Rams Are Saying Glass Is Half Full : Football: Knox downplays his team’s shortcomings again.

Just short of a breakthrough but still suffering repeated late-game breakdowns, the Rams hurtle into the second half of 1992 arguing that, if nothing else, they have made a successful break from their recent past.

In three consecutive road losses, the Rams have lost by three, three and--Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons--two points, dragging their record to 3-5 and their road record to 0-5, but leaving Coach Chuck Knox and his players confident that they are improving.

Not in the standings, they concede, but on the field.

“We’ve got a whole half-season left,” said receiver Jeff Chadwick. “We’ve had a lot of close ones that we could’ve won, but we didn’t get it done. A lot of times that’s the sign of a young team.

“But we’ve got eight more games, and we know we’re a good football team. We’re feeling confident, we know we can make the plays.”

Sunday’s game was another the Rams could have easily won, a victory that would have ended three embarrassing streaks: They have now lost 12 consecutive division games, 11 consecutive road games and six consecutive indoor games.

But the Rams’ array of failed late-game, third-down tries, missed blocks, misreads, short punts and special teams breakdowns in their 30-28 loss to the Falcons does not mean the Rams are a team that cannot escape its losing ways, Knox said.

“We’ve got about 20 people, and a lot of coaches here, that were not part of that” past history of losses, Knox said Monday.

“Follow what I’m saying? (People) who were not part of 12 or 13 divisional games where you haven’t won, or haven’t won on the road. Those people weren’t here. So they can’t identify with that. I don’t think that’s a factor.

“I think the factor is we’re getting better. We’re playing better. We’ve lost three games here--two by three points, one by two points--against teams that have got some pretty good people.”

After jumping back into the game despite spotting the Falcons an early 17-0 lead, the Rams had ample opportunity to leave the Georgia Dome with their first road victory since Week 2 of 1991.

That would’ve evened their record at 4-4, virtually buried the Falcons’ postseason hopes, and pushed the Rams within striking distance of the race for an NFC wild-card berth.

“Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve . . . “ Knox said Monday.

Some of the key points:

* The Rams could’ve avoided the early deficit and had a few more chances offensively if their special teams didn’t allow two long returns in the first half, if Vernon Turner didn’t fumble away the second-half kickoff, and if Don Bracken had gotten off a punt longer than 26 yards late in the fourth quarter.

Wobbly special teams play--the Rams also gave up huge return yards against New Orleans last month--is not something Knox wants associated with a team of his.

Special teams have always been a strong point with all of his previous teams, Knox noted.

“Let me just say this, the whole team has struggled the last couple years, you know? That’s offense, defense, special teams.”

* On their second-to-last possession, with about two minutes left and a chance to pull ahead with a field goal, the Rams couldn’t convert a third-and-three situation from their 22-yard line when quarterback Jim Everett threw an incompletion to Henry Ellard.

“There was a blitz coming, we had one-on-one out there, and that’s one of those things,” Knox said. “If you hit it, it’s great. But if you don’t hit it, then, of course, someone says, ‘Well, you should’ve gone over there.’ Well, we may not have hit it going over there.”

Knox again said he had good reason to punt the ball on that fourth-down situation, and added that if Bracken had hit a longer punt, the Rams easily could’ve gotten the ball back within a play or two of game-winning field-goal range.

As it was, they got the ball back at their 11 with no timeouts and 1:12 left and never crossed midfield.

* The Ram offense, after scoring touchdowns on four consecutive possessions to briefly take the lead, could manage only two first downs on their final five possessions. On a critical third-and-one run in the middle of the fourth quarter, tailback Cleveland Gary was stuffed for a loss by Falcon defensive lineman Oliver Barnett.

Everett afterward suggested that the Rams’ staff moved away from its original game plan in the fourth quarter, using multiple tight-end sets for one entire series in the final quarter.

But Knox, in explaining the three tight-end set Monday, pointed to the rash of injuries to the Rams’ wide receiving corps--Flipper Anderson was out, Chadwick was banged up, and Aaron Cox was limping.

“That’s the same offensive game plan that came down on four straight possessions for touchdowns,” Knox said. “I didn’t see any change. We just didn’t make some plays. We (allowed) a couple sacks that hurt, (and) we didn’t convert on that third and one. . . .”

All in all, Knox said, the Rams, in battling back from 17 points down, demonstrated that throughout the season they will be a team to be reckoned with.

And he said he preferred not to muse about what things would be like if his team had made all the key plays in its three close road losses and now had a 6-2 record.

“I don’t let myself get into that position,” Knox said. “That’d drive you crazy.”

RAM NUMBERS: HIGHLIGHT: CLEVELAND GARY Is Cleveland Gary standing on the threshold of National Football League stardom? Now in his fourth year in the NFL, Gary, at 26, seemingly has come into his own. He came out of Miami University in 1988 with solid credentials as a tough runner and excellent pass receiver as evidenced by a senior season which saw him gain 480 yards and score seven rushing touchdowns, while catching 57 passes for 655 yards and 4 TDs. Gary rung up just those types of numbers Sunday against Atlanta. He rushed for 144 yards and caught seven passes, two for touchdowns and would have had a third if he had a little more foot speed, settling for a 63-yard gain. SEASON TO DATE Five-Game Totals (Record: 3-5) First Downs RAMS: 127 OPP: 158 Rushing Yards RAMS: 842 OPP: 1,201 Passing Yards RAMS: 1,438 OPP: 1,459 Punts/Average RAMS: 38/42.5 OPP: 32/43.3 Rushing RAMS: ATT: 197 AVG: 4.3 TDs: 6 OPP: ATT: 232 AVG: 5.2 TDs: 10 Passing RAMS: ATT: 215 CP: 103 TDs: 11 OPP: ATT: 260 CP: 151 TDs: 7 Penalties/Yards RAMS: 42/304 OPP: 56/458 Fumbles/Lost RAMS: 13/8 OPP: 13/6 Interceptions/Yds RAMS: 12/207 OPP: 9/169 Possession Time RAMS: 28:19 OPP: 31:141 Scoring by Quarters

1 2 3 4 OT TOTAL RAMS 7 43 52 47 0 149 OPP 62 42 13 46 0 163