RAM NOTEBOOK : Gary Picks Up Tempo to Help Pace Offense

The music started in the first quarter Monday night, but Ram running back Cleveland Gary came out in the wrong dance step.

“I was jitter-bugging too much in that first quarter,” Gary said.

So Gary switched to a slam-dance mode in the second, and his punishing runs helped bring the Rams’ offense to life against the San Diego Chargers in an exhibition game.

Gary, who missed the Aug. 3 exhibition opener against the Atlanta Falcons because of a strained quadriceps in his right leg, showed no effects of the injury as he rushed for 77 yards in 14 carries, all during the first half of the Rams’ 24-3 victory before 41,616 in Anaheim Stadium.

Gary was effective on the inside, burrowing his way through the line and breaking tackles for several tough yards, and he looked good in the open field, especially on a 26-yard, second-quarter run that helped set up a touchdown.

But it wasn’t until Gary got physical that he was able to reel off some longer runs.

“I don’t want the damn long runs,” said Ram Coach John Robinson, who is hoping to establish more of a power running game. “I want the short, four- and five-yard runs, because those initial pounding runs wear a defense down.”

Gary’s first six carries netted only 14 yards, but then he ripped off a nine-yarder.

Late in the first half, Gary gained 47 yards on four carries during an eight-play, 83-yard scoring drive that ended with Jim Everett’s 12-yard touchdown pass to Flipper Anderson, giving the Rams a 17-3 lead.

“Some backs are power runners and some are breakaway runners, and sometimes I’m not sure which kind I am,” Gary said. “I have the ability to cut well, and sometimes I can accelerate and take you the distance. In the second quarter, I started accelerating and making people miss.”

Most important, Gary didn’t fumble once. Heck, he didn’t even bobble the ball. Last season, Gary led all NFL running backs with 11 fumbles, losing seven of them.

And in their 38-17 loss to the Falcons on Aug. 3, the Rams fumbled eight times, losing six.

“I didn’t think about fumbling at all tonight,” Gary said. “Everybody goes through a period like that, and you can get labled by the media. I’m just holding the ball more properly this year.”

Ram quarterback Jim Everett, in his first game action of the season, was rusty at the start, overthrowing most receivers and failing to connect on his first four passes.

The Rams went three downs and a punt on their first two possessions, picking up a grand total of two yards.

But Everett found his range late in the first quarter, hitting Henry Ellard on a post pattern for a 29-yard gain that set up a first-and-goal at the Charger 6. Robert Delpino broke two tackles on his way to the end zone on the next play, and the Rams led, 7-0.

Everett finished the half with 88 yards passing on six of 13 attempts. He hit Aaron Cox on a 20-yard pass to help set up Tony Zendejas’ 23-yard field goal early in the second quarter, and his 20-yarder to Anderson foreshadowed his 12-yard scoring strike to Anderson.

“I was a little shaky in the first quarter,” Everett said. “The tempo and speed of an actual game is a little different from practice.”

Ram fans may not have noticed that Tom Newberry, who signed a four-year, $2.95-million contract Wednesday and reported to practice Thursday, played center during the second and third quarters Monday.

And that’s good. Fans usually only notice centers when their exchanges are fumbled or when they mix up the quarterback’s count and snap the ball too soon or late.

But Newberry, who is being moved from left guard to center this season, had no such problems, which is good considering he had only four days of practice.

“He might have played a lousy game, how the heck would I know?” Robinson said. “The only thing I was worried about was the exchange, but he didn’t have any incomplete center snaps.”

Newberry said he did some running in Miami during his holdout and isn’t far from game condition.

“I sucked a little wind but no more than usual,” Newberry said. “It’s good to be back.”

Defensive tackle Doug Reed played sporadically in the game, then afterward said he hoped he could put his long battle with the Rams’ front office behind him.

Reed, who finally reported to camp last week after asking the Rams either to release or trade him, said he would like to stay with the team, if possible, even though he knows that it’s not likely.

“I don’t know what to expect,” Reed said after the game. “I’m just here. I’m going to keep waiting until somebody tells me something. Some decisions have to be made by both parties.”

Reed refused a Ram offer of $550,000 last January and was exposed in the Plan B free-agency period. He didn’t get an offer comparable to that, and was subsequently offered $130,000 by the Rams until he signed for $200,000.

He wouldn’t comment on whether he thought the Rams were punishing him for trying out the Plan B market, but defended his right to do so.

“Like every other player, I wanted to see how much I was worth,” Reed said. “Even if I didn’t get what I was looking for, I wanted to see.”

He also said that he thought he could fit into the Rams’ new, four-man line if the team allowed him.

“I think it’d be fun,” Reed said. “I think it’d be a fun defense to play in. I still think I’m a good football player.”

Ram Notes

After the game, Coach John Robinson said he would probably cut seven or eight players today. . . . Safeties Michael Stewart and Anthony Newman led the Rams defense with four tackles each.

Times staff writers Tim Kawakami and Elliott Teaford contributed to this story.