He Might Be Ready to Leave Pack Behind : Rushers: Running back is a four-man committee these days, but Delpino hopes his efforts will lead to more playing time.

There was a time when a Ram fan could watch a game and not have to wonder about who was doing what. There was one guy, he wore goggles and No. 29, and he got the ball two out of every three plays.

But now the ball is flying every which way and the Ram running back position, like so many things these days, has been thrown back into committee.

Sunday, the Rams’ four-man rushing corps of Greg Bell, Robert Delpino, Cleveland Gary and Buford McGee rushed for 138 yards and caught 12 passes for another 128. They did this against one of the NFL’s best defenses in the New York Giants.

If the four were one, there would be a lot of people buying his poster. And if you just had their running style to go on, you’d sometimes swear you were looking at the same guy.

“They’re all strong guys who’ll bash into a couple of players and keep falling forward,” said Ram guard Tom Newberry.

It was well-distributed bashing Sunday. Gary, the rookie from Miami who played in the second half, led the team with 45 yards. Bell had 42, Delpino 34, McGee 17.

Bell caught five passes, Delpino four and McGee three.

As it now stands, the four are split in twos. Bell and McGee are the starters, with 12 years of experience between them. Delpino and Gary are the backups, who feel that their time has come.

And so may others in high places.

“Bobby Delpino had an outstanding game,” Ram Coach John Robinson said. “And we got a chance to look at Gary, and you see all that quickness and power. He’s a guy I think you’ll be seeing a lot of.”

Which would be just fine with Gary, who sat out all of training camp and has been used sparingly. His eight carries Sunday nearly matched his season total of 12 going into the game.

“I feel comfortable with the system now,” Gary said. “It’s just a matter of getting the opportunity.”

Delpino, who also returned two kicks for 38 yards and made a tackle on special teams, has seen this before. A fifth-round steal from Missouri in 1988, he has always been a favorite of the Ram coaching staff but has fallen in and out of fashion when it comes to the offense.

“My part on this team is that sometimes I can be at the center of everything and sometimes I can be totally out of it,” Delpino said. “The only way you’d be able to find me is to look up the special team stats.”

But Sunday’s game was an exceptional showcase for Delpino’s varied skills.

“Overall, it was pretty close to, if not the best game I’ve had as a Ram,” he said. “But who knows? You never can tell with all the good backs we have. I’ve had other big games and my time has slacked off in the following game. “

And to confuse matters even more, Gaston Green, who was the Rams’ third leading rusher in both yards and carries coming into Sunday, sat out the game with sore ribs.

The Rams could very well be the deepest they’ve ever been at running back.

They’ve had better backs--the aforementioned Eric Dickerson being one--but haven’t had this many good ones around for some time.

“There’s no dropoff in talent when one guy replaces the other,” said center Doug Smith. “We got a lot of guys who can do the job. They come in and they run hard, and there’s not a lot more you can ask for.”

Unless, of course, you’re one of the younger ones who is running hard, and then you ask, or at least hope for, more time. But if Sunday is any indication, playing time in the Ram backfield could remain divisible by four or five for the near future.