Rams’ Knox Expects No Miracle, Gets None : Pro football: Victories are doubled and some talent shows itself, but the team is still woefully short of being playoff caliber.
Chuck Knox, dead set on a complete rebuilding program, walked into 1992 braced for the worst.
What he got was six victories and 10 defeats. He also got shining moments between long spans of failure, a couple of particularly wrenching defeats, some inspired play by younger players and a team that, at least, did not quit on him as it had on John Robinson a year ago.
Small consolation.
The Rams doubled their victory total of 1991 but showed no signs that they can leap into playoff contention anytime soon. They often were overmatched.
They finished the season with Knox looking toward the free-agent market and talking about needing “an influx of some talent.”
“I knew it was going to be a tough job when I took it,” Knox said recently. “And I don’t see any miracle-workers in this coaching profession.”
Some of the moments, issues and decisions that marked this third consecutive Ram tumble into double-digit defeats:
The November surprise: On Nov. 15, in a one-game uprising that stunned the league, Jim Everett was suddenly a superstar again, Cleveland Gary was more productive than Emmitt Smith and the two-touchdown underdog Rams somehow stole away from Texas Stadium with 27-23 upset of the Dallas Cowboys, Dallas’ only home defeat of 1992.
Afterward, tackle Jackie Slater presented Knox with the game ball in what probably was the team’s most emotional moment.
The Rams quickly fell to earth in the following weeks, but on that day in Dallas, they gave Knox and themselves a reminder of how sweet good football can be.
“What does it mean?” said second-year cornerback Robert Bailey at the time. “It means hope. It means a lot of hope.”
But how did you really feel, Jim? Everett, though playing at a level far above his 1991 collapse with the help of quarterback coach Ted Tollner, still fell into familiar patterns of frustration and forced passes in 1992.
He suffered his lowest moment against the Minnesota Vikings, in a 31-17 defeat Nov. 29. Forced out of bounds on the Viking sideline, Everett fired the ball into the face of Viking assistant coach John Teerlinck, a former Ram assistant who had been taunting him.
Everett’s brightest game was his 20-for-24 performance against the 49ers in San Francisco on Oct. 4, a close defeat. “Like old times?” Everett said a day after that game. “Felt like good times.”
Everett finished 1992 with nine more touchdown passes and a much higher efficiency rating than in 1991. But he still threw 18 interceptions with his 20 touchdowns.
He will turn 30 on Jan. 3. Is this as good as Everett gets?
Running back roulette: Nobody really questions the decision anymore, but Knox--unprompted--was defensive Monday about his choice to release exhibition season cult hero Marcus Dupree and go with the unpredictable Gary as his featured back.
“I know we kept the right running backs,” Knox said. “There isn’t any question in my mind about that--regardless of the preseason games and what goes on there.”
Maybe Knox flared because the tailback spot is as unsettled as it was in July. Gary once again racked up the yardage, but once again succumbed to minor injuries and fumbling problems.
David Lang, a no-name fullback most of the season, had a handful of sizzling runs and might be the man in 1993.
We’ve seen the future, and it weighs 315 pounds: Sean Gilbert, who came to the Rams with Knox proclaiming him the team’s defensive foundation, shook things up with his hip-shaking “earthquake” sack dance after he got his first sack in the Rams’ Week 7 bombing of the New York Giants.
He finished with five sacks, but the audacity of his first celebration--and his promise of much more--was something missing from the Rams for a long time.
Cold, hard facts: The Rams were outscored, 94-42, in the first quarter, a sign of immaturity and an inconsistent offense. They lost five consecutive NFC West games, running the overall streak to 15, before Sunday’s toppling of a bad Atlanta Falcon team.
They gave up almost 140 yards a game on the ground, worst in the league, and surrendered 22 rushing touchdowns. Their two longest plays from scrimmage were by a fullback, Lang, and Flipper Anderson and Henry Ellard combined for only 1,364 yards and 82 catches.
Yesterday’s gone: It was probably natural that during the season Gilbert established himself as the defense’s main man, free-agent-to-be Kevin Greene was slipping into virtual anonymity.
Other Robinson era stalwarts, such as 1991 team MVP Robert Delpino, Fred Strickland, Aaron Cox, Mike Piel and possibly Ellard, who turns 32 next season, appear likely to move on.
Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow: The team’s biggest needs, according to Knox, are, in order: a physical middle linebacker to stop opponents’ running backs, a pass-rushing defensive end, a reliable running back and possibly a dependable, speedy receiver.
“I knew looking at the schedule, as tough as it was, that it was going to be a tough, tough challenge to get this thing turned around,” Knox said.
“It was. And it is.”
HIGHLIGHT: CHUCK KNOX Chuck Knox’s 20th NFL season was one of his least successful (only a 5-11 mark in 1978, his first season with the Buffalo Bills, was worse) and dropped his career winning percentage below .600 for the first time. But history shows Knox teams have a habit of bouncing back. He has had consecutive losing seasons just once (1978 and 1979 in Buffalo). And if the Rams do manage to win nine or more games in 1993, Knox will tie or pass Chuck Noll for fifth place on the all-time coaching victory list. Knox has won 177 games; Noll won 186 in 22 seasons with Pittsburgh. George Halas, Don Shula, Tom Landry and Curly Lambeau are the top four. SEASON TO DATE Season totals (Record 6-10) First Downs RAMS: 278 OPP: 320 Rushing Yards RAMS: 1,659 OPP: 2,231 Passing Yards RAMS: 3,218 OPP: 3,293 Punts/Average RAMS: 76/41.1 OPP: 66/42.1 Rushing RAMS: ATT: 393 AVG: 4.2 TDs: 12 OPP: ATT: 467 AVG: 4.8 TDs: 22 Passing RAMS: ATT: 495 CP: 289 TDs: 23 OPP: ATT: 507 CP: 305 TDs: 18 Penalties/Yards RAMS: 82/587 OPP: 103/777 Fumbles/Lost RAMS: 30/17 OPP: 26/15 Interceptions/Yds RAMS: 18/283 OPP: 20/305 Scoring by Quarters
1 2 3 4 OT TOTAL RAMS 42 73 86 112 0 313 OPP 94 151 57 81 0 383
Possession Time RAMS: 28:29 OPP: 31:31