2 Weeks Later, Rerun Would Suit Rams : They Take On Saints With Lead on Line Again

There are great rematches in boxing, sure, but 2 weeks after the first bout?

That’s what the Rams are up against today as they try to stare down the New Orleans Saints again, just 14 days after the first knockdown in the Superdome.

The Rams thought they had just made their points--12 of them to be exact--in an emotional win over the Saints, 12-10.

But thanks to the folks down at league scheduling, they have to make them again today at 1 p.m. Same team, same stare, same stakes.

The division lead is again up for grabs, the winner taking over sole possession of first place in the NFC West. Also, a series sweep by the Rams would look great on any tiebreaking resume should the teams end up deadlocked at season’s end.

This while both the Rams and Saints try to come to grips with their seasons.

With any luck, New Orleans could be undefeated. Really. The Saints’ 3 losses have been by a total of 6 points. Last week’s 3-point defeat by Washington was shocking only because kicker Morten Andersen, the man with the Midas toe, missed consecutive field-goal tries of 53 and 49 yards, the last one with 4 seconds left and a chance to tie the game.

Hey, this isn’t one of the Zendejases we’re talking about here. In his career, Andersen has made 85% of his field-goal kicks inside 50 yards.

For Andersen, it was like missing two layups, though it sounds as though Coach Jim Mora really jinxed him with some bad kicking karma.

“I didn’t have a real good feeling about him making that,” Mora said. “It was 49 yards. I didn’t feel real comfortable or confident. It wasn’t a big shock to me.”

So, those could have been the undefeated Saints. But with any bad luck, New Orleans might also be 0-10. Really. The average margin of victory in their 7 wins is 6.3 points.

“We’re a long way from being a dominant football team, that’s for dang sure,” Mora said. “We’re just hanging on for dear life now.”

The Saints play the game so close to the vest that some think their whole game, offense and defense, is geared around Andersen, the National Football Conference’s leading scorer with 78 points.

Defense? Yes. Andersen has such a strong leg that about 50% of his kickoffs are never returned. In fact, he has already warned Ram returner Ron Brown that he’ll be “taking a knee in the end zone” today.

“We feel a team has to go 80 yards to score on us, which is a pretty good feeling,” Mora said. “Although teams have been doing that, which is the problem.”

On offense, Mora swears that Andersen hasn’t shortened their field, though there is a sense of comfort after reaching the opponent’s 35-yard line.

“We’re always trying to score touchdowns,” Mora insisted.

The Rams, though, aren’t cruising along either. After years of desperately seeking a passing game, it has finally arrived, in grand fashion. Quarterback Jim Everett is racing toward Ram season records for yardage, touchdown passes and autograph requests.

Now, it’s the running game that has gone south, at least momentarily. In John Robinson’s offense, that’s equivalent to no heartbeat. The Rams have been held under 100 yards as a team in 3 of the last 4 games, averaging just 90 yards a game in that time. (Statistics courtesy of E.D. and Associates, Indianapolis.)

Hoping to shake things up a bit, the Rams will start Charles White today ahead of Greg Bell, the National Football League’s fourth-leading rusher. This isn’t a news bulletin. Bell has been banged up recently and has been sharing the starting tailback spot for 3 weeks.

Here’s how it has gone lately for Bell: In the Atlanta game on Oct. 9, Bell gained 135 yards against the Falcons in the first half. He has gained just 144 total yards in 4 games since.

White, a more aggressive runner, may be able to set the tone early in today’s game.

“Our game plan is to go in and establish the run,” White said. “I want to gain all the yards and get our running game going, but my goal is just to win.”

Ram Notes

The Saints are banged up a bit today. Rookie fullback Craig (Ironhead) Heyward is out with a knee injury suffered against the Rams 2 weeks ago. . . . Tailback Dalton Hilliard (toe) and receiver Lonzell Hill (foot) are questionable. . . . .Though few would know it, Saint receiver Eric Martin leads the NFC in receptions with 56 for 757 yards. Henry Ellard of the Rams is fourth with 51 catches. . . . With Ellard such a precious commodity at receiver these days, Cliff Hicks will take over Ellard’s job as punt returner.

Despite the 4 interceptions he threw last week, Jim Everett is still the NFL’s top-rated passer with a 98.8 rating. . . . What’s new with rookie Gaston Green? Nothing. He didn’t play at all last week and is firmly entrenched as the team’s No. 3 tailback. “I’ve stopped trying to put him in 1 or 2 plays a game,” Coach John Robinson said. “He’s not the highest priority right now. He’s no longer a first-round choice in terms of how you play him. He’s a third tailback.”