Rams : Green Gets a Step on Competition With Strong Effort
As Greg Bell and Cleveland Gary watched from the comfort of living rooms across the Pacific, Gaston Green won the first round of the Rams’ annual summer battle for leading man in a running back position.
Green, who rushed for 116 yards in 28 carries, had the distinct advantage of playing in Saturday night’s 16-13 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Tokyo.
Bell, last year’s 1,000-yard man, and Gary, the Rams’ first-round choice from Miami, are locked in what could be long contractual negotiations.
This Rams’ revolving tailback door, remember, had Bell replacing Charles White, who had replaced Eric Dickerson.
Green was frustrated with his non-role as a rookie last season, but has vowed not to let this opportunity pass. Against the 49ers, he even showed the Rams a new wrinkle.
Considered by some too frail to take a constant pounding, Green countered with a 28-carry performance that didn’t include a run of more than 11 yards.
“I hope it does show people that I can carry the ball,” Green said Sunday after the team arrived home from Japan. “I always thought myself that I can carry the ball a lot, but those are some of the things that people have said.”
Coach John Robinson wants Green to work on becoming a slashing, darting tailback in the mold of Tony Dorsett.
“He needs to continue to improve on hitting the crease between players so fast that he can get through,” Robinson said. “I think we’ve got him playing at a faster level. I think he looks faster.”
The tailback position, shared by Green and Robert Delpino Saturday night, produced 169 yards rushing in 43 carries, with Delpino adding 53 yards in 15 carries.
“I kind of see them as a tandem,” Robinson said of his second-year runners. “Obviously, they’re different kinds of runners. Gaston’s a speed guy, he’s got to hit creases in the defense and burst through. Bobby is a more physical player, an inside pounder. I think the two of them are a nice match.”
Second-year linebacker Fred Strickland, who missed the Tokyo game with a knee injury, will undergo arthroscopic surgery this week and will likely be lost four to six weeks. Robinson said Strickland would be ready for the regular-season opener against Atlanta Sept. 10.
Strickland had taken over as a starting inside linebacker this season along with Larry Kelm. Richard Brown filled in for Strickland and played well against the 49ers.
The news wasn’t as bad for rookie cornerback Darryl Henley, who suffered an ankle sprain in the game. He’s expected to miss two weeks.
Reserve quarterback Mark Herrmann erased some doubts about his ability Saturday night. He replaced Jim Everett in the second quarter and ran the offense smoothly, completing 16 of 29 passes for 186 yards with an interception.
Herrmann, who threw only five passes as Everett’s backup last year, couldn’t remember the last time he’d received so much work.
“You never know how you’re going to react until you get under center in a game-like situation,” Herrmann said. “It pretty much all came back to me. I didn’t feel rusty out there. I felt pretty much in control of things. We had a lot of young guys in there. I was trying to help them out. That kept me into it.”
Whatever fears Robinson had about his backup were relieved.
“I thought it was very important,” he said of Herrmann’s performance, “and I thought he did it with poise and a kind of calmness. Of course, Mark’s a calm fellow. I think he establishes that we have two quarterbacks and could continue to run our same offense with either man. The thing that kind of haunts you all the time, is, ‘Oh gosh, if we lose the first one we have to change what we’re doing.’ ”
Ram Notes
With receivers Henry Ellard, Ron Brown and Aaron Cox missing in action because of injuries, Flipper Anderson was asked to take the lead Saturday night. And he did just that, with six catches for 90 yards. The Rams outgained the 49ers in total yardage, 433 to 299. . . . The team moves training camp to Cal State Fullerton today, though players will only be put through a light evening workout.
