Everett Will Start, but Will He Last? : Pro football: Ram quarterback will play with prospect of being replaced should he falter against the Lions today.

The Detroit Lions come to town today to play the Rams and T.J. Rubley, err, Jim Everett is ready for the them.

This will be Everett’s 87th consecutive start, the longest current streak among NFL quarterbacks. But Everett will play with the prospect of being replaced should he falter.

The Rams (2-4) will undoubtedly bring on their defense or special teams in pregame introductions to avoid Everett embarrassment, as they have done since Everett was booed in the first exhibition game at Anaheim Stadium.

This week the team decided it will no longer keep Rubley out of sight as their designated inactive quarterback. The fans, who have been chanting, “We want T.J.,” might soon get their wish. Rubley will work as Everett’s backup today for the first time in his two-year career.

Rubley, who also will replace Mike Pagel as holder for kicker Tony Zendejas, took 25% of the snaps in practice this week with the first offensive unit.

“We go into this game thinking Jim Everett is going to play great and that nobody else will play,” said offensive coordinator Ernie Zampese. “We know he can do it; we have all seen him do it.”

As Everett goes, so go the Rams. He was successful against the Steelers and the star in the Rams’ victory over Houston. But his erratic play against the Green Bay Packers, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons has put a damper on Coach Chuck Knox’s preseason hopes for a playoff campaign.

“I think the key to the Ram offense is quarterback Jim Everett,” said Detroit Coach Wayne Fontes. “If he plays well and has a hot hand, any team will have a hard time beating them.”

The mystery each week for the Rams, however, is how well will Everett play? The Rams are looking for consistency from their starting quarterback, and as a result, Everett probably has two more weeks to entrench himself, or after a second bye, be replaced by Rubley.

“The only butterflies with me come when I’m not prepared,” Rubley said. “I’m sure the adrenaline is going to be flowing and I may throw the ball 70 m.p.h. instead of 60 m.p.h., but as far as butterflies they only come when I don’t know what to do with the football.

“I’m not quite to the point where I was at the end of the exhibition season. It still might take a couple of more practices to get there, but at least I’m back on track in my development.

“As for Jim, I don’t think he’s concerned about my situation. I think he’s focused on the game plan and what he has to do within the offense.”

Everett’s first assignment is to tame the Lions (4-2), who have played it tough on defense this season. But Detroit comes into this game banged up and might have difficulty putting pressure on Everett.

Linebacker Pat Swilling, who was Everett’s nemesis while playing with the Saints, has missed practice all week because of a sprained ankle. Linebacker Tracy Scroggins, who leads the Lions in sacks with 4 1/2, is listed as questionable with a knee injury.

“I see them maybe dogging us a little more than they have the last couple of weeks because of (injuries),” said Jim Erkenbeck, Ram offensive line coach. “They present a real effort group. There’s some talent there, but more than anything else it’s an effort thing when they rush the passer.”

In his last 28 games Everett has thrown for more than 300 yards only three times, but one of those occasions came against the Lions in 1991 when Everett threw for 308 yards.

Everett will be throwing against a secondary in transition. The Lions will be without starting safety Bennie Blades (ankle), and might start rookie Ryan McNeil in place of a struggling Tim McKyer at right cornerback. Starting left cornerback Ray Crockett is questionable with a thigh muscle injury.

“Jim Everett gives us the best chance to win,” Zampese said, while predicting success for Everett today. “With Chuck Knox, if he thought that you could play quarterback and enhance our chances to win he’d suit you up and play you. He’s going to play the guy that he feels gives us the best chance to win, and there’s no question in any of our minds, that’s Jim Everett.”

The Lions have been troubled by their own concerns at quarterback, and after switching from Rodney Peete to Andre Ware, the team has returned to Peete. Ware or Peete? You know they will be handing the ball to Barry Sanders.

“This year we’ve added a tight end, sometimes two tight ends and sometimes we use three,” said Fontes. “We’re trying to get the ball to Barry and let him run the ball more than he did a year ago. We’re trying to give him better blocking.”

Sanders is averaging a little more than 23 carries a game and 4.5 yards a rush. He has also caught 17 passes for 116 yards.

“He’s the best in the world at doing what he does,” said Chick Harris, Ram running back coach. “I’ve put the videotape on pause and there would be seven people around him and he’s still been able to avoid all of them and get positive yards. He’s a magician.”

The last time the Rams faced Sanders, they limited him to 57 yards in 26 carries.

“I remember we had good success against him when I played for Washington,” said Fred Stokes, Ram defensive end. “He was playing on wet grass and they had brought sand in to try things out and I believe he began to think about the surface and just didn’t do too well.

“But let me tell you, I don’t care if you play this guy on the beach, he’s still the guy you have to stop.”

In the past, the Lions have stopped themselves when traveling west. They are 0-12 on the West Coast since 1982, including three games against the Rams.

In addition they are 0-7 against Chuck Knox-coached teams since Knox left Detroit as an assistant coach in 1972.