PRO FOOTBALL: GREEN BAY PACKERS 36, RAMS 6 : Packer Offense Treats the Rams to Perfect Execution

For the Ram defense, Brett Favre was the problem.

Well, he was part of the problem. Sterling Sharpe, now there was a problem.

Or was it John Stephens? Edgar Bennett? Mark Clayton? You want problems? Try Jackie Harris, the 243-pound terror at tight end.

For the Ram defense, too many problems was the problem.

“We can put a lot of pressure on people,” Clayton said.

Clayton was talking about the Green Bay Packers, the team he joined this season after a nasty separation from Don Shula and the Miami Dolphins. Coming as it was Sunday in the wake of a 36-6 victory over the Rams at County Stadium, only one response to his pronouncement seemed appropriate.

No kidding.

One need only look at the chronicle of the successful plays in a Packer scoring drive to see what Clayton was talking about. Any of three would do (Green Bay’s first of four touchdowns came on a 50-yard all-or-nothing heave from Pro Bowl quarterback Favre to Pro Bowl wide receiver Sharpe; it was tipped by two defenders, and Favre called it “pure luck”).

Try this drive in the second quarter: Stephens runs for 11 yards. Stephens for four. Favre to Harris, the tight end, for 26 in a moment that would be replayed several times. Favre to Harris for 21. Bennett runs for eight. Bennett for two. Favre to Clayton for four and a touchdown.

The off-season focus on the Packers revolved around a defense that had suddenly added one of the best pass-rushers in history in Reggie White. But Clayton gives the offense All-Pro receivers to worry about on both sides. Favre and Harris are climbing the NFL charts at their positions.

If Stephens, a one-time, 1,000-yard rusher acquired from New England in March, and Bennett can add a running game, the opposition is going to have to figure out where to turn first.

Harris’ case Sunday might have been the best example of the trouble this diversity can cause. Sharpe was busy catching seven passes for 120 yards. Clayton had a solid debut with four for 40. Stephens (17 carries, 75 yards) and Bennett (11 for 41) were running well. What did that do for Harris?

Five catches, each seemingly wide open down the middle, for 92 yards.

The Rams, employing a zone to try to control deep threats on both sides and having to watch for the run, too, simply couldn’t be in that many places at once.

“They established the running game and then they started using play-action passes,” Ram cornerback Todd Lyght said. “Their tight end was able to get around our linebackers in the dead zone.”

Said safety Michael Stewart: “They had a scheme where they just tell him to run to the open area, and the quarterback looks for where the opening is.

“As you could see, he was finding it.”

Favre said he simply took what was given while the Rams looked elsewhere.

“Almost all of (the passes to Harris) were secondary reads,” Favre said. “Sterling was usually double-teamed.”

Harris, for one, had no problem with Favre first turning toward the highly scrutinized Sharpe and Clayton.

“I hope they get a whole lot of attention,” he said with a smile. “I don’t mind catching them wide open. I think I could play a few more years like that.

“It’s pretty hard to cover me one-on-one with a linebacker.”

Harris said he expected to have quite a few days such as this one this season. “With this offense, there’s going to be a lot of opportunities for the tight end.”

Clayton, meanwhile, was taking satisfaction in his first touchdown as a Packer. He and Shula had enough of each other in Miami, and Clayton wore the look of a man who was perfectly happy in his new job.

“Brett is a good quarterback who’s going to be great,” Clayton said. “This team just has an abundance of talent.

“Today, we just put in an excellent game plan and executed it to perfection.”