Robinson Won’t Even Consider Letdown : Rams: They need three wins in last four games and Cowboys, with NFL’s worst record, are in the way.

The Rams, last seen lowering Flipper Anderson from their shoulders, have landed their newest star in the Lone Star State in search of more records and ticker tape.

Kick a Cowboy when he’s down? You bet. Everyone’s taking a number for the chance to lay a steel-toed boot to America’s Team. That’s three ones in fact, as in 1-11, as in what a difference a hyphen makes.

If you’re a Ram, why not wind up and knock a Cowboy through a saloon’s revolving door? Smack. That one’s for Roger Staubach in the 1975 NFC title game--Cowboys 37, Rams 7. Uummmff. That one’s for Bob Lilly in the title game of 1978--Cowboys 28, Rams 0.

You may never get a better chance to do the Texas two-step on Dallas’ face. Why blow it?

Anyway, this game isn’t about winning or losing, or letdowns. Cowboy Coach Jimmy Johnson is all but conceding the game to the Rams, who might be able to beat his team with one Flipper tied behind their back.

What would it take to beat the Rams?

“We would have to play an error-free game,” said Johnson, who all but offered the odds of that happening twice in a season. “And the Rams would have to help us, similar to what we had when we played the Redskins at RFK.”

So it has happened? Yes. Dallas’ only victory was a 13-3 stunner at Washington on Nov. 5.

“We did not have a single penalty and we did not have a single turnover,” Johnson explained. “And the Redskins turned it over three times and had some penalties, so we were able to squeak out a victory.”

After last Sunday’s dramatic 20-17 overtime win over New Orleans, the Rams appear squeak-proof. The Rams flubbed one play after another for three-plus quarters in New Orleans and still beat the Saints, a good team.

So what chance do the Cowboys have?

Coach John Robinson would like his team to strike quickly and get out of town, so they can get on to the important business at hand--their Monday night showdown against the San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 11 at Anaheim Stadium.

The talk of a letdown in Dallas barely raises a Robinson eyebrow, as if such a thought should ever cross the mind of a team so knee-deep in a playoff race.

“If we’re going to be thought of in championship play, we’ve got to stand up and act like it,” he said this week. “You can’t afford any of that crap. You can’t afford to get tired. If you get tired, you get beat. If you have a letdown and get beat, get out of the way and let the guy who really wants this thing to get there. Now it’s time to come alive.”

Winning three of their last four would all but assure the Rams a playoff spot, leaving an outside possibility of their stealing the NFC West title from the 49ers.

Now, if you were planning to make Dallas, the league’s worst team, one of those losses, well . . .

“Step aside,” Robinson said. “Either win three out of the next four or step aside, get out of the way. Let the real people in.”

The Rams are hitting stride at the right time, so much so that star receiver Henry Ellard’s absence again today doesn’t seem much of an issue. In fact, Ellard might think about getting back into the lineup soon. Last week, his replacement broke the NFL’s single-game reception yardage record. Maybe today it will be Aaron Cox.

The Cowboys, meanwhile, are looking for a 10-gallon hat to crawl into. Their last four games are against the Rams, the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants and the Green Bay Packers.

Johnson wonders why he can’t catch a break.

“We understood that it was going to be difficult, but I still don’t understand how this schedule works,” he said. “We were the last-place team in the NFL last year, yet we finish with the most difficult schedule of anyone in the league.”

Has it been a humbling experience?

“I haven’t slowed down long enough to think about that,” Johnson said. “We really haven’t had time to reflect on the season, because we’ve been at this thing night and day for a long period of time.”

Turn out the lights, the season’s over.

Ram Notes

Ram wide receiver Henry Ellard’s hamstring strain will keep him on the sidelines today, although he is expected to be 100% for the 49er game. . . .Tight end Damone Johnson is questionable with a strained Achilles’ tendon. . . . The Cowboys have lost a franchise-record 12 consecutive home games. Their last win at Texas Stadium was on Sept. 25, 1988, over Atlanta.

Dallas Coach Jimmy Johnson says the local media have been quite understanding, really. “In fact, I think the media and the people have been extremely receptive,” he said. “At times (they have been) more understanding than I might expect. I think they do understand what we’re trying to accomplish, and they do understand that there’s going to be difficult times before we’re able to get back on the winning track.”

Former UCLA quarterback Troy Aikman has started the last three games after missing five weeks with a broken left index finger. He threw for a total of 638 yards in his first two games back. For the season, Aikman has thrown only four touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. . . . The series between the Rams and the Cowboys, counting playoffs, stands at 11-11. . . . Ram tailback Greg Bell has rushed for just 371 yards in his last nine games after gaining 417 yards in the first three.