Rams Can’t Get Door Open When Opportunity Knocks : Football: Knox says team needs to capitalize when it comes to a game’s four or five big plays.
Farther down the road to contention but four losses into 1992, Chuck Knox peered back at the Rams’ most recent near-upset and found it difficult to shake the sense of a grand opportunity lost.
Knox, at times wincing at specific recollections more dramatically than he does on the sidelines when they occur, spoke Monday in terms of moments that came, tantalized, then disappeared in Sunday’s 13-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints.
An interception chance that bounced off the hands of cornerback Robert Bailey on the first series of the game. . . . An apparent fumble recovery by kicker Tony Zendejas on a Saints’ kickoff return that was 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 battle in San Francisco, was left to history and endless replays on Knox’s VCR.
“We could’ve had them out on that first series yesterday,” 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.”
Got to but didn’t.
Then he quickly moved on to the third-quarter ruling that nullified what appeared to be a clean fumble recovery by Zendejas. It would have given the ball to the Rams just inside Saints’ territory after they had just evened the score, 10-10.
But the officials ruled Zendejas had 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.”
Another prime example for Knox was the Saints’ only touchdown Sunday, a five-yard pass to wide receiver Eric Martin. He was standing square in the middle of Ram defenders Kevin Greene, Michael Stewart and Larry Kelm and still easily made the catch.
“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 more, highlighted by rookie Marcus Dowdell’s 34-yard punt return (after earlier Saint kick returns of 38 and 48 yards) in the fourth quarter, setting 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 to stay close goes out the window.
For the past two weeks, the Rams obviously haven’t made those plays, and Knox conceded it was possible his younger players could be getting frustrated by getting so close to big victories without getting one.
But, however much he made a point to repeat how disappointed he was with the loss, Knox also made sure to point to the positives.
He said, overall, he was pleased that the Rams’ defense continues to make big plays, including linebacker Leon White’s interception of a Bobby Hebert pass in the Ram end zone and Pat Terrell’s rock-solid hit on 270-pound running back Craig (Ironhead) Heyward to stop him on a key third-and-one play.
Though the Rams surrendered four sacks, three to linebacker Rickey Jackson, Knox said he thought the offensive line gave Jim Everett decent protection, especially in shutting out linebacker Pat Swilling.
And Knox also said Everett, who completed only 11 of 20 passes for 165 yards but never looked shaky or intimidated, had a good game despite tough circumstances.
Of course, one huge problem area, especially with the run-oriented New York Giants coming to Anaheim Stadium Sunday, remains completely unsolved.
The Rams, Knox said, must improve their league-worst rushing defense (they surrendered 135 more yards in 33 carries Sunday night) or risk getting blown off the field by New York, the league’s No. 3-rated rushing attack.
Sunday night, the Rams allowed Saint rookie tailback Vaughn Dunbar to break containment several times on his way to a game-high 68 yards in 14 carries. And in the fourth quarter, when the game was on the line, veteran scatback Dalton Hilliard rushed four consecutive times for 24 yards to get the Saints into field-goal territory.
The Rams are allowing 156.8 rushing yards a game, and opponents gain 5.2 yards every time they carry the football.
“We’re committing about eight people up there--that involves a safety up there, three linebackers, four down linemen,” Knox said. “We just have to do a better job.
“It’s a big priority when you look at the Giants coming in here, with (Rodney) Hampton getting over 170 yards rushing (actually 167 against Phoenix) yesterday and (fullback Jarrod) Bunch--a big, 248-pound back.
“It’s a big priority every week. I think if you would ask most coaches in the National Football League, ‘What do you have to stop first?’ They’ll tell you the run.”
RAM NUMBERS
HIGHLIGHT
RICKEY JACKSON
One would think that after 11 years, team records for sacks and fumble recoveries and 163 consecutive games, New Orleans Saints linebacker Rickey Jackson has little to prove. Tell that to Ram quarterback Jim Everett and tackle Jackie Slater. Jackson beat Slater twice in the first two quarters Sunday to sack Everett for losses of 12 yards, and was double-teamed in the second half. But that didn’t prevent the 6-foot-2, 243 pound Pittsburgh product from coming up with a key sack in the fourth quarter, beating both Slater and tight end Jim Price and throwing Everett for an 11-yard loss. That brought Jackson’s career sack total to 104 and left Slater shaking his head in amazement.
SEASON TO DATE Six-Game Totals (Record: 2-4) First Downs RAMS: 86 OPP: 121 *Rushing Yards RAMS: 565 OPP: 941 *Passing Yards RAMS: 1,000 OPP: 1,073 *Punts/Average RAMS: 29/42.2 OPP: 23/44.0 *Rushing RAMS: ATT: 142 AVG: 4.0 TDs: 3 OPP: ATT: 182 AVG: 5.2 TDs: 7 *Passing RAMS: ATT: 161 CP: 90 TDs: 5 OPP: ATT: 191 CP: 112 TDs: 5 *Penalties/Yards RAMS: 33/254 OPP: 48/389 *Fumbles/Lost RAMS: 10/5 OPP: 11/5 *Interceptions RAMS: 10/188 OPP: 9/169 *Possession Time RAMS: 27:24 OPP: 32:36 *Scoring by Quarters
1 2 3 4 OT TOTAL RAMS 0 22 28 33 0 83 OPP 48 26 10 32 0 116
