ANALYSIS : The Verdict: Rams Better Than Last Year,<i> but</i> . . .

The Rams, who are presumed deficient until proven otherwise, have accepted the burden of proof, lunged into battle and are presenting a surprisingly strong case to a jury that has grown used to their dramatic failures.

Aren’t they better than they were last year? The evidence has poured in week after week, and the answer, of course, is: Yes, they are so far, but . . .

Everything is relative, and the next stride up from 3-13 is not usually the Super Bowl. Anything resembling competition, that is better.

They are better because Jim Everett in recent weeks is “on” again and is keeping his eyes downfield, his passes crisp and his receivers happy.

(But is a seven-to-nine touchdown/interception ratio and 74.5 quarterback rating the proper way to define success for a man who once threw 60 touchdown passes in a two-year period?)

They are better because Cleveland Gary is a player again and is rumbling, not fumbling, behind a reformulated offensive line blowing out big holes regularly. (But is it wrong to wonder if Gary can keep going, since he has never completed a full season without succumbing to either fumble-itis or injury, and to point to some thin spots on that line?)

They are better because the still-undermanned defense has outplayed and outsmarted three jittery quarterbacks in three successful home games, racking up a combined 11 sacks and seven interceptions against Hugh Millen, Browning Nagle and Jeff Hostetler--which is what good defenses are supposed to do to limited offenses.

(But what about the 40 points they surrendered to Jim Kelly and the Bills, the 381 total yards they gave up to Dan Marino and the Dolphins, the zero sacks and one interception they forced on Bobby Hebert and the Saints, and the two devastating touchdown runs they gave up to Steve Young of the 49ers?)

They are better because Coach Chuck Knox has stopped the flood of crucial errors that ruined them last season--the six lost center-snap exchanges, the long touchdown passes surrendered, the interceptions thrown and returned for touchdowns.

In 1991, the Rams allowed 25 touchdown passes, and five of 30 yards or longer, plus two more pass plays that were longer than 50 yards that were not scores. This year, playing a softer, safer zone, the Rams have allowed five touchdown passes so far and only one, a 38-yarder to Miami’s Mark Duper, longer than 10 yards.

(But even though they’re staying in games with hustle and smart coverages, aren’t their continued problems trying to contain the run a sign of a lack of beef on defense?)

In 1991, the Rams had three turnovers returned by opponent defenses for scores, each coming in a Ram defeat. This year, the Rams have yet to yield a fumble- or interception-return touchdown.

(But has the desire to stay safe on offense cut into their ability to make big plays? The Ernie Zampese offense used to feast on pass plays of 40 yards or longer, and so far this season, the Rams have only two completions of 40 yards or longer and their longest touchdown was a 31-yard pass from Everett to Flipper Anderson. Their second-longest is a 24-yard interception return by cornerback Robert Bailey.)

This is obviously an improved but fragile football team, walking a narrow path back to respectability. They will get there, and eventually, into playoff contention. But when? And where are the inevitable slips going to occur?

So far, highlighted by Sunday’s 21-point demolition of the Giants, the walk has been a fairly smooth one.

Faster than maybe even Knox himself projected, the Rams have given loud and clear evidence after seven games that things have changed irrevocably from the 1991 team that also was 3-4 in October but was headed for a total collapse.

Ten consecutive losses seem out of the question for this edition of the Rams, but some things foreshadow difficult moments ahead:

--Although the Rams are rightfully proud of their tough losses on the road against the 49ers and Saints, that doesn’t necessarily mean those two teams will be Silly Putty in their hands in Anaheim Stadium later this season. Together, those two teams have won 10 consecutive games at the Big A.

--The Rams, beginning next Sunday, still have two games against the Falcons, the team that handed them the worst drubbings last season, both times by 31-14 scores. Both times it could have and probably should have been worse.

--The run defense, ranked last in the league, is a serious problem. The Rams are giving up 5.2 yards per carry to opponent runners, and none of the 12 playoff teams last year gave up more than 4.4 yards on average.

Not being able to stop the run means not being able to control the pace of the game, means having your offense off the field for long stretches at a time, means having to loosen up some of those tight, safe zones to free up a safety for run responsibilities.

Now, the good signs:

--Knox is doing it without compromising his grand plan, which is: Get the young guys--Sean Gilbert, Marc Boutte, Todd Lyght, Steve Israel, Robert Bailey, Bern Brostek and Roman Phifer--into the games and let them grow up.

The more they play, the better the Rams will be in 1993 and beyond.

Knox has already released mediocre veterans Alvin Wright, Jerry Gray, Frank Stams and Brett Faryniarz, barely plays Fred Strickland on defense, and has Kevin Greene comfortable again.

--The defense is giving up a lot of yards, but not a lot of points. After their 40-point stinker in Week 1 against Buffalo, the Rams have posted a shutout, shut down Marino and the Dolphins in the last three quarters of that game, and given up only 40 points in the past three weeks.

Through seven weeks last year, the Rams had shown defensive cracks. They gave up 20 points or more six times. Through seven games this year, the Rams have allowed 20 or more only three times.

And while opponents averaged 8.97 yards per pass attempt last season, the Rams are presently yielding an average of 5.88 yards a pass attempt in 1992, a very meaningful improvement.

--And, lastly and lastingly, the Rams are showing that if everything continues at pace, if Knox keeps drafting Bouttes and Gilberts to fill other spots, there is a foundation in place to take a Super Bowl shot in two or three years.

No gimmicks, ploys or last-ditch efforts. This is real.

There is a quarterback who can be the kind of player, if conditions are right, who can lead you to the promised land; there is a runner who can run strong and get you two yards on third and one; there is an offensive line that is young enough and talented enough to protect both of them for a long time; there are defensive players who can possibly, in time, dominate a game; there is peace, love and understanding among the coach, front office, scouting department and locker room.

There is hope. There is stability. There are sunny days ahead.

You tell me the last time the Rams had that.

Ram Tendencies

Compared to the first seven games of last year and 1990, the Rams offense has committed fewer fumbles and turnovers. It has also improved in third-down situations, converting the same number as last year in three fewer chances. The defense has made more than twice as many interceptions resulting in returns for nearly twice as many yards. And on both sides of the line, there have been five fewer penalties assessed against the Rams.

1990 1991 1992 Offense Fumbles/lost 12/7 14/8 11/6 Third downs/converted 89/33 80/30 77/30 Defense Interception/yards 4/66 5/107 12/207 Offense and defense Penalties/yards 38/305 41/301 36/269

Source: Los Angeles Rams