RAMS ’89 : A LOOK AT THE RAMS’ 1989 OPPONENTS

ATLANTA FALCONS

Sept. 10, 10 a.m., Fulton County Stadium

Oct. 8, 1 p.m., Anaheim Stadium

1988 record: 5-11.

Series record: Rams lead series, 32-10-2.

Key offensive starter: A tossup between quarterback Chris Miller and running back John Settle. Miller is a superior athlete who brought an extra dimension to a dismal passing offense last year. Now if he can only stay healthy. Meanwhile, the Falcons traded Pro Bowl rusher Gerald Riggs to the Washington Redskins, leaving Settle as the primary running threat. As gambles go, this wasn’t much of one. Settle rushed for 1,024 yards last year.

Key defensive starter: First-round draft choice Neon Deion Sanders, a defensive back, got all the off-season headlines, but linebacker Aundray Bruce will finish the year with the most accolades. Bruce finished the year with five sacks and two interceptions.

The Rams could do without seeing . . . the greening of a Falcon team that features lots of young, potentially terrific players. Think of the possibilities should Sanders, wide receiver Shawn Collins, Miller, Bruce, running back Kenny Flowers and linebacker Marcus Cotton blossom this season.

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS

Sept. 17, 1 p.m.

Anaheim Stadium

1988 record: 9-7.

Series record: Colts lead series, 20-15-2.

Key offensive starter: Could it be anyone but The Goggled One, running back Eric Dickerson? Dickerson churned out another 1,000 yard-plus season (1,659 to be exact) and 14 rushing touchdowns. He also caught 36 passes, which tends to keep defensive coordinators a bit more honest when scheming to stop Dickerson.

Key defensive starter: Linebacker Duane Bickett, who has emerged quietly as one of the American Football Conference’s most consistent defensive players.

The Rams could do without seeing . . . Dickerson dashing up and down the field Sept. 17. Dickerson thrives on this sort of situation: lots of pressure, national attention. Nothing would give him more pleasure than sticking it to his former team, especially Coach John Robinson and vice president John Shaw.

GREEN BAY PACKERS

Sept. 24, 1 p.m.

Anaheim Stadium

1988 record: 4-12.

Series record: Rams lead series, 40-33-2.

Key offensive starter: Wide receiver Sterling Sharpe caught 55 passes last year, no small feat considering that the Packers haven’t had a decent quarterback since Lynn Dickey called it quits a few years ago. But Sharpe will have to do something about his catch-to-touchdown ratio, which was an unbelievable 55-1. Then again, the Packers will have to do something about their quarterback situation.

Key defensive starter: Little-known linebacker Tim Harris, who led the Packers in both tackles and sacks last year. Expect to see Harris in the Pro Bowl soon.

The Rams could do without seeing . . . mammoth offensive tackle Tony Mandarich taking his place on the Packer line. Mandarich would instantly improve an anemic running game, to say nothing of the pass protection he would provide.

SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

Oct. 1, 1 p.m., Candlestick Park

Dec. 11, 6 p.m., Anaheim Stadium

1988 record: 10-6.

Series record: Rams lead series, 46-30-2.

Key offensive starter: Where do you start with this team? Quarterback Joe Montana is still the heart and soul of the 49ers. He threw 18 touchdown passes last year and added another three via the run. Running back Roger Craig emerged as the National Football Conference’s dominant runner in a season that saw him gain a remarkable 1,502 yards. Add to that Craig’s 76 receptions and you have the game’s most complete back. And then there’s receiver Jerry Rice, who merely averaged 20.4 yards every time he caught one of his 64 passes.

Key defensive starter: Change that to starters. Nose tackle Michael Carter is the best in the business at clogging the middle of offensive lines. Safety Ronnie Lott has few, if any, peers among NFL defensive backs.

The Rams could do without seeing . . . Montana dropping into the pocket. The man just kills the Rams. The same goes for Craig, who scored three times against the Rams in 1988.

BUFFALO BILLS

Oct. 16, 6 p.m.

Rich Stadium

1988 record: 12-4.

Series record: Rams lead series, 3-1.

Key offensive starter: The Bills won 12 games last year despite a sub-par season by quarterback Jim Kelly (15 touchdown passes, 17 interceptions). Just think if he gets his act together and Coach Marv Levy lets him throw downfield on occasion.

Key defensive starter: Hard to find a better group of defenders. End Bruce Smith and linebacker Cornelius Bennett combined for 20 1/2 sacks in 1988.

The Rams could do without seeing . . . The Bills giving the ball to Robb Riddick on a fourth-and-goal from the 1. Riddick scored 12 touchdowns in 1988, many of them on goal-line situations.

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS

Oct. 22, 1 p.m., Anaheim Stadium

Nov. 26, 5 p.m., Superdome

1988 record: 10-6.

Series record: Rams lead series, 25-13.

Key offensive starter: An easy call--kicker Morten Andersen, who has redefined the importance of field-goal accuracy. Andersen missed only a single extra point last year and 10 of 36 field goal attempts. He is the closest thing to a Pro Bowl lock in the league.

Key defensive starter: Attention has to be given to the Saints’ four linebackers--Sam Mills, Vaughn Johnson, Pat Swilling and Rickey Jackson. Mills made the Pro Bowl last year, but the honor could have gone to any of the four.

The Rams could do without seeing. . . . Multipurpose running back Dalton Hilliard. Nor are they in any big hurry to see how good running back Craig Heyward might be if he can keep his weight down to manageable levels.

CHICAGO BEARS

Oct. 29, 10 a.m.

