After Two Losses, Rams Get a Win : Everett Throws 2 Touchdown Passes, Anderson Catches 2
The Rams’ first offense, which has looked good in two exhibition defeats this summer, finally has a win to show for its efforts after Saturday night’s 27-6 victory over the San Diego Chargers in the 43rd annual Rams/Times Charity game at Anaheim Stadium.
Last week, the Rams’ first unit watched a 17-7 halftime lead disappear when their reserves were crushed by the Denver Broncos. Denver won, 40-31.
Saturday night, though, the Rams actually built on a 17-3 halftime lead and came away on top for the first time in three games.
After a slow start, quarterback Jim Everett rebounded with a strong second quarter and finished with 11 pass completions in 17 attempts for 128 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Backup Hugh Millen played the entire second half and finally showed promise, clinching the win on a 70-yard scoring pass to rookie Willie Anderson with 9:13 left. It was Anderson’s second touchdown of the game and made the score 24-6.
It was really all Rams on both sides of the line. They finished with more than 300 yards in total offense and sacked three Charger quarterbacks 7 times for 80 yards. Linebacker Mike Wilcher led with 3 sacks for 32 yards.
The Ram defense was the story, particularly in the second half.
The highlight was a goal-line stand that stopped the Chargers from getting back in the game early in the fourth quarter.
Two pass interference penalties on Ram cornerback Mickey Sutton set the Chargers up at the Ram three-yard line.
Fullback Tim Spencer gained two yards on first down but couldn’t get any closer.
Spencer was stopped cold on third down by nose tackle Alvin Wright and on fourth down by rookie linebacker Fred Strickland.
The celebration was short-lived when Greg Bell fumbled the ball back to the Chargers at the 16 with 10:38 left.
San Diego turned the mistake into a 40-yard Steve Deline field goal to cut the Ram lead to 17-6 with 9:13 left.
As in most exhibition games, most of the interest was in the first half, when the starters played.
Looking down from the press box, former Charger quarterback Dan Fouts watched the young Ram, Jim Everett, the man so many are comparing to him.
But there were times when Fouts probably wanted to turn his head. At one point in the second quarter, Everett had completed 3 of 8 passes for 17 yards with one interception.
But before the half ended, Everett had turned his numbers and a few heads around.
Tied, 3-3, in the second quarter, Everett finally got it going, driving the Rams to a go-ahead touchdown with 4:10 remaining on a 12-yard pass to Buford McGee, who lost Charger linebacker Chuck Faucette in the left corner of the end zone.
Earlier, Everett passed 24 yards to tight end Pete Holohan to the Charger 24. McGee also had an 8-yard run before his touchdown catch.
The Chargers thought they’d tied the game again at 10-10 on the ensuing kickoff when Anthony Miller, the team’s first-round draft pick, returned the ball 100 yards down the right side line for an apparent touchdown.
But an instant replay review showed that Miller had stepped out of bounds at his own 38-yard line.
It was a big call, since the Chargers went nowhere on the drive and punted back to the Rams, who took it 83 yards the other way on 9 plays in a two-minute scoring drive before halftime.
It ended with 30 seconds left in the first half on a 20-yard scoring pass from Everett to Anderson. That made it 17-3.
After his slow start, Everett finished fast, completing 5 of 6 passes for 60 yards on the last drive.
His final numbers weren’t bad, considering four of his team’s first five drives ended up punt, punt, field goal, punt, interception.
The game didn’t go so well for the Chargers’ Laufenberg, who is trying to win a spot after a five-year journeyman career.
Laufenberg played the first half and finished with 5 of 11 passes completed for 67 yards with 1 interception. Mark Malone started the second half.
Neither team was impressive early.
The Rams’ first-team offense, effective in the first two exhibition games, stumbled from the start. Everett was sacked for a seven-yard loss on the first possession and overthrew two passes on the Rams’ second drive.
The Chargers scored first with 3:58 left in the first quarter on a 34-yard field goal by Vince Abbott. The kick was set up by a 46-yard pass from Babe Laufenberg to Jaime Holland to the Ram 29-yard line.
The Ram defense tried to lend a hand when linebacker Kevin Greene, who started ahead of Wilcher, intercepted a Laufenberg pass at the Charger 14 and returned it 5 yards to the 9.
But the Rams could move it only three yards closer and had to settle for a 23-yard Mike Lansford field goal to tie the game, 3-3, on the first play of the second quarter.
The Rams’ defense in the first half was better than their offense, holding the Chargers to 60 total yards and sacking Laufenberg 4 times for minus 44 yards.
Ram Notes
Ram tailback Charles White suffered bruised ribs late in the first quarter and was taken to the locker room. X-rays were negative. White finished with 16 yards in 7 carries. . . . Other Rams who missed the game with injuries: Receiver Henry Ellard (groin) and linebacker Larry Kelm (knee). . . . Receiver Kevin House, released by the Rams in July, is now trying to catch on with the Chargers. . . . It was a coach’s decision that Kevin Greene start at right outside linebacker for Mike Wilcher. Wilcher has been a starter since late in the 1984 season. . . . Former Ram tailback Barry Redden gained 5 yards on the Chargers’ first play from scrimmage. Redden started the game at tailback. . . . For the second time in three games, former first-rounder Mike Schad started at guard for former second-rounder Tom Newberry. Newberry remains under contract but not in camp.
