RAM NOTEBOOK : If Giants Are Looking for Help, They Won’t Get It From Media

If the Rams adhered to Buddy Ryan’s pregame philosophy, they’d already be sinking their teeth into the New York Giants, this Sunday’s NFC divisional playoff game opponent at the Meadowlands.

Lawrence Taylor? That wimp? The same All-Pro linebacker who was held to two excuse-me tackles and no sacks in the Rams’ 31-10 thrashing of the Giants in November? What’s this washout doing on a playoff team?

No such bulletin-board luck for the Giants. The Rams know better, having just wiped a week’s worth of juiced-up quotes in the face of Ryan’s Philadelphia Eagles in the form of a 21-7 wild-card victory.

The Rams will make it a point to low-key their approach against the Giants, despite having dominated the NFC East champions the last two seasons.

In September, 1988, quarterback Jim Everett tossed five touchdown passes in the Rams’ 45-31 win over the Giants in the Meadowlands.

Last Nov. 12, at Anaheim Stadium, the Rams flattened the Giants, 31-10, in a game they led, 31-3, at one point in the fourth quarter. New York shared the NFC’s best record entering the game at 8-1.

The Giants have sacked Everett just once in the two meetings. Ram left tackle Irv Pankey seems to have what it takes to stop Taylor, who was invisible in the November game, drawing public address attention only for two penalties called against him.

The Rams match up well against the Giants across the board.

You could say the Rams had the Giants’ number, but the Rams wouldn’t dare.

“We haven’t had a chance to play them in the playoffs yet,” Everett said. “There’s no doubt we think they’re a good football team. It’ll probably be much different. They wouldn’t have the record they have if they’re not a good football team.”

What kind of game does tailback Greg Bell think it’s going to be? Another rout like the previous two? Bite your tongue.

“It’s going to be a very physical game,” Bell said. “We know each other, we’ve been fortunate to come out the victors the last two times we met. I know we’re going to approach the game the same way we approached this one (against Philadelphia). It’s going to be a dogfight and it’s going to last until there’s one second left on the clock. If we’re in control of the ball, the last five minutes, we’re going to run the clock out.”

Bad question/good answer: Everett, who has passed for 8,274 yards and 60 touchdowns the past two seasons, was asked after Sunday’s game if he felt he is starting to arrive as an NFL quarterback.

“Am I arriving?” Everett responded. “I hate that question. You guys be the judge.”

Actually, Everett feels that he hasn’t.

“I base my arriving on something that has to do with the (Super)Dome this year,” he said. “My judgment of what a quarterback is, is one who wins the Super Bowl.”

After 14 seasons in the league, Ram offensive tackle Jackie Slater has seen it all. Oh, really?

“I haven’t gotten to the point where I think I know it all,” he said. “All you have to do is go out to practice and have some of these youngsters beat you. It’s a humbling enough experience. My position is one where you’ve constantly got to work to stay good at it, otherwise you get dominated.”

Slater proved again Sunday that he’s still good enough. He limited Eagles’ All-Pro defensive end Reggie White to one sack.

It isn’t getting any easier, though.

“Guys like Reggie White and Bruce Smith keep popping up,” he said. “They get bigger, faster and stronger. They’re guys that can dominate. I hate to think how big and fast offensive and defensive linemen are eventually going to get.”

Sunday’s win over Philadelphia was the Rams’ first playoff win since they defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 20-0, in a first-round divisional game in 1985. It was the team’s first wild-card win since a victory over Dallas in 1983.

“It’s been awhile,” Pankey said. “I think everybody believes. We’ve been through our four-week stretch where we lost games in the last 28 seconds. We’ve been to the down side.”

The Rams’ all-linebacker pass rush team of Kevin Greene, Brett Faryniarz, George Bethune and Fred Strickland averages 244 pounds per man if you believe the team’s current weight listings. Don’t believe them. The average is closer to 235 pounds.

Any more questions about the Rams being wimps in cold weather?

“I don’t know how many times you have to play in bad weather to become a bad-weather team,” guard Tom Newberry said after consecutive wins at New England and Philadelphia, both games played in less-than-desirable conditions.