Season Preview: Rams ’92 : The Rams’ 1992 Opponents
BUFFALO BILLS
SUNDAY, 10 A.M.
RICH STADIUM,
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y.
1989: BUFFALO 23,
RAMS 20
RAMS LEAD, 3-2
1991 RECORD: 13-3.
KEY OFFENSIVE STARTERS: The Bills, who led the NFL in rushing offense and total offense in 1991, seem to have it all--the quarterback (Jim Kelly), the running back (Thurman Thomas) and the receiver (Andre Reed). Together, they helped the Bills score faster than any other AFC team.
KEY DEFENSIVE STARTERS: The health of defensive end Bruce Smith, who was a non-factor in the five games he played after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery prior to last season, will be a major concern to a defense that ranked 27th in the league last year. Look for the Bills to continue last year’s scheme of moving linebacker Cornelius Bennett all over the field.
THE RAMS COULD DO WITHOUT SEEING: Thomas, who became the first player since Jim Brown to lead the NFL in yards from scrimmage three consecutive years, loose in their defensive secondary.
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
SUNDAY, 1 P.M.
ANAHEIM STADIUM
1989: RAMS 24,
NEW ENGLAND 20
NEW ENGLAND LEADS, 3-2
1991 RECORD: 6-10.
KEY OFFENSIVE STARTERS: Former Ram Hugh Millen is a Plan B signee who gave the Patriots their best sustained job at quarterback since 1986. Leonard Russell, the AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year who gained 959 yards last season, heads a potentially dangerous backfield. Marv Cook led NFL tight ends with 68 receptions.
KEY DEFENSIVE STARTERS: The Patriots’ strength is at linebacker, where veterans Andre Tippett, Johnny Rembert, Eugene Lockhart and David Howard all have at least eight years of NFL experience. Defensive end Brent Williams, who has started 64 consecutive games, anchors a line that ranked third in rushing defense in the AFC last season.
THE RAMS COULD DO WITHOUT SEEING: Millen and offensive coordinator Dick Coury on missions to prove the Rams made a big mistake by letting them go.
MIAMI DOLPHINS
SUNDAY, 1 P.M.
JOE ROBBIE STADIUM,
MIAMI
1986: MIAMI 37,
RAMS 31 (OT)
MIAMI LEADS, 4-1
1991 RECORD: 8-8.
KEY OFFENSIVE STARTERS: Dan Marino--who underwent a fifth left-knee operation and received a $25-million, five-year contract extension during the off-season--and the seemingly ageless “Marks Brothers” (Clayton and Duper) remain a dangerous combination.
KEY DEFENSIVE STARTERS: Defensive end Jeff Cross, who advocated using the Dolphins’ top two draft picks on defensive linemen, didn’t get his wish and figures to be double-teamed all season. Linebacker John Offerdahl, who was hurt in the sixth game last year, is the key to the Miami rushing defense.
THE RAMS COULD DO WITHOUT SEEING: Marino in rhythm with his quick drop-and-release style and running back Bobby Humphrey, who missed most of last season with Denver because of a contract dispute, living up to his potential.
NEW YORK JETS
SUNDAY, 1 P.M.
ANAHEIM STADIUM
1989: RAMS 34,
NEW YORK 14
RAMS LEAD, 4-2
1991 RECORD: 8-8.
KEY OFFENSIVE STARTERS: Al Toon and Rob Moore were the AFC’s most productive wide receiver duo north of Houston last year. Browning Nagle, the Jets’ quarterback of tomorrow and today, has a big arm and can throw on the go, but he’s untested, having thrown just two passes in the NFL.
KEY DEFENSIVE STARTERS: Middle linebacker Kyle Clifton, protected from blockers in the Jets’ system, has led the team in tackles six times in the past eight seasons. James Hasty, big and active, is a cornerback who can intimidate receivers. Hasty held the Bills’ Andre Reed to four catches in two games last year.
THE RAMS COULD DO WITHOUT SEEING: First-round pick Johnny Mitchell, a tight end who has been compared to Keith Jackson, combining with Toon and Moore to overload their secondary all day.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
SUNDAY, 1 P.M.
CANDLESTICK PARK,
SAN FRANCISCO
SUNDAY, 1 P.M.
ANAHEIM STADIUM
S.F. 27, RAMS 10
S.F. 33, RAMS 10
RAMS LEAD, 48-35-2
1991 RECORD: 10-6.
KEY OFFENSIVE STARTERS: Jerry Rice? John Taylor? Steve Young? Steve Bono? How about a mention for the offensive line--guards Guy McIntyre and Roy Foster, tackles Harris Barton and Steve Wallace and center Jesse Sapolu? All five played every down that counted last year and the 49ers tied for fourth in the NFL in fewest sacks allowed.
