Robinson Should Know Allen Won’t Solve Rams’ Problems
Al Davis is only trying to help, you understand. Gentleman Al. By way of neighborhood watch, Al has determined that the 1-3 Rams need bailing, so he is prepared to offer--for a limited time only--Marcus Allen, one of the greatest Raid-uhs of them all, in exchange for a No. 1 draft choice.
Such a bargain. The last time Davis dangled Allen in front of John Robinson’s nose, the asking price was Kevin Greene--back when Al was simply doing all he could to rid the Rams of an ugly holdout mess.
With enemies like Al, who needs him to act friendly?
The problem with dealing with Davis, other than the immediate urge to shower afterward, is that the Rams have a weak link in the ranks. Someone sequester Robinson, quick. If Davis could ever get Robinson in a room alone, Allen would be a Ram within five minutes and Davis would be walking away with Jim Everett, two No. 1s and half the Anaheim Stadium concessions.
Ever since they left USC, Allen has been Robinson’s grand obsession. Ahab had his whale, Robinson has Marcus Allen. Call him Ishmael.
Robinson has spent an entire coaching career in the NFL pining for the day when Allen was back in his backfield. Blunted in his quest for the real thing, Robinson sometimes stoops for the closest available imitation, which explains Curt Warner. In his prime, Warner could do all the things--run outside, run inside, catch the ball, pass-block--that Allen does. But in his prime, Warner was too expensive, so Robinson had to wait for Warner to turn 29, his knees to turn 49, and his price tag to drop to a John Shaw-acceptable $700,000.
Warner didn’t work out and let us pray that Allen doesn’t either. The last thing the Rams need is to make a trade for an offensive player. Bengals 34, Rams 31. Eagles 27, Rams 21. Packers 36, Rams 24. Haven’t the numbers already added up?
The Ram offense ranks first in the NFL. The Ram defense ranks 28th. There it is, the best and the worst the NFL has to offer, gathered together under the same golden horns.
The Rams ought to print up new ticket brochures.
In itself, the notion of trading with the Raiders isn’t a bad idea, provided the tradee is named Howie Long or Aaron Wallace. Long is hurt now, sidelined until November, but that’s a better prognosis than the state of the incumbent Ram pass rush, which looks to be sidelined until the next college draft.
The Ram defensive collapse has been all-encompassing, but it began up front. With no pressure on the opposing passer, a depleted Ram secondary--no Darryl Henley, no Alfred Jackson, until last Sunday, no Jerry Gray--has no chance at all. Boomer Esiason lit it up for 471 yards. Randall Cunningham went for 248 and two touchdowns. Even Anthony Dilweg, now toting clipboards in Green Bay, went nuts.
One start against the Rams and Dilweg, career NFL bench-warmer, was NFL offensive player of the week.
So why can’t the Rams rush the passer? Theories fill the air.
The linebacker-laden “Eagle” defense, which led the league in sacks in 1988, no longer carries the element of surprise, Robinson claims, which is why the Rams have shifted away from it. “The Eagle was effective two years ago,” Robinson says, “because people didn’t understand it too well. They do now. (Sunday’s) game, we were in it one time, Boomer recognized it, audibilized and hurt us with a big gain.”
The Rams’ attempt to adjust was to copy success--the four-man pass rush out of the 3-4 set that has served Minnesota and San Francisco so well. The Rams employ a similar alignment, just not similar personnel.
This brings us to the latest theory being popularized, commonly titled Youth Hasn’t Served. It involves young pass rushers Brian Smith, Bill Hawkins and Mike Piel and how they haven’t played to Robinson’s expectations. But whose fault is this? Hawkins and Piel are coming off serious injuries and Smith never was going to be the next Reggie White. Brains go before brawn--and right now, we’re seeing what happens when the brains don’t think things all the way through.
No, the crux of the Ram defensive disaster can be traced, tidily, to the man presently sharing minutes and carries with Marcus Allen.
It’s Greg Bell’s fault.
Bell helped shape Ram drafting and trading policy, largely for the worst, by failing to become a tailback Robinson could live with. Bell had the substance--2,300 yards in two seasons--but Robinson couldn’t tolerate the style, on the field or in the locker room. Egos clashed and Robinson decided to run Bell out of town. Or, at least across town.
The Rams burned a No. 1 draft choice for Gaston Green. They used another No. 1 for Cleveland Gary. They doled out $700,000 for Warner. Anybody but Bell.
Suppose, however, Robinson could have tolerated Bell. Imagine two No. 1 picks spent on pass rushers instead. Imagine $700,000 kicked into the bid to land a world-class cornerback--say, Albert Lewis, a holdout in Kansas City this summer.
Imagine the Rams’ defense then.
It might have even intercepted one of Esiason’s 44 trips to the well last Sunday.
Instead, the Rams can only sleep in the bed they’ve made, lined as it is with the injured and the unproven and the Mickey Suttons. Their defense is ranked 28th because there’s no 29th. It is as bad as it can be. It can get no worse.
But can it get better?
Robinson’s grasp holds a few straws. Holdouts Greene, Michael Stewart and Doug Reed are still regaining their playing legs. Gray recently came back. Henley is due back next month, Larry Kelm maybe in two weeks. Chicago and Pittsburgh, two of the Rams’ next three opponents, don’t throw much.
In any event, it won’t get better through any trade for Allen. Alan Page, perhaps, but not Allen, aged. When your weakness is as gaping as the Rams’, it makes no sense to go out and strengthen your strength.
We already know what happened when the Angels traded for more pitching.