Brown, went out Saturday night with a serious hamstring pull.
And first choice Donald Evans, the defensive end who was drafted to solve the team’s pass rush problems, apparently will start the season on the bench.
“Gary Jeter will probably open the season as our outside rusher,” Robinson said.
It was a move that was coming since the opener in London. Evans, two weeks late into camp because of a contract holdout, fell woefully behind and could not recover.
The play of the Rams’ special teams wasn’t exactly sparkling, either.
“I’m not even sure we had a kickoff coverage tonight,” Robinson said.
Denver’s Gene Lang had a 71-yard returnm, and Vance Johnson added a return of 49 yards.
That was bad enough.
Worse was the Rams letting a 17-7 third-quarter lead slip away and not being able to hold a 20-17 lead after Mike Lansford kicked a 19-yard field goal with 7:19 remaining.
Instead, Robinson watched as the Broncos drove 68 yards on 11 plays in the final minutes to take the lead for good, the winning touchdown coming with 1:16 left on a five-yard run by Ken Bell.
A feeble rally by the Rams ended on the following drive, due in part to two dropped passes by Charles White.
Still, Robinson and the Rams couldn’t have been too disappointed.
Quarterback Jim Everett played almost three quarters before finally leaving with the 17-7 lead. He completed 14 of 22 passes for 161 yards and one touchdown.
It was also another big night for running back Eric Dickerson, who gained 62 yards in 13 carries while playing only one half.
“I felt our first unit seized control of the game in the second quarter,” Robinson said. “I feel good about that part of the game. And I think Eric Dickerson is as quick and as good as I’ve seen him.”
Not everyone is Dickerson, though.
“I think we played pretty well at times tonight and pretty poorly at times,” Dickerson said. “I don’t think we played a full four quarters. But I think we have a legitimate shot at being a great team.”
Everett’s last pass, with 6:19 left in the third quarter, was a two-yard touchdown throw to Tim Tyrrell that gave the Rams their 10-point margin.
All 47 yards on the scoring drive came on passes by Everett. The touchdown was set up on a perfectly timed pass and out pattern by Everett and receiver Ron Brown, who went out of bounds at the Denver two-yard line after a 15-yard gain.
But the Rams couldn’t hold the lead.
Johnson returned the ensuing kickoff 49 yards, setting up a five-yard touchdown run by former Plymouth State star Joe Dudek with 1:40 left in the third quarter.
The Broncos tied the game, 17-17, early in the fourth quarter on a 22-yard field goal by Rich Karlis.
“I’m pleased with the win,” Denver Coach Dan Reeves said. “I’m pleased with the way people were flying around. I’m very pleased about the way we played the last two minutes because we stopped them, which we haven’t been able to do.”
It took the Rams’ offense a few minutes to warm up to the Broncos. Everett completed 1 of 6 passes with an interception in the first quarter.
Elway, in the meantime, was leading Denver on an 82-yard drive that ultimately led to a two-yard touchdown run by Lang with 12:15 left in the second quarter.
Not to be upstaged, Everett came right back and at least got the Rams into field goal range.
On the 71-yard drive, Everett threw 17 yards to Brown, 14 yards to Ellard and 10 yards to David Hill. Dickerson added 27 yards on the ground, but the drive stalled at the Bronco nine-yard line, the Rams settling for a 27-yard field goal by Lansford to cut the lead to 7-3 with 6:32 left in the first half.
On the next drive, Elway took his team to the Ram 33, but a long pass that got away was intercepted by cornerback Jerry Gray, who returned it 19 yards to the Ram 29.
“It just flew on me,” Elway said of the interception. “I threw it across my body and it just got away.”
Everett, who started slowly but finished strongly, hit Brown for 23 yards to the Bronco 47 on second down. After an incomplete pass, it was Everett to Damone Johnson for 6 yards and then Everett to Ellard for 18 more to the Denver 23.
A holding penalty moved the ball to the 18, and two plays later Dickerson ran 11 yards to the Denver four. After two more plays, Dickerson scored on a one-yard run with 51 seconds left in the first half. Lansford added the extra point to put the Rams up, 10-7.
The Rams were still celebrating when Lang returned the ensuing kickoff 71 yards, Lansford saving a touchdown by knocking him out of bounds at the Ram 19.
The Broncos had 27 seconds to work with, but on first down Elway’s pass to tight end Clarence Kay was knocked loose by linebacker Kevin Greene, who recovered the fumble to end the scoring threat.
After his slow first quarter, Everett finished the half completing 9 of 16 passes for 103 yards. Elway, who played only the first half, was 13 of 18 for 158 yards.
“I don’t think we are exactly where we need to be,” Everett said. “But we are doing some things right.”
Saturday night, that wasn’t enough.
