Rams Might Give Hatcher Boot After Poor Kicking
A punter’s professional life dangles in the balance in the best of times, although Dale Hatcher’s job security in five years with the Rams has never been much of an issue.
Then came Monday, the day after Hatcher sent six bleeders into the air against the New Orleans Saints, plunging his season net punting average to a National Football Conference-low 30.7 yards a punt.
Hatcher’s end-zone punts of 33 and 31 yards led directly to 10 first-quarter points for the Saints, a hole from which the Rams would never emerge.
In truth, Hatcher has never matched the numbers of his rookie season in 1985, when he averaged 43.2 yards a kick and made the NFC’s Pro Bowl team. His yearly averages since have been 38.6, 41.3 and 39.6. Hatcher’s leg showed signs of life last week against Buffalo, but he returned to form, poor in this case, against the Saints.
It’s bad enough having the National Football League’s worst pass defense. Now, the Rams must turn their attention to the worst punter.
“You keep trying to say he’s going to fight his way out of it,” Ram Coach John Robinson said of Hatcher. “Believe me, there are no great punters out on the streets of Anaheim waiting to jump in. You’d like to be able to stay with a guy, (but) we’re getting close to the point where we have to look at somebody, if he in fact can’t (make it). I felt great the way he punted last week, regardless of stats (a 37.3-yard average for seven kicks). That was an excellent punting performance. This week was not.”
All available feet should contact Ram offices. But leave your worries on the doorstep.
Despite arthroscopic surgery on his non-kicking leg during last year’s training camp, Hatcher’s problems do not appear to be physical.
“He’s the best punter in the league in practice,” special teams coach Artie Gigantino said.
Hatcher, however, has long had delicate emotions, and his rhythm can be thrown askew by the slightest disturbance. Hatcher has admitted that a personal problem is affecting him presently.
The Rams are pulling out all stops. Running backs coach Gil Haskell, who coached the special teams and Hatcher during his brilliant rookie season, is working with Hatcher again, hoping to rekindle memories, if nothing else.
The word is out around the league: The way to slow down the Rams’ explosive offensive machine is to pressure quarterback Jim Everett on every down. The Buffalo Bills sacked him twice and harassed him constantly in last Monday night’s victory. The Saints put uncommon pressure on Everett in Sunday’s 40-21 victory, sacking him five times and disrupting his timing on several other occasions.
“It’s true,” Robinson said. “That’s the reality of it. But when you do come, and you don’t quite get there, you pay a pretty good price, too.”
How long will opponents gamble? The Bills used swirling winds and a wet ball to their advantage, daring Everett to throw a spiral to beat their pass rush. Everett, it turned out, didn’t throw many.
The Saints were more reckless with their pass rush because they were dealing from a position of strength--an early 10-0 lead.
Robinson is banking on the rush not getting there most weeks.
“All pressure always rattles all quarterbacks,” Robinson said. “We rattled the hell out of Joe Montana last year in San Francisco. Nine sacks. He was ineffective. So they all go through that process.
“I think it’s an effective way to attack the quarterback, because I guess he looks so good when he’s not rattled. The passing game’s so efficient. But no question, New Orleans and Buffalo both have said: Hey, come get him. Make him throw the ball that beats you. I think he did at times, at times he didn’t. I think that’s an issue that he’ll have to deal with forever.”
Ram Notes
Cornerback Darryl Henley’s hamstring injury might put him out for three weeks, Coach John Robinson said. The Rams are listing Henley and linebacker Fred Strickland, who has a sprained left ankle, as doubtful for Sunday’s game against the Bears in Chicago. Safety Anthony Newman is listed as questionable with a bruised left foot. If both Henley and Newman are out for an extended period, Robinson said he might have to look for outside help to shore up the secondary. Robinson is also talking about reducing the volume for his young defensive players, thinking they may be overwhelmed by the playbook. “We need solutions to problems,” Robinson said. “If we find solutions, we will right ourselves quickly.”
Former Ram receiver Michael Young, now playing for the Denver Broncos, led all NFL receivers Sunday with 137 yards in six catches. In his last two seasons with the Rams, Young totaled six catches for 83 yards. . . . The verdict after Sunday’s game film: “We got a good performance from (nose tackle) Alvin Wright,” Robinson said. “After that, there’s not much to talk about.”
Fullback Buford McGee set career highs for receptions and yardage in Sunday’s game with five catches for 44 yards. . . . The Rams are averaging 251 yards passing and giving up an average of 268 to opponents. “We look like a worried defensive team to me,” Robinson said.