Soldier Field

1988 record: 12-4.

Series record: Bears lead series, 42-28-3.

Key offensive starter: With Jim McMahon gone, quarterback Mike Tomczak inherits the pressure and prestige that comes with leading the Bear attack. If he can handle Coach Mike Ditka and the full-time responsibilities, the Bears will challenge once again for the Super Bowl.

Key defensive starter: Why ask? Linebacker Mike Singletary directs a unit that was ranked first against the rush and second overall in the league.

The Rams could do without seeing . . . the trio of Dan Hampton (9 1/2 sacks), Richard Dent (10 1/2 sacks) and Steve McMichael (11 1/2 sacks).

MINNESOTA VIKINGS

Nov. 5, 10 a.m.

Metrodome

1988 record: 11-5.

Series record: Vikings lead series 12-11-2.

Key offensive starter: It didn’t much matter if it’s Tommy Kramer or Wade Wilson throwing the ball, wide receiver Anthony Carter is the big-play player on a big-play team. Carter set a team record for reception yards with 1,225 on 72 catches, and at 5-11, 165-pounds is the patron saint of short guys everywhere. The last time the Rams saw Carter, in the NFC Wild Card game won by the Vikings last December, he caught four passes for 102 yards.

Key defensive starter: Though the Vikings are great up front--defensive end Chris Doleman, tackle Keith Millard and nose tackle Henry Thomas combined for 22 sacks--the killer on this team is in the secondary: Joey Browner. Browner is a big hitter in the mold of Ronnie Lott and has a knack for making big plays.

The Rams could do without seeing . . . anyone of their defensive backs turning on their heels and madly chasing after Carter.

PHOENIX CARDINALS

Nov. 19, 1 p.m.

Anaheim Stadium

1988 record: 7-9.

Series record: Rams lead series 21-16-2.

Key offensive starter: Whoever ends up at quarterback. This is a team that scored 11 more touchdowns receiving (26) than it did rushing. Receivers J.T. Smith and Roy Green each finished third and tenth, respectively, in the NFC in receptions. But they need someone to get them the ball. Neil Lomax was the NFL’s seventh-rated passer last season, but an arthritic hip might have ended his career. So find some space in the margin and write Gary Hogeboom/Tom Tupa/Timm Rosenbach.

Key defensive starter: Safety Tim McDonald led his team in tackles with a whopping 115, almost twice as many as the next in line, defensive end Niko Noga with 62. McDonald had two interceptions, two sacks, forced four fumbles and blocked an extra point, a punt and a field goal. This is a busy guy.

The Rams could do without seeing . . . anyone of the triad of quarterbacks, or Lomax himself, getting into a cozy rhythm with Smith and Green.

DALLAS COWBOYS

Dec. 3, 12 p.m.

Texas Stadium

1988 record: 3-13.

Record against Rams: Series tied at 7-7.

Key offensive starter: Running back Herschel Walker was second in the NFL in rushing, with 1,514 yards, and is the NFL leader over the last two seasons in rushing-receiving yards, with 3,625. With a rookie-either Steve Walsh or Troy Aikman-almost guarenteed of being the Cowboys’ quarterback, it’s important for this team to have someone to depend on.

Key defensive starter: Is this really applicable? This is a defense that allowed an average of 23.8 points per game and ranked 20th in total defense in the NFL. The team had only 10 interceptions; Atlanta’s Scott Case did that by himself. If we must, Bill Bates should be the guy. He led team in tackles with 124 and was second in special team tackles with 22. A bona fide football madman, Bates is a little bit of chaos needed on a defense often found dozing.

The Rams could do without seeing . . . wide receiver Michael Irvin about to catch the ball with room to run. As a rookie, Irvin averaged 20.4 yards a reception.

NEW YORK JETS

Dec. 17, 1 p.m.

Anaheim Stadium

1988 record: 8-7-1.

Series record: Rams lead series 3-2.

Key offensive starter: The Jets can put points on the board-they ranked third in the AFC in scoring last season-but half of their games were decided by a touchdown or less. It’s those situations that demand a good kicker, and the Jets have one in Pat Leahy. Leahy made 23 of 28 field goal attempts and all 43 PATs. He has made 52 of his last 54 field goal attempts inside the 40, and his 81% accuracy rate over the past four seasons ties him with the Saints’ Morton Anderson for second behind Kansas City’s Nick Lowery (82%).

Key defensive starter: As a rookie last season, safety Erik McMillan led the AFC in interceptions (8) though he played in only 13 games. He was also named to the Pro Bowl, the first Jet rookie to be selected since Emerson Boozer in 1966.

The Rams could do without seeing . . . quarterback Ken O’Brien with plenty of time to spot Al Toon, who led the league in receptions with 93.

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS

Dec. 24, 1 p.m.

Sullivan Stadium

1988 record: 9-7.

Series record: Patriots lead series 3-1.

Key offensive starter: All running back John Stephens did as a rookie was rush for 1,168 yards and get selected to the Pro Bowl as well as be named the NFL’s Rookie of the Year. How important was Stephens? His rushing yardage was nearly three times as much as New England’s No. 2 ground gainer, Robert Perryman, who ran for 448 yards.

Key defensive starter: Linebackers Johnny Rembert and Andre Tippett are as good as any twosome. Rembert had 137 tackles, including 98 solo. Tippett, often compared to Lawrence Taylor, missed four games but still had 50 tackles and seven sacks.

The Rams could do without seeing . . . quarterback Doug Flutie with his hands on the ball, late in a close game. Flutie, though his statistics have paled in the pros, has always had a knack for winning the close games.