Everett Has Big Numbers, Except in Voting Column : Rams: Quarterback’s statistical edge over Majkowski isn’t enough to earn a spot on the Pro Bowl roster.
If statistics were votes, Ram quarterback Jim Everett would have been the landslide winner in this year’s Pro Bowl balloting.
Since they’re not, Everett didn’t make the National Football Conference’s squad for the second year in a row.
The NFC team, announced Wednesday by the league office, included six Rams but not their quarterback, who was edged out for the second quarterback position by Green Bay’s Don Majkowski. San Francisco’s Joe Montana will be the NFC starter on Feb. 4 in Honolulu.
The Ram offensive line, despite an off-year blocking for the run, placed three members on the team--tackle Jackie Slater and center Doug Smith, each for the sixth time, and guard Tom Newberry, for the second time. Wide receiver Henry Ellard will be making his third appearance, cornerback Jerry Gray his fourth and linebacker Kevin Greene his first.
But Jim Everett won’t be there.
“I’m very disappointed,” he said. “But there’s nothing I can do about it.”
The choice of Montana as the starter was clear-cut.
But Majkowski over Everett? The Packers’ quarterback obviously captured more of the voting players’ attention with his storybook season, because the numbers didn’t add up.
Through 15 weeks, Everett leads Majkowski in every significant passing category, such as:
--Efficiency rating. Everett is third in the NFL with a 93.2 mark, trailing only Montana (115.5) and Cincinnati’s Boomer Esiason (94.5). Majkowski, at 80.9, is the fifth-rated quarterback in the NFC.
--Yardage. Everett leads the NFL with 4,129 passing yards. Majkowski is hot on his heels with 4,086.
--Touchdowns to interception ratio. Everett leads the NFL with 28 touchdown passes and has 15 interceptions. Majkowski has 25 touchdown passes and 20 interceptions.
--Completion percentage. Everett has a 59.9% mark to Majkowski’s 58.6%.
--Completion average. Everett’s figure is 8.44 to Majkowski’s 7.21.
The Green Bay quarterback was the better runner, rushing for 351 yards in 70 carries, with five touchdowns. Everett only leaves the pocket in case of emergency.
Also, Majkowski no doubt influenced his peers by leading some incredible Packer comebacks this season. Yet, Everett has led five fourth-quarter comebacks of his own, compiling statistics in those quarters that border on staggering.
And so much for the second-year theory, a popular notion that players are rewarded with Pro Bowl nominations for past performances.
Everett passed for 3,964 yards in 1988 and led the NFL in touchdown passes with 31, and didn’t make the team. He was beaten out for last year’s squad by Philadelphia’s Randall Cunningham and Minnesota’s Wade Wilson. It was learned later that Eagle players voted for Wilson over Everett to assure that Cunningham would make the team.
The Rams claimed to have played no political games this year, voting for Montana and Majkowski as NFC quarterbacks--a team can’t vote for its own players.
“It’s a bummer,” Greene said of the system. “We voted very honestly. We went for the best guys. I don’t know if other teams padded their votes. I don’t know what happened. But Jim didn’t make it, and everyone feels a loss there. . . . There’s a lot of political things other than merit.”
Everett was at his diplomatic best in handling Wednesday’s news, although he made clear his displeasure.
What happened?
“I have no idea,” he said, “and I’m not going to spend a lot of time trying to figure out why. I’m going to try to spend the time I have trying to figure out a way to beat New England, to get in the playoffs, and hopefully we’ll make a push from there.”
Everett said he braced himself for the possibility of not making the team but admitted he was deserving of the honor.
“I probably had high expectations, but I didn’t have it in the bag or anything like that,” he said. “There’s one thing that’s clear-cut: Joe Montana is definitely the best quarterback and deserving to go. And there’s probably a lot of arguments for the guys behind Joe. I’m happy I’m playing for the team I’m playing for.”
Everett said he would gladly accept an alternate Pro Bowl position should Montana decline because of sore ribs that have bothered him throughout the season.
“If it happened, I’d be very honored,” he said.
Montana told reporters Wednesday that he will play in the Pro Bowl if he’s physically able, adding: “A lot depends on how the doctors around here feel more than anything--how many shots I get between now and then. . . . I’ll go if I can. I’d like to go. It’s fun over there.”
Ram Coach John Robinson, while disappointed with Everett’s omission, said his quarterback’s day will come. “Jim Everett is a Pro Bowl-level quarterback,” he said. “I’m sure he’ll play in more than five of them. But it’s not as though it’s the first year he’s done good; that’s the thing that makes you feel bad about it. His record is just phenomenal.”
It was a better day for other Rams, especially Greene, who was named for the first time. Greene, too, thought he deserved recognition last season, when he finished second in the NFL with 16 1/2 sacks.
Greene was a walk-on at Auburn after a brief stint as an intramural flag-football player, then became the Rams’ fifth-round draft pick in 1985.
“I’ve come so far, I’ve climbed uphill,” Greene said. “I was a special-teams guy who moved in as a starter, and now, finally, the Pro Bowl. I’m happy to be selected. I was kind of bummed about the Pro Bowl because I felt I should have been there (last year). I didn’t have much faith in it. But this year, I felt if I put another season together like I did last year . . . I’d end up in Hawaii. It’s going to be a nice trip.”
With one game remaining and 15 1/2 sacks, Greene has a chance to surpass last season’s total. But he is more pleased with this season’s consistency. In 1988, he went five games without a sack at one point. This year, he hasn’t gone consecutive games without one.
Ram Notes
In preparation for Sunday’s weather in New England, which is expected to be cold and breezy, the Rams had Dale Hatcher punting against an automatic wind-blower during Wednesday’s practice. . . . Coach John Robinson is insisting that all players who are planning to wear gloves for the New England game wear them in practice. . . . The Rams will decide this week whether to place safety Anthony Newman, who has a broken left elbow, on the injured list and activate fullback Mel Farr from the developmental squad to play on special teams.
If the Rams play host to the NFC wild-card game on Dec. 31, tickets would go on sale beginning at 9 a.m. on Dec. 26 at the following locations: the Rams’ ticket office at Anaheim Stadium, the Rams’ Los Angeles office at 10271 W. Pico Blvd. and all Ticketron and Ticketmaster outlets throughout the Southland. Ticket prices would be $31, $24 and $18. . . . The Rams would play host to the New York Giants if (a) the Rams beat New England, (b) Philadelphia defeats Phoenix and (c) the Raiders beat the Giants. The Rams would play host to Philadelphia if (a) the Rams beat New England and (b) Philadelphia loses to Phoenix.
PASSING STATISTICS JOE MONTANA
ATT COM PCT YDS TD INT RTNG 365 261 .715 3415 25 7 115.5
DON MAJKOWSKI
ATT COM PCT YDS TD INT RTNG 567 332 .586 4086 25 20 80.9
JIM EVERETT
ATT COM PCT YDS TD INT RTNG 489 291 .599 4129 28 15 93.2
