Ram Notebook : Everyone Takes Share of Blame for Latest Loss

A smorgasbord of emotions were on display after the New Orleans Saints’ 14-10 victory over the Rams Sunday in Anaheim Stadium.

The victory put New Orleans alone in first place in the NFC West, a fact certainly not lost on the Saints.

“This was a humongous game for us to win,” Saint Coach Jim Mora said.

Asked if he wanted something to stand on to field postgame questions, Mora said: “I’m high enough guys, I don’t need a podium.”

Definitely on a different plane were Ram personnel who have gone through two close losses in the last 2 weeks--the Rams lost, 30-24, to Philadelphia last week.

“We can’t lose two games in a row like this and feel good about ourselves,” Ram linebacker Kevin Greene said.

Explanations for the mini-slide covered just about every area.

There was the defense, which allowed the Saints to hold the ball more than 33 minutes:

“The defense was out on the field too long,” linebacker Mark Jerue said. “You can’t put yourself in that big a hole.”

Defensive back LeRoy Irvin said: “If we want to be a championship team, we’re going to have be a dominating defense. We aren’t doing that. Right now, we’re an average defense. That puts a lot of pressure on our offense.”

There was the offense, which gained only 256 yards:

“They (Saints) did a lot of things right and we didn’t,” quarterback Jim Everett said.

Said running back Charles White: “We weren’t as aggressive as we can be.”

And special teams, which allowed Mel Gray to average 14 yards on punt returns:

“We definitely have to shut teams down,” special teams player Mickey Sutton said. “We didn’t do that today.”

In the personal rivalry between Morten Andersen and Mike Lansford, who came into the game as the Nos. 1 and 2 scoring kickers in the NFC, respectively, Lansford got a leg up.

Lansford made his only attempt Sunday, a 23-yarder in the second quarter. It was his 111th field goal with the Rams, pushing him ahead of David Ray, and to second on the all-time Rams’ list. Bruce Gossett leads the list with 120.

Andersen, who has made more than 80% of his attempts in his career, missed on a 53-yarder in the third quarter when the ball hit the cross bar.

Andersen did make a 52-yarder as the first half ended, but the Saints were called for holding and the kick was nullified.

Fielding questions from a small army of reporters about a lackluster performance Sunday, Everett (18 of 35, 198 yards, 2 interceptions) was handed a present by a friend. It was a golf club. After thanking the donor, Everett lifted the club about to eye level of reporters.

“Good. Now I have something to use against you guys.”

Everett and New Orleans quarterback Bobby Hebert did an impressive job of spreading the wealth, completing passes to 17 receivers.

Hebert, who completed 22 of 37 passes for 249 yards, completed passes to 9 receivers. Wide receiver Lonzell Hill led that bunch with 6 receptions for 83 yards.

Hebert said the Saints came prepared: “We just had more film on them.”

Perhaps what best exemplified the Saints’ preparation was their ability to convert on third down. The Saints converted 8 of 15 third-down situations. The Rams were 3 of 12.

White and New Orleans linebacker Sam Mills, who had 5 tackles Sunday, were teammates, for a while, in 1981 with the Cleveland Browns. Mills, who was cut by the Browns, has become one of the league’s best, all the more noteworthy since Mills is relatively small at 5-feet 9-inches and 225 pounds.

“I knew he was going to be a great player when we were at Cleveland,” White said. “He just hit the heck out of the offense there. I said he was going to be great and he is. I think he’s a great example to shorter guys.”

And maybe to the academic set. Mills teaches photography classes at East Orange High in New Jersey during the off-season.

On the other end of the yardstick is Vaughan Johnson, who made his teammate Mills take a bit of a back seat Sunday. Johnson, a 6-3, 245-pound linebacker from North Carolina State, had 4 tackles, an interception and a pass deflection.

The interception, Johnson’s first of the season and the third of his career, was a pass intended for Buford McGee. After catching the ball, Johnson juked McGee, made Ram lineman Tom Newberry miss, and put a move on Everett. He returned the interception 34 yards to the Ram 7, where the Saints’ Rueben Mayes scored the game’s eventual winning touchdown on a 3-yard run.

Johnson almost single-handedly prevented the Rams from getting into the end zone in the fourth quarter. With first and goal at the Saint 7, Everett scrambled 6 yards to the 1. Greg Bell attempted to leap over the pile on second down but Johnson met him head-on in mid-flight. On third down, Bell attempted to go left, but Johnson met him again. The Rams scored on fourth down, when they ran right, away from Johnson. McGee, an option quarterback during his high school days, took a handoff and pitched to Bell, who squeezed into the corner of the end zone.