RAM NOTEBOOK : Millard and Co. Keep the Pressure on Everett Most of Day

Ram guards Tom Newberry and Duval Love fought a battle royal on the line of scrimmage with Viking pass rusher extraordinaire Keith Millard Sunday, and all three players won some rounds.

Millard and the Vikings won the war, however. Ram quarterback Jim Everett completed 18 of 30 passes for 200 yards and a touchdown, but he was constantly harassed by Millard.

The Rams were pinned inside their 10-yard line in the second quarter when Everett completed a 25-yard pass to Henry Ellard, who made a diving catch. But Newberry was called for holding Millard.

Actually, Newberry dragged Millard down by the face mask just in time to keep the Viking tackle from flattening Everett.

On the first play of the second half, Millard made Everett pay heavily for a three-yard completion to Robert Delpino, slamming the Ram quarterback to the artificial surface as he released the ball.

The Rams finally got decent field position late in the third quarter after Mel Owens’ interception gave them the ball on the Viking 30. But Millard almost single-handedly ended the threat.

Greg Bell ran for one yard on first down. On second down, Millard burst through the middle, forcing Everett to spin away into onrushing defensive end Chris Doleman, who sacked him for a 15-yard loss.

On third down, Millard shook off a block by Newberry and chased Everett out of the pocket. Everett’s hurried throw went through the hands of Bell, and the Rams had to punt.

Then, with 2:14 left in regulation and the Rams at the Viking 14, Millard slammed into Everett as he delivered a pass to Buford McGee. The ball glanced off McGee’s hands and Joey Browner made a flying interception.

“They look offsides half the time because they’re so fast,” Ram Coach John Robinson said. “You have to give credit to the Vikings’ defense.”

Some quick thinking on the part of the Minnesota offensive unit helped the Vikings to a 12-7 halftime lead.

Minnesota had the ball on the Ram 12-yard line with 18 seconds left when quarterback Wade Wilson couldn’t find a receiver and decided to scramble. Wilson sprinted up the middle, but was upended at the Ram 3 with the Vikings out of timeouts.

The field goal unit started onto the field, but center Kirk Lowdermilk snapped the ball to Wilson, who threw it onto the ground. Minnesota had about 20 players on the field, but Lowdermilk and Wilson had managed to stop the clock with two seconds remaining. Rich Karlis then kicked his fourth field goal, a 25-yarder, to put the Vikings ahead by five at the half.

“That was a wild one, like a Chinese fire drill,” Karlis said. “But fortunately we knocked that one in, too, because we needed every one today.”

The Vikings figured their offense was pretty offensive Sunday, but a victory is a victory. Still, seven field goals and a safety was not exactly what they had in mind.

“Our offense didn’t really get anything done today,” said Hassan Jones, whose catch of Wilson’s Hail Mary pass set up the game-tying field goal. “We got the ball down inside the 10, the 20 and the 30, but we were not able to put it in the end zone.

“We can’t continue to rely on the defense. They’re playing great, but as an offense, we’ve got to score some touchdowns. We have to perform better and do the things we’re capable of (doing).”

Wanna bet?: Merriweather’s inability to corral the bouncing ball in the end zone after blocking Hatcher’s punt didn’t make any difference in the outcome or the standings, but it certainly affected more than a few bettors around the country.

The Vikings were favored by 4 1/2 points, and if Merriweather had covered the ball for a touchdown, Minnesota would have covered the spread. Instead the Rams won, with the points.

Going and coming dept.: With 28 seconds remaining in regulation, hordes of fans began filing out of the Metrodome, clogging the aisles and tunnels.

Twenty seconds of playing time later, Karlis made his National Football League-record tying seventh field goal, and the fans came rushing back to their seats. A lot of them were still in the aisles when Mike Merriweather blocked Dale Hatcher’s punt for the safety that sealed the Rams’ fourth consecutive loss.