Making Most of Sack Time : Swilling Spoils Rams’ Best-Laid Plans, Getting to Everett and Causing Fumble

The Rams used a number of players and schemes in an attempt to keep Saint linebacker Pat Swilling away from quarterback Jim Everett. And, despite the fact that Swilling boosted his league-leading sack total to 11 1/2 with three Sunday, they felt like they accomplished their goal.

Everett passed for 346 yards.

“We felt like we wanted to slow Swilling down by running at him as much as we could,” Ram Coach John Robinson said. “We didn’t have a lot of long runs, but you have to run to stay in the game with them, or else they’ll overwhelm you. They did not overwhelm us. We did things well enough offensively to keep ourselves playing the game.

Tackle Gerald Perry, who got the first shot at Swilling, was not exactly eloquent about the job he performed.

“Just answer me, did Pat Swilling win this game?” Perry asked. “That’s all I have to say.”

Well, since you’re asking, Swilling’s sack, which caused Everett to fumble on the first play of the fourth quarter when the Rams had driven to the Saint six-yard line, might qualify as a game-breaker.