Rams Try to Be Top Banana, Face 49ers, Montana : It’s an Early Showdown for NFC West Lead

In this season’s episode of keeping up with the Joe Montanas, the next-door neighbor Rams drop by Candlestick Park one more time to clear up some old business.

The Rams swear they had the best-looking lawn on the block last season after trouncing San Francisco, 38-16, in the season finale. But everyone keeps mentioning weeds.

The game meant nothing because the 49ers clinched the division title moments before kickoff when New Orleans defeated Atlanta.

The game meant everything to the Rams because they needed to win to make the playoffs as a wild card.

The 49ers were saving themselves for their three-game sweep to the Super Bowl championship.

If only the 49ers were trying.

The Rams once again find it difficult to measure themselves against their archrivals because everyone keeps messing with the yardstick.

“Was the 48-0 game hard to gauge because we lost our quarterback and didn’t have anything to play for,” John Robinson said of a humiliating 1987 loss to the 49ers. “It doesn’t matter. You play. You win or you lose.”

In Anaheim’s small world, every step forward is taken toward San Francisco, every exhaled breath directed down the neck of a 49er.

It has taken a new quarterback, Jim Everett, a new offensive coordinator, Ernie Zampese, a blockbuster trade, Eric Dickerson, and time for the Rams to get within striking distance of the 49ers.

Well?

“Let’s go find out just how good we are and how good they are,” Robinson said this week. “It seems to me there’s not anybody else who’s going to beat these guys. If we want them beat, we’re going to have to beat them.”

The Rams are talking tough this season for a reason. They’ve apparently grown tired of second class and second place.

“We’re all going to go up there and see Sunday,” Robinson said. “If we haven’t caught them by Sunday, we’ll catch them in December. And if we don’t catch them in December, we’ll sneak up there in March . . . “

The lines have been drawn for today’s battle of National Football League unbeatens, although both teams are not without their blemishes.

On their way to 3-0, the Rams have given up points and yardage at a resounding clip, yet remain undefeated thanks to a bit of good fortune--Brent Fullwood’s goal-line fumble last week--and an offense that can hold itself up to any in the league.

LeRoy Irvin returns to right corner this week after serving a 30-day substance suspension. Irvin may not handle Jerry Rice any better than the rest of the league, but at least he brings 10 years of experience and a few tricks with him.

Then again, the 49ers haven’t exactly dazzled the world with a six-point victory over Indianapolis and desperate fourth-quarter comebacks against Tampa Bay and Philadelphia.

But they do have quarterback Joe Montana, and that has been enough so far.

Nonetheless, the 49ers have issued an all-points bulletin for tailback Roger Craig, held to 14 yards in eight carries against the Eagles and relegated to mop-up blocking against Reggie White, of all things. Craig has been held to 181 yards in 48 carries thus far, although re-racking the film of last year’s 190-yard performance against the Rams should help some.

Coach George Seifert is so concerned about the run he tossed his offensive line like a fruit salad this week, much to the dismay of guard Jeff Bregel, the angry crouton who ditched Thursday’s practice after learning of his demotion.

“We haven’t been executing some run plays,” Seifert said. “We’ve been beat a couple of times and faced a couple defensive teams, Tampa Bay and Philadelphia, that play a lot of eight-man fronts. They purposely gang up to take the run away and force you to throw the ball.”

It hasn’t worked out so badly either, although Montana was sacked eight times and was one bruised banana after his 425-yard, five touchdown performance against Philadelphia.

Is this any way to protect a future Hall-of-Fame quarterback?

“They were successful more than we would have wanted,” Seifert said of the Eagles’ pass rush. “And it’s a concern again going into this one. You’ve got a fella like (Kevin) Greene coming off the corner; we’ve got our hands full.”

At least Montana kept getting up. Free safety Ronnie Lott, one of the all-time Ram bashers, was hobbling on a bad ankle all week and could miss the game, although the Rams have always been suspicious of 49er hospital reports.

There has been a whole lot of shaking going on in the Bay Area, yet not one peep about Montana’s bad back or a quarterback controversy.

Seifert’s record as coach remains perfect, although he’s not ready to OK production of back-to-back T-shirts.

“We’re a long ways away from saying we haven’t had the post Super Bowl letdown yet,” Seifert said. “So far, it’s turned out our way.”

One last memory of last year’s game, the one the 49ers supposedly rolled over and died in. Or so mentioned New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms, whose team needed a Ram loss to make the playoffs.

“They say that they didn’t have anything to gain,” Ram receiver

Henry Ellard said. “But they were bringing everything they could to try and shut us down, and yet they knew we were determined to win that game. They saw that after a quarter or two and they finally started to slack off and said, ‘OK, let’s get our guys get ready for the playoffs.’ I’m pretty sure they’d have liked to play the spoiler role and put us out of it.”

You think so?

Ram Notes

Former Raider linebacker Matt Millen is backing up Jim Fahnhorst with the 49ers. . . . The Rams may have to wait until game time to see if left tackle Irv Pankey’s back is well enough for him to start. If he can’t, Robert Cox fills in. . . . After a 57-day holdout, two-week roster exemption and a minor auto accident, it appears rookie Cleveland Gary might actually make his Ram debut today. . . . This is the 49ers’ first home game after three in a row on the road. . . . No respect dept.: Rams linebacker Kevin Greene, the NFL’s second-leading sacker last season with 16 1/2, is known as Ken Green in this week’s league release. . . . In 19 career games against the Rams, Joe Montana has thrown for 4,493 yards, 31 touchdowns and completed 65% of his passes with only 10 interceptions. . . . It took rookie Frank Stams a while to make the change from outside to inside linebacker, but he’s adjusted now and the Rams expect big things from here on out. . . . Would you believe it? Through three games, Greg Bell has 236 more rushing yards than Roger Craig and is averaging almost two more yards per carry.