KEY DEFENSIVE STARTERS: Defensive ends Kevin Fagan (who is recovering from off-season knee surgery) and Pierce Holt, both relentless competitors, provide a fierce pass rush. Linebacker Tim Harris, a Pro Bowl performer two years ago with Green Bay, will replace Charles Haley.
THE RAMS COULD DO WITHOUT SEEING: Taylor, the master of the short pass turned into 80-yard touchdown, catching a little slant, juking past somebody and then scoring.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
SUNDAY, 4:30 P.M.
SUPERDOME,
NEW ORLEANS
SUNDAY, 1 P.M.
ANAHEIM STADIUM
N.O. 24, RAMS 7
N.O. 24, RAMS 17
RAMS LEAD, 26-18
1991 RECORD: 11-5.
KEY OFFENSIVE STARTERS: If Dalton Hilliard, who was slow to recover from 1990 knee surgery, returns to his former powerful-quick-balanced-shifty form, it could mean a revival of the once-proud Saints’ running game. Despite a sore right shoulder, quarterback Bobby Hebert was 9-2 in his starts last year.
KEY DEFENSIVE STARTERS: Linebackers Rickey Jackson, Pat Swilling, Vaughan Johnson and Sam Mills, together for the sixth season in a row, are far and away the best group in the business. Jackson, at 34, might be the NFL’s most complete linebacker and Swilling is the league’s most explosive pass rusher.
THE RAMS COULD DO WITHOUT SEEING: Swilling blowing off the corner and slamming into Jim Everett. The Saint linebackers sacked Everett seven times in two games last year.
NEW YORK GIANTS
SUNDAY, 1 P.M.
ANAHEIM STADIUM
1991: RAMS 19,
NEW YORK 13
RAMS LEAD, 18-7
1991 RECORD: 8-8.
KEY OFFENSIVE STARTERS: Tailback Rodney Hampton is a 1,000-yard star, but this is Jeff Hostetler’s team, for better or worse. Last year, Hostetler, a much more mobile quarterback than Phil Simms, was supposed to add zip to a plodding offense. Instead, though he completed a team-record 62.8% of his passes, Hostetler threw only five touchdown passes.
KEY DEFENSIVE STARTERS: Lawrence Taylor, 33, wasn’t a Pro Bowler for the first time in his career last year, and New York has nobody ready to step in for him (does anybody?). Safety Myron Guyton, linebacker Pepper Johnson and cornerback Mark Collins are all in their primes.
THE RAMS COULD DO WITHOUT SEEING: A calm, comfortable Hostetler in the pocket, having plenty of time to go deep to his receivers, bolt for yardage or dump it off to Dave Meggett or Hampton.
ATLANTA FALCONS
SUNDAY, 10 A.M.
THE GEORGIA DOME,
ATLANTA
SUNDAY, 1 P.M.
ANAHEIM STADIUM
ATLANTA 31, RAMS 14
ATLANTA 31, RAMS 14
RAMS LEAD, 35-13-2
1991 RECORD: 10-6.
KEY OFFENSIVE STARTERS: Andre Rison has gotten most of the talk, but last year Michael Haynes was a revelation out of the Falcons’ Red Gun offense. Can he go deep? His 11 scoring catches averaged 44.9 yards, giving quarterback Chris Miller the confidence to lob it long whenever the defense crowded Rison, who had 81 catches. Miller should be one of the premier quarterbacks of the ‘90s.
KEY DEFENSIVE STARTERS: This is a fragile but dangerous unit. With Deion Sanders at cornerback, Coach Jerry Glanville can blitz everybody and rely on Sanders and Tim McKyer in the secondary.
THE RAMS COULD DO WITHOUT SEEING: Anything bearing a close resemblance to last year’s two Falcon contests, in which the Rams were twice throttled, 31-14. Their blitzing defense limited Jim Everett to a total of 201 passing yards.
PHOENIX CARDINALS
SUNDAY, 1 P.M.
ANAHEIM STADIUM
1991: PHOENIX 24,
RAMS 14
RAMS LEAD, 16-10-2
1991 RECORD: 4-12.
KEY OFFENSIVE STARTERS: This is the year Timm Rosenbach either makes it as an NFL starting quarterback or doesn’t. Rosenbach, always an effective scrambler, blew out his knee and missed the entire 1991 season, but he’s apparently healthy.
