Everett Is Passing Early Ram Tests : Quarterback Looks Sharp in Exhibition Loss to Denver
In last year’s opener, quarterback Jim Everett, desperately trying to become the next Dan Fouts, back-pedaled in Houston’s Astrodome and tripped over his own feet.
The Rams wondered: Will the real Jim Everett please stand up?
When the Rams plunged to 1-7 last season, Everett’s quarterback rating, 50.5, plunged with them.
When the Rams turned around and got five straight victories, Everett’s rating approached the floor temperature of Death Valley.
No one could figure him out.
Now 25 and entering his third season, Everett appears ready to silence his doubters.
Wednesday night, in the Rams’ 40-31 loss to the Denver Broncos, Everett breezed through his second exhibition exercise, completing 16 of 24 passes for 168 yards in one half’s work.
The final score was not important. Everett and the first team left the field at halftime leading, 17-7. “Obviously, it was a good day’s work for them,” Coach John Robinson said of the first team. “We’re 0-2 now. Last year at this point we were 2-0, but this year’s team is in far better shape.”
What happened after that can only be described as the beauty of exhibition games.
In the second half, the Bronco subs outscored the Ram subs, 33-14, to get the victory.
What’s important is that in two games, Everett has completed 23 of 33 passes for 240 yards and has made it look easy. And yes, he’s starting to resemble what’s-his-name, late of the San Diego Chargers.
Comparisons to Fouts are not coincidental. It’s what Fouts’ offensive coordinator, Ernie Zampese, has been trying to make of Everett since Zampese joined the Rams in 1987.
The transformation has been a slow one. The quarterback Zampese wanted dropped back fast and threw quickly. Everett tended to drop deep and throw long.
So have Zampese and Everett found common ground?
“Last year, I thought I knew (the offense),” Everett said. “Now I know twice as much, or a lot more than back then.”
Consider Everett’s work against the Broncos, defending American Football Conference champions.
In one second-quarter scoring drive, which spanned 71 yards in 11 plays, Everett picked Denver apart, at times upstaging even John Elway.
Everett’s passes on the drive were mostly short and perfectly timed.
He threw for 11 yards to rookie Aaron Cox, 15 yards to Henry Ellard and 12 yards to Ellard again, setting up a 9-yard touchdown run by Charles White with 4:57 left in the first quarter to give the Rams a 7-0 lead.
After Elway and the Broncos tied the game on the next drive, Everett went at it again.
In a 53-yard, second-quarter scoring drive, Everett completed 4 passes for 49 yards, culminated by a 27-yard scoring pass to Ellard with 1:46 left in the first half.
It was a nice pass, but not as nice as the 22-yard scoring pass he threw to Ellard on the next series, which was negated by a penalty.
The Rams kicked a field goal instead, and Everett left the game with a 10-point halftime lead.
“The year under my belt really helped,” Everett said of 1987. “I think I’m doing what’s expected of me in the passing game. I think we’ll have a ball-controlled offense to go with the run game.”
Naturally, Everett needed some help and got it. Ellard finished the first half with 6 catches for 94 yards and a touchdown. Cox, the rookie who was shut out in his debut against Cincinnati last Saturday, had 3 catches for 24 yards in the first half alone.
“Our hard work is finally paying off,” Ellard said. “Things are finally coming together as far as the passing game (goes). I think we’ll put it in the air and the end zone more.”
Wednesday night, of course, also marked the debut of running back Gaston Green, who missed the opener with a thigh bruise. Green, who rushed for 266 yards the last time he played at Anaheim Stadium in the 1986 Freedom Bowl, didn’t come close to a repeat performance.
He played sparingly and was hardly spectacular, gaining only 23 yards in 13 carries.
For the Broncos, Elway made only a brief appearance, completing 4 of 5 passes for 19 yards. He did make a nice 14-yard run in the second quarter, setting up a Denver touchdown.
Like many exhibition games, the second half of this one was a comedy of errors.
“There’s no way you can win the game when you give it to them four or five times near the goal line,” Robinson said. “Our young guys did not come back well from Saturday’s game. They were tired.”
The Rams actually took a 31-24 lead early in the fourth quarter when reserve quarterback Steve Dils tossed a 3-yard scoring pass to Buford McGee.
The Broncos took the lead for good at 33-31 with 4:11 left on a 4-yard scoring pass from Ken Karcher to Pat Kelly.
Ram Notes
Ram tailback Charles White played only the first half and carried 7 times for 31 yards with 1 touchdown. White bruised his right calf and watched the second half in shorts on the sideline. . . . Fullback Robert Delpino, the most impressive rookie in training camp so far, injured his left ankle and was taken to the locker room for X-rays. Delpino had 4 carries for 25 yards before leaving the game. . . . Ram tackle Irv Pankey left the game with tendinitis of the knee. . . . Ram offensive tackle Jeff Walker suffered a broken left leg in the second half. He is expected to be out six to eight weeks. . . . Ram quarterback Steve Dils played the entire second half and completed 9 of 13 passes for 75 yards.
