Colts Draw Line With Dickerson
For one play, the greatness shone through.
Eric Dickerson, on one play late in Sunday’s game between the Indianapolis Colts and the San Diego Chargers, looked like one of the game’s great running backs. On that play, he flashed the inside-running tenacity of a Charles White and the breakaway threat of a Bo Jackson.
He didn’t break away completely, because Eric’s no Bo, but Dickerson did pound out 53 yards on that one play, sealing the Colts’ 20-7 victory at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.
It was all part of a strange day for the former King of L.A. Football, the man who talked himself out of town.
Some highlights:
--Eric was promised a fabulous New Year’s bonus.
--Eric fumbled the Chargers back into the game momentarily, late in the fourth quarter when stripped of the ball in mid-run. Fortunately for Dickerson, the Chargers bobbled the ball out of bounds, and the Colts retained possession.
--Eric passed the 1,000-yard milestone, but it wasn’t easy.
--Eric stood on the sideline on a couple of important Colts’ third-and-short-yardage situations, and during one goal-line series. Hey, Coach Ron Meyer, that’s Eric doggone Dickerson, not some journeyman utility back.
--Eric nailed Charles White, and the land of Los Angeles, with a couple of good hits, from 150 miles away.
Now, a few details.
About that bonus: It’s not cash. Let’s not be crass here.
Eric was in the midst of a postgame TV interview when Colt owner Robert Irsay, giddy from the big win, crashed the interview.
“I’ve gotta bring some more good offensive linemen in for you,” Irsay gushed. “Three or four more.”
No problem, Robert. You can probably order them from the one of those cable TV shopping programs.
Why would Dickerson need more blockers when he picked up 115 yards Sunday? Because most plays, there weren’t a lot of holes. Dickerson gained 22 yards in the first half, in 11 carries. In the last nine quarters, going into Sunday’s fourth, Dickerson had rushed 41 times for 102 yards.
Charger defenders were smacking him upside the head and body almost before he got the handoff.
“It’s hard running against a team that has nine men on the line of scrimmage,” Dickerson said. “They didn’t really respect the pass much at all today.”
But isn’t that the way it used to be with the Rams, and Dickerson would run amok anyway?
“That line (of the Rams) blocks , believe me,” Dickerson said. “It is kind of easy (with the Rams). Believe me, those guys protect you. This line here is young. I think I’m going to have a 2,000-yard season with the Colts.
“This is a real good offensive line. I’m not saying it’s as good as the Rams. That’s a great offensive line. This one can become great, too.”
Read between the lines. The yardage Eric gets with the Colts, he’ll get the old-fashioned way.
Early in the second quarter, it was announced in the press box that Dickerson needed one more yard for 1,000 on the season. Next carry, he picked up zero. Then minus-one. Then one. He didn’t get to the 1,000-mark until after halftime.
On his big fourth-quarter run, he headed into the left side of the line, got hit, did a 360-degree, Michael Jackson-style spin and broke free before being hauled down from behind by a mere mortal, safety Martin Bayless.
“Whooo, was I tired ,” Dickerson said. “I cannot lie, I was very tired.”
Even though he did get plenty of rest. On several crucial third-down situations, and on a first-and-goal situation late in the game, Dickerson was on the sidelines.
Remember when John Robinson would give Eric the ball seven or eight times in a row, let him get into a lethal rhythm? Sunday he carried only 23 times, plus four pass receptions.
You wonder if Dickerson, standing on the sidelines, was beseeching Coach Ron Meyer, “Hey, let me run 47 gap.”
“It did seem funny (standing on the sidelines),” Dickerson said. “But it didn’t bother me. I didn’t care.”
Why should he care, now that he has escaped the penny-pinching Rams and landed on his feet in Indianapolis?
Dickerson, who will continue to live in his Malibu home in the off-season, said, “I really like Indianapolis. They say, ‘Welcome to Indianapolis,’ and I think they mean it from the heart. People say, ‘Welcome to L.A.,’ and I think they mean it from the pocketbook. ‘How much do you make and where do you live?’ ”
OK, Eric. But what about Charles White? Did you ever think he’d be leading you in rushing?
“That goes to show you how the strike messed up the whole season,” Dickerson said. (White played during the strike and Dickerson didn’t.) “If we start off even-Steven, I don’t think it would be a contest.
“Charlie’s a good running back, don’t get me wrong. But Tampa Bay, Detroit. . . . Their schedule’s not that tough. That’s not taking anything away from Charlie.”
Heck, no. But it is ignoring the fact that Dickerson had to struggle to break 100 yards against the San Diego Retreaters, a team that is speeding south faster than the Greyhound to Tupelo, Miss.
But the bottom line is that the Colts did win, they are headed to the playoffs, Dickerson did get his big yards, and owner Irsay has promised to stuff a few 300-pound bulldozers into Dickerson’s Christmas stocking.
Speaking of stockings, Dickerson wasn’t wearing any under his loafers when he left the locker room Sunday for the trip back to snowbound Indiana.
Well, you can take the lad out of Malibu, but you can’t take the Malibu out of the lad. Surf’s up.