NOTES : Absence of Effective Running Game Still One of Lost Season’s Mysteries

This was supposed to be the season the Rams returned to good old slam, bam football. They would call on a time-honored tradition of running the football down opponents’ throats to erase painful memories of a 5-11 season in 1990 and rejoin a playoff race that had passed them by.

At least that’s the way Coach John Robinson said it would be, or at least hoped it would be. By now, it’s clear the running game is not working--not that anything else is going right for the 3-10 Rams.

For the 10th time in 13 games, the Rams failed to top 100 yards rushing as a team. This time around, the running back corps hammered out 97 yards in 26 carries, which rates as one of the Rams’ better performances this season.

Even when Sunday’s game--a 27-6 loss to the Washington Redskins--was out of reach, the Rams kept running, apparently desperate to ring up some impressive rushing stats.

So the question is: Where has it all gone wrong?

Running back Robert Delpino provided some answers Sunday, saying the Rams have been hurt most by a lack of cohesiveness.

“What happened was we went into the season thinking, ‘running game, running game,’ ” Delpino said. “Then there were questions about our passing game. Jim (Everett, Ram quarterback) didn’t throw a touchdown for five games and that made some people nervous.

“One week we tried to establish the running game, then we went to the pass. When we went back to the running game again, it was too late. Injuries piled up and now we’re here.”

Delpino was further troubled by what he called a “communication gap” with Robinson. After Monday night’s game against San Francisco, he wondered what he had to do to win the starting running back position.

Against the 49ers, Marcus Dupree started in Delpino’s place and gained 23 yards in 11 carries and scored his first NFL touchdown in a 33-10. Delpino carried the ball six times for three yards.

On Sunday, Delpino clarified his earlier statements, saying he didn’t care who started, he simply wanted to know in advance who was going to start.

“We got it straightened out,” Delpino said. “I really didn’t have a problem with not starting. I didn’t tell (Robinson) I was (upset), but we had a man-to-man talk.”

He said he was hoping for some positive feedback from Robinson, and that it would lead to badly needed cohesiveness.

When Delpino returned to the starting lineup Sunday, he got most of the work, carrying 12 times for 32 yards and catching five passes for 30 yards. Dupree had 38 yards in seven carries but did not catch a pass.

“Bobby’s going to make the plays in the passing game,” Robinson said. “I would love to be able to use both tailbacks. If we could generate enough offense, we could get both playing, but we haven’t been able to do that.”

Delpino believes stability would help iron out most of the rushing troubles.

“It’s the best thing for our running game,” he said.

The problem is the Rams only have three games left to get it right.

Sign O’ the Day: In the lower deck: “All we want for Christmas is a new front office.”

Mike Tyson, the former heavyweight boxing champion whose year has gone about as badly as the Rams’ has, visited Anaheim Stadium Sunday. Making his entrance just before halftime, Tyson walked behind the Ram bench and accepted a hug from cornerback Todd Lyght.

Tyson didn’t stay on the field long, though, departing before halftime. He watched the rest of the game from the press box and later talked with Ram players in the locker room.

Quotes I: “Being 11-1 in the NFL is tough,” said Washington running back Ricky Ervins, a former USC standout who caught a screen pass for a 24-yard touchdown in the third quarter. “Dallas woke us up last week and we responded well today. I felt very motivated playing here in Anaheim in front of my family and friends. It’s a fun time for me and I feel like I’m playing in my own back yard.”

Quotes II: Matt Millen, the Redskins’ middle linebacker, had this to say about the possibility of obtaining a Super Bowl ring with a third team: “I certainly hope so, but better than that, I want to win one while playing in four different cities (Oakland, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington). If they’re handing them out, I’ll take one.”

After having logged an embarrassing 8-21 record the past two seasons, the Rams seemed prepared for big changes in the off-season.

In the postgame locker room Sunday, the Rams, were philosophical when asked about Robinson’s tenuous future as their coach.

“After the consecutive seasons we’ve had, we’re probably going to have a lot of people who want to make changes--player changes, coaching changes, all of that,” Everett said. “You just have to expect those things.”

Said linebacker Kevin Greene: “Everybody on this team has something to worry about the way things are going. Coach Robinson’s not the only one with his job on the line. There are a lot of athletes in here with their jobs on the line. It stems from the top all the way down the line.”

Times staff writers John Weyler and Tim Kawakami contributed to this story.