Some Good News Among the Bad for Rams : Pro football: Bottom line is that they don’t make key plays and lose a game to the Saints.

Farther down the road to contention but four defeats into 1992, Ram Coach Chuck Knox peered back at his team’s most recent near-upset and found it hard to shake the sense of an opportunity lost.

Knox, wincing at specific recollections more dramatically than he does on the sidelines when they occur, spoke Monday of moments that came, tantalized, then disappeared in Sunday night’s 13-10 defeat by the New Orleans Saints.

A near interception that bounced off cornerback Robert Bailey’s hands in the first series of the game . . . an apparent fumble recovery by kicker Tony Zendejas negated by an official’s ruling . . . passes that slipped past Ram defenders standing inches away. . . .

Another possible breakthrough victory for the Rams (2-4), on the heels of their 27-24 loss in San Francisco, left to history and endless replays on Knox’s VCR.

“We could’ve had them out on that first series (Sunday),” Knox said Monday. “We were afforded the opportunity. It would’ve been a diving interception.

“But see, there are four big plays in every ballgame, or usually about five of them. And to win, you’ve got to make four out of the five.

“I’m talking about the ball that’s thrown right here to you. Interception. You’ve got to make that.”

Then he quickly moved on to the third-quarter ruling that nullified what appeared to be a fumble recovery by Zendejas that would have given the Rams the ball just inside Saint territory with the score 10-10.

But officials ruled Zendejas stepped out of bounds before recovering the ball and gave it back to the Saints.

“The ball is out, we recover it. We’ve got to get that call,” Knox said. “We’re not good enough that we can go out there and be afforded opportunities and not get them.”

Knox also cited the Saints’ only touchdown play, a five-yard pass to wide receiver Eric Martin, who was standing among Ram defenders Kevin Greene, Michael Stewart and Larry Kelm but made the catch easily.

“We had three guys right there,” Knox said. “We just missed the ball. We were right there. It’s a wonder he caught the ball.

“But those are the ones that you’ve got to get if you’re going to win.”

There were others, probably highlighted by Saint rookie Marcus Dowdell’s 34-yard punt return--after Saint returns of 38 and 48 yards--in the fourth quarter that set up New Orleans’ game-winning field goal drive.

Put all those plays together, plus another shaky night of backpedaling Ram run defense, and all the hitting and hustling and everything else Knox has the Rams doing went out the window.

In the last two weeks, the Rams obviously haven’t made those plays, and Knox conceded it is possible his younger players could be getting frustrated by getting so close to big victories without actually getting one.

But Knox also saw the positives.

He said that, overall, he is pleased that the defense continues to make big plays, mentioning linebacker Leon White’s interception of Bobby Hebert’s pass in the end zone and Pat Terrell’s jarring tackle of 270-pound running back Craig (Ironhead) Heyward on a key third down.

Although the Rams surrendered four sacks, three to linebacker Rickey Jackson, Knox said the line gave Jim Everett “decent” protection, especially in shutting out linebacker Pat Swilling.

And Knox also said Everett, who completed only 11 of his 20 passes for 165 yards but never looked shaky or intimidated, had a good game in tough circumstances.