PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : RAMS : Score Dictated Passing Game

Ram Coach Chuck Knox said that the team’s heavy tilt toward the pass over the run in Sunday’s 40-7 defeat to the Buffalo Bills was exaggerated by the lopsided nature of the game and doesn’t necessarily reflect the nature of the new, one-back offense.

By the early minutes of the second quarter, the Rams were down, 21-0. Overall, the Rams threw the ball 38 times and ran 22 times, and quarterback Jim Everett was harassed and constantly under fire.

“We fell behind, we couldn’t just keep chugging the run in there,” Knox said. “We had to try to get it down the field as fast as we could.

“We’re still hoping to run the ball more. We would have liked to run the ball more (Sunday). We had 22 rushes, but you know, you’re fighting that score.”

Ram center Bern Brostek was called three times for holding penalties, but Knox seemed to chalk it up to the difficulties of facing Bills’ defensive lineman Bruce Smith when Buffalo lined Smith up at an inside spot.

“That’s a tough position to be in when you’re in there and they put what amounts to five down linemen down there and they put Bruce Smith down there,” Knox said. “That’s a tough assignment for any center.”

Starting right linebacker Paul Butcher suffered a sprained arch in the game, and Knox said he isn’t sure if Butcher will be ready Sunday. If not, newly acquired linebacker Scott Stephen will get time at Butcher’s spot. . . . Right defensive end Bill Hawkins, sidelined since the first exhibition game because of a strained calf muscle, is scheduled to resume practicing Wednesday, Knox said.