RAM NOTEBOOK : Opportunistic Defense Gives Knox Some Hope

All in all, Chuck Knox could not help but call it a success.

A day after the Rams’ 21-7 exhibition victory over the Seattle Seahawks, the Rams’ coach said he was pleased by his team’s ability to cause Seattle mistakes and avoid making them.

Last year, avoiding mistakes was difficult for the Rams, from blown center snaps to a conference-leading 20 interceptions thrown.

This night, it was the Ram defense forcing big miscues and letting the offense take advantage.

“We were able to create some turnovers on defense,” Knox said Friday after a light practice. “(The Seahawks) had three turnovers, we had one on offense, so we’re plus-two in that category. We get four quarterback sacks.

“I mean, we made plays that in the course of a season you’re going to have to make to win. That was satisfying. We’ve got a ways to go, but it was a step in the right direction.”

Defensive end Bill Hawkins had two of the sacks Thursday, including one that forced a fumble from quarterback Kelly Stouffer into the hands of defensive tackle Marc Boutte.

Counting last week’s scrimmage against the San Diego Chargers, the Rams now have racked up nine sacks in two contests--a huge increase from last year’s league-low total of 17 sacks in 16 games.

Although he wasn’t sure how much it meant, Knox said it was important to get the Rams winning again. They finished the 1991 season with 10 defeats and had not won a game since last October.

“I don’t know really how you can measure it totally,” Knox said. “But I know that winning can’t hurt but help you.”

Obviously, beating his old team didn’t hurt but help him, but Knox wasn’t saying.

As he predicted in the days leading up to the game against the team he coached for the past nine seasons before being forced to resign, Knox said he felt no emotion walking into the Kingdome as the opposing coach.

“I was thinking about too many other things,” Knox said. “We’ve got enough to think about around here. I just wanted things to go fairly smooth, which they did, you know, with the substitution situations, not having 10 guys out there, or nine guys out there or 13 guys out there.”

Knox called the decision a “a little gut check for me,” but said he was glad he sent rookie quarterback T.J. Rubley to open the fourth quarter--with the Rams on their one-yard line.

Before sending in Rubley, Knox considered staying with veteran backup Mike Pagel, who played the third quarter. Rubley handed the ball off twice to get the Rams out of trouble.

“We stayed with our substitution schedule. I mean, how many times are you going to see a rookie quarterback in there at the minus-two-yard line, that’s his first shot,” Knox said. “But he’s got a lot of poise, that young guy.”

Rubley appears to be maneuvering to make sure the Rams keep three quarterbacks on the roster--something Knox said he would like to do if possible.

Seattle owner Ken Behring, who has never made public his reasons for dismissing Knox at the end of last season, shed some light on the matter Thursday.

In remarks printed in Friday’s Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Behring said one of the main reasons he could no longer stay with Knox after nine seasons was the coach’s insistence on playing veteran quarterback Dave Krieg over Behring’s personal choice, rookie Dan McGwire, last season.

Behring replaced Knox with team President Tom Flores, former coach of the Raiders.