Stewart Comes to His Senses, Rescues Rams

Ram strong safety Michael Stewart stumbled off the field with all the grace of a drunken sailor, still woozy from a hit he took from a Washington Redskin on a pass play with two minutes left in the game.

“I got dinged pretty good,” he said. “I caught a helmet on the side of my head, right at the temple.”

Another casualty for the Ram defense, right?

Starting cornerback Todd Lyght stood on the sideline with crutches after injuring his knee in warm-ups. Knee injuries had sidelined starting cornerback Robert Bailey and defensive end Robert Young last week. Stewart’s backup, Pat Terrell, was out because of an injured left shoulder, and wide receiver and return man Todd Kinchen injured his left knee in the first quarter and is expected to undergo surgery today.

And right there beside them was Stewart, watching helplessly as the Redskins marched downfield on a staggering Ram defense clinging to a four-point lead Sunday at Anaheim Stadium.

But suddenly, Stewart’s world wasn’t tilted at a 45-degree angle any more. The stadium stopped spinning. The ride was over.

He regained his senses, went back in and intercepted a Rich Gannon pass that deflected off free safety Anthony Newman at the Ram four-yard line to preserve a 10-6 Ram victory, their first since beating Houston on Sept. 26.

“Our defense kept us in the game and then held them off at the end,” Ram Coach Chuck Knox said. “Our defense played outstanding.”

Still, the Rams nearly got burned down the stretch by Gannon, who replaced starter Mark Rypien this week after missing six weeks because of a broken bone in his foot.

After Tony Zendejas’ 23-yard field goal gave the Rams a 10-6 lead, Gannon completed five consecutive passes and moved the Redskins from their 31 to the Ram 27. But Stewart left the game on Gannon’s third completion, a 13-yarder to Reggie Brooks just before the two-minute warning.

The seconds ticked away and the ball kept moving. Stewart, meanwhile, asked his coaches to send him back in. No go. Washington was in a no-huddle offense and the clock was running. No time for substitutions.

Stewart’s break came on Gannon’s first incompletion of the drive, with 52 seconds left. Finally, Stewart thought, a second chance.

He came in on the next play. Gannon dropped back to pass, looking for veteran wide receiver Art Monk over the middle. But Newman and Deral Boykin stepped in front of the ball near the Ram five.

Newman came up with it, but not for long.

“It was my interception,” Newman said, smiling. “It was all mine. I got it, but Deral ran into me and it popped loose.”

And right into the waiting hands of Stewart, who grabbed the ball at the four and returned it 30 yards and set off a wild celebration on the Ram sideline. The Rams, losers in their past five games, finally had reason to celebrate.

“I was dropping back in a zone and Anthony looked like he had it,” Stewart said of his interception. “I was just coming around to get a block for him and it tipped up right in my hands. It was one of those things. It was Prime Time--the right place at the right time.”

After the interception, Newman stood in the end zone, turned to the crowd and raised both arms. Stewart joined him a few seconds later, and the fans near the end zone went wild.

“It was about time,” Newman said. “It was about time we won.”

Stewart, a seven-year veteran out of Fresno State, finished with seven tackles, including five in the second half. He stopped tailback Brian Mitchell for a one-yard loss on a crucial fourth-and-one play in the second quarter. Newman said he couldn’t remember Stewart playing better.

“Michael is a super player,” Newman said. “We put him in situations where he can make big plays for us. We call him the wild man.”

Stewart pointed out other big plays:

-- The defense pinning