Rams, Cardinals Play Game of Crunch Time

The Rams and Phoenix Cardinals hit everything that wasn’t nailed down Monday. Guys carrying footballs, sure, but also taking punishment were guys just looking up into the Anaheim sky, minding their own business.

Referees were bounced on their whistles, and even a cheerleader was struck by a player.

With that kind of mayhem, the offenses for both teams figured to be stuck in park.

But the Rams and Cardinals rolled up big numbers in yardage and on the scoreboard, especially in the first half, despite the hitting and sometimes because of it.

Four scores were set up by turnovers caused by the respective defenses.

The Rams and Cardinals combined for 351 yards and 27 points in the first half. For the game, the Rams had 360 yards and the Cardinals 359 yards in total offense.

The Rams had a 17-10 lead by the end of the half.

This is the same half that saw Phoenix tight end Robert Awalt get knocked clean off his feet by Jerry Gray, after Awalt had made a 46-yard reception.

Awalt left the game immediately and, as a precaution, did not return.

Ram quarterback Jim Everett also had his feet lose contact with Mother Earth as a Phoenix pass rush knocked him silly as he attempted a pass.

Everett got up and walked off, but his backup, Mark Herrmann, fared much worse.

Herrmann, who started the second half, was in the pocket to pass on the Rams’ second possession of the second half. Cardinal safety Tim McDonald came from Herrmann’s blind side, and planted his face mask in his back.

The ball flew out of Herrmann’s hand as he went down. The ball found its way to Cardinal defensive lineman Jim Wahler, who carried it 40 yards until he was tackled at the Ram 10. Cardinals running back Lydell Carr scored on the next play, which tied the score, 17-17, early in the third quarter.

An X-ray determined that Herrmann had fractured a rib on his left side and that he would be out of action for at least a month.

Also leveled was Cardinal punt return specialist Vai Sikahema, who was bulldozed by the Rams’ Thom Kaumeyer as he looked up, signaling for a fair catch.

Despite the pounding, both teams kept moving offensively because of big plays.

Everett completed only six passes in the first half, but they were for 112 yards. Gary Hogeboom, who started for Phoenix, completed nine passes for 150 yards.

“Our first defense continues to play pretty aggressive,” Ram Coach John Robinson said. “But we let some good plays go.”

By the way, the cheerleader was flattened by Ram receiver Willie Anderson as he attempted to catch a ball going out of bounds.

Anderson caught three passes in the game for 104 yards, including a 45-yard pass from Jeff Carlson with 20 seconds remaining that gave the Rams a 23-20 victory.

The cheerleader, to her credit, held on to her pompons despite the hit.