NOTEBOOK : Sutton Spared From Goat’s Role

Most of the talk surrounding the Rams-Bills matchup centered on Greg Bell, the former Buffalo player who spent much of last week bad-mouthing the Bills’ organization.

Lost in all the controversy was Mickey Sutton, a former Ram who was recently picked up by the Bills. But soon after the opening kickoff, Sutton took center stage . . . and he almost fell into the orchestra pit.

First, he called for a fair catch on a punt on his own eight-yard line instead of letting it go into the end zone. Then he fumbled a punt, the Rams recovered on the Buffalo 16-yard line and scored a touchdown five plays later.

With just under 10 minutes left to play, he was called for a 25-yard pass interference penalty, keeping a Ram drive alive. A minute later, Mike Lansford kicked a 36-yard field goal that gave the Rams a 16-13 lead.

Frank Reich and Co. saved Sutton’s day, however, and the little defensive back/kick returner could celebrate with the rest of the Bills.

The parking lot at Rich Stadium was half full four hours before game time Monday night, but the No. 1 sport in Buffalo these days isn’t tailgating or football.

It’s Bell-bashing.

Bell’s less-than-kind remarks for Buffalo management and his former teammates prompted Bill fans to show up with a wealth of anti-Bell banners, most of which referred to the nickname--”Tinker”--that Buffalo nose tackle Fred Smerlas pinned on Bell in 1984.

One fan paraded around the stadium with a ragged wolf’s head sticking out of a No. 42 Rams’ jersey and a sign that read: “I should have kept my big mouth shut.”

One poster inside the stadium said, “Send Tinker Bell back to LA-LA Land.” One proclaimed that “Tinker is a stinker.” And another predicted, “Hey Tinker, Freddy’s gonna ring your Bell.”

Bell did not have a yard rushing in the second half and finished with just 44.

Wet n’ Wild Dept.: Ram receiver Ron Brown, who has yet to catch a pass but has five rushes on the year, fumbled early in the second quarter and Bill cornerback Kirby Jackson picked it up and ran for an apparent touchdown. But an official ruled the play dead and so the Rams didn’t give chase.

Television replays clearly showed Brown had fumbled, but because the play had been whistled dead on the field, the instant-replay officials were not consulted.

On the next play, quarterback Jim Everett fumbled the snap and a half dozen players slid across the rain-slickened turf chasing it. Bell finally came up with it as the Rams lost 13 yards on the play.

Later in the quarter, the ball was pried loose from Bell and Buffalo recovered. It was the first time Bell had fumbled in 13 games. He had carried the ball 235 times and caught 18 passes since the last time he fumbled.

“It was a tough night for both offenses because the ball was very slick,” Coach John Robinson said. “It was a difficult time out there.”

Bob Ferguson, Buffalo assistant general manager, on Ram linebacker Kevin Greene: “I asked him what he would have done if he wasn’t a professional football player and he said he would have been an attack helicopter pilot.”

Both teams are head over heels over their young wide receivers: The Rams’ Flipper Anderson and the Bills’ Flip Johnson.

“There is no question that the defense played its best game of the season,” Buffalo Coach Marv Levy said. “They gave up that touchdown at the end on a great play, but they rose to the occasion time and time again. They made great plays to stymie drives.”