Final Ram Exhibition Puts Running Backs to the Wall

It’s a mystery. Not a whodunit, but a who’ll-run-it?

And it might be solved tonight, when the Rams finish their exhibition season against the San Diego Chargers at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

They begin the game with a 3-0 exhibition record but no solid idea of what their starting backfield might look like in the league opener Sept. 6.

Tonight they will start Cleveland Gary and Robert Delpino, who have played infrequently because of minor injuries. But Marcus Dupree, rookie Tim Lester and Derek Loville will play, too. And David Lang is probably the most versatile back on the roster.

Adding a touch more to this mystery is Coach Chuck Knox, who said Wednesday that he is leaning toward keeping only four running backs, which may put every one of those mentioned above in some sort of jeopardy.

First, Knox has to pick his starters, including his starting tailback, the player who could get 20 or more carries per game. It could be Gary, Delpino, Dupree or Loville.

“I think we’ve got some good talent back there, it’s just, ‘Who’s going to be the man?’ ” quarterback Jim Everett said. “Everyone wants to know: Who’s the man?”

Knox, as usual, is playing his cards close to the vest. And even if he did want to talk about the situation, he wouldn’t have much definitive to say.

After three games and a summer of two-a-day practices, the job is up for grabs.

“I don’t know if it’s going to be settled totally in this game,” Knox said. “But what it will do, (is) confirm some suspicions that one might have about who should be playing and who shouldn’t be playing.”

Knox says he is considering keeping only four running backs because he plans to use a lot of one-back sets--which should highlight the pass-catching and blocking skills of Delpino and Lang.

One player very much on the bubble--he could start next week against the Buffalo Bills or he could be cut Monday--is Dupree, who is easily the Rams’ leading runner with 141 yards in 31 carries in the exhibition season.

Part of the reason Knox is starting Gary (seven carries, 16 yards) and Delpino (three carries, three yards) tonight is that they have played so little this summer.

But Knox has never quite denied that Gary at tailback and Delpino at fullback are his preferred starting backfield, and a solid, healthy performance by the tandem could nail that down for the regular season.

Knox said all of the backs who deserve the time will get a shot to play tonight.

With Monday’s cut-down day looming, Dupree said he didn’t want to put his performance tonight in a do-or-die category.

“I’m not even going to think about it,” he said. “I’m not going to add that pressure to it.

“I’m just doing the basics: Give me the ball, let me do what I have to do.”

After catching everybody’s eye with a 100-yard outing in the Rams’ overtime victory over the Raiders Aug. 15, Dupree gave another strong performance last week. He carried nine times for 41 yards and a touchdown in a victory over the Green Bay Packers.

He has averaged 4.5 yards per carry despite having missed several weeks of training camp because of a toe injury. No other candidate at running back has averaged more than three yards.

Dupree, whose comeback from a five-year layoff after a serious knee injury is a familiar story by now, said he knows people are still watching to see if he can maintain the pace.

“I guess you could say I still have to be consistent,” Dupree said. “I want to prove that to myself, as far as carrying the ball and getting the yards. I guess I still want to prove I can improve.

“I’ve worked hard to get back to where I’m playing at now. I’m comfortable with it.”

Meanwhile, Knox said the need to evaluate the running backs and other positions is much more important than trying to finish the exhibition season undefeated.

“The most important thing is, ‘Are we making improvement?’ And we are,” Knox said.

But for the players who experienced last year’s season-ending 10-game losing streak, even exhibition victories are sweet, and a 4-0 exhibition record would mean something.

“It’d be nice,” Everett said. “I think it’s been fantastic that we’ve all had a chance to win some ballgames, considering the season we had last year.”