KEY DEFENSIVE STARTERS: Defensive lineman Eric Swann may never be the superstar he was touted to be, but if he can overcome his knee problems he’d be the only Phoenix lineman who can physically match up with big offensive lines. Their talented linebackers, led by Ken Harvey and Freddie Joe Nunn, are asked to do too much.
THE RAMS COULD DO WITHOUT SEEING: A repeat of last season’s crushing opener, when they committed seven turnovers--including a center-snap fumble that resulted in an 85-yard Phoenix touchdown return--in a 24-14 loss.
DALLAS COWBOYS
SUNDAY, 10 A.M.
TEXAS STADIUM,
IRVING, TEX.
1990: DALLAS 24,
RAMS 21
RAMS LEAD, 13-12
1991 RECORD: 11-5.
KEY OFFENSIVE STARTERS: The Cowboys figure that to compete in the NFC East, they’ve got to have gobs of talent at the skill positions to counter all that defensive firepower. How do you defend against the combination of rushing titlist Emmitt Smith, lanky receiver Michael Irvin and quarterback Troy Aikman?
KEY DEFENSIVE STARTERS: A problem area, still, for Dallas. Last year’s No. 1 overall pick, Russell Maryland, could be an effective player, but he’s never going to get any bigger than 6-1, 280.
THE RAMS COULD DO WITHOUT SEEING: Their outmanned defense collapse under the strain of all that Dallas talent. You overload to stop Smith, and Aikman passes it off to Jay Novacek or Irvin or guns it deep to receiver Alexander Wright. You sit back to stop the passes, and Smith goes for 150 yards and three touchdowns.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
SUNDAY, 1 p.m.
ANAHEIM STADIUM
1991: MINNESOTA 20,
RAMS 14
MINNESOTA LEADS,
19-12-2
1991 RECORD: 8-8
KEY OFFENSIVE STARTERS: Anybody familiar here? When Dennis Green, the new coach, decided to clean house, he didn’t do it subtly. Gone are starting quarterback Wade Wilson and running back Herschel Walker, and in their places are perennial Wilson caddie Rich Gannon, young ballcarrier Terry Allen and old stalwart Roger Craig.
KEY DEFENSIVE STARTERS: Bye-bye, too, to Keith Millard and Joey Browner, who were the life and soul of the old Vikings but sucking wind (and cash) for the new. But how is getting rid of Millard going to help end Chris Doleman, whose career has slid into near obscurity?
THE RAMS COULD DO WITHOUT SEEING: A hungry, determined Viking team rise from the wreckage of the Jerry Burns-led sinking ship and actually play like they mean it for a full game.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
SUNDAY, 5 P.M.
TAMPA STADIUM,
TAMPA, FLA.
1990: RAMS 35,
BUCCANEERS 14
RAMS LEAD, 8-2
1991 RECORD: 3-13.
KEY OFFENSIVE STARTERS: Here we go again--Is Vinny Testaverde ready to break through as a consistent, reliable quarterback? In five seasons, the former No. 1 overall pick has thrown 93 interceptions and completed only 51% of his passes. He’s the main reason Sam Wyche was hired, and maybe in Wyche’s seasoned hands, Testaverde can evolve into somebody reliable. But maybe not, and that’s why Steve DeBerg was brought in. The receivers are Lawrence Dawsey, Mark Carrier and Courtney Hawkins.
KEY DEFENSIVE STARTERS: There is some young talent here. Keith McCants shows life as a pass-rushing end and Broderick Thomas is a load at linebacker.
THE RAMS COULD DO WITHOUT SEEING: Running back Reggie Cobb, the team’s best offensive player at the end of last season, continuing to emerge as a workhorse.
GREEN BAY PACKERS
SUNDAY, 10 A.M.
LAMBEAU FIELD,
GREEN BAY, WIS.
1991: RAMS 23,
PACKERS 21
RAMS LEAD, 39-23-1
1991 RECORD: 4-12.
KEY OFFENSIVE STARTERS: New Coach Mike Holmgren is going to a 49er-style system, and that means a big emphasis on pass-catchers Sterling Sharpe, who should be up for it, and Perry Kemp, who could be a Dwight Clark-like possession receiver. But who throws the ball? Veteran Don Majkowski has Montana-type movement and intangibles, but he hasn’t been healthy much (gee, he really is like Joe) and has been erratic.
KEY DEFENSIVE STARTERS: Although they play a bunch of people you’ve never heard of, the Packers can go after people. Defensive end Matt Brock and linebacker Tony Bennett (13 sacks) lead the charge.
THE RAMS COULD DO WITHOUT SEEING: Buckley, the Green Bay weather and the rest of the Packers’ secondary clamping down their passing game, forcing the Rams to bang it out slowly on the ground.