Montana Is Out, but Are the 49ers? : Rams: What was expected to be a battle for the division lead has become a quest for .500.
The Rams, who have waited long and eagerly for the chance to measure themselves against a San Francisco 49er team without Joe Montana, will get their wish today.
They expected, however, that the matchup would be a battle for the NFC West, not a scramble to escape the ranks of the division’s downtrodden. But with 1-2 records and big problems heading into today’s game at Candlestick Park, they are trying to stay out of last place.
Montana, the victim of a sore elbow, has been replaced by Steve Young. Young has thrown six touchdown passes, the Rams’ Jim Everett, zero.
So these are not exactly the glory days for these two teams, who have won the NFC West title 19 times between them in 21 years of divisional play.
“They’re in the same situation we are,” Ram cornerback Jerry Gray said.
“We come off a loss to New Orleans, and they lost to Minnesota. We have to regroup ourselves, and so do they.
“I guess if you look at it right now, we’re playing for the right to be in second. But I think this game is going to mean a lot toward the end of the season because we’re going to look back and say, ‘Well, if we could’ve won that game against San Francisco, we would’ve been 2-2 and gone on from there, instead of being 1-3.’
“So I think it’s a big game for both of us.”
The Rams are coming off of a 24-7 loss to the division-leading New Orleans Saints and have scored only three offensive touchdowns in three games. They point out, though, that they have won three of their last four at Candlestick Park.
Everett has completed only 13 passes in the last two games, and Coach John Robinson has declared that the Rams will shelve much of their playbook because of their recent failures.
In the last two weeks, the Rams have completed only one pass to Flipper Anderson and Henry Ellard, their starting wide receivers, and appear to have no great desire to begin passing to them now. Instead, Robinson has hinted that the Rams will run the ball, no matter what.
Against a defensive line Robinson calls the deepest in the league, the Rams will start five offensive linemen who began the season without any Ram experience at their current positions.
And against the 49ers’ still potent offense--receiver Jerry Rice has caught 14 passes for 308 yards and five touchdowns--the Rams will start rookie Robert Young and recently signed Chris Pike at the defensive tackle spots.
The 49ers are coming off a 17-14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings and are hearing cries of panic throughout the Bay Area--despite the fact that their two losses have come on the road by a total of five points against teams--the Vikings and New York Giants--that probably will be in the playoffs this season.
Young, although he has the second-best quarterback rating in the league, hasn’t shown that he can be the dominant presence that Montana always has been late in the game. “I think they’re a little less confident that they’re going to pull that thing out in the end,” Ram Coach John Robinson said.
Said 49er Coach George Seifert: “It’s been quite difficult for everybody. I mean, everybody in this thing is reeling a little bit from this. But there’s still time to get ourselves untracked, and that’s the only way we can approach it.”
Although Young is the convenient target, Seifert emphasizes that the team has suffered lapses on defense and in the running game that have been more critical than quarterback deficiencies. The 49ers yielded a key 93-yard touchdown drive to Minnesota last week.
The 49ers also miss Ronnie Lott and Roger Craig, Plan B departures to the Raiders.
Without Craig, no 49er running back has rushed for more than 50 yards in a game this season. Without Lott and with a secondary buffeted by injury, the 49er opponents have converted nearly half of their third-down plays.
“We’re going through a situation where there are a number of new players in other positions, and players have to step up and fill those voids,” Seifert said.
“I think there’s some progress along those lines, but obviously it’s not what it has to be.
“There’s still a way to go. We’re still overcoming newness, and maybe that’s the reason for some of the errors.”
Ram Notes
The Rams have lost five consecutive divisional games, dating to Nov. 25 at Candlestick Park, when they intercepted three of Joe Montana’s passes and Flipper Anderson caught eight passes for 149 yards in a 28-17 upset. . . . The 49ers are giving up 4.6 yards per rush, well above the league average of 4.0. . . . The Rams are expected to deactivate injured defensive tackle Mike Piel (shoulder) and linebacker Fred Strickland (knee). Tackle Jackie Slater (shoulder) and defensive tackle Alvin Wright (shoulder) might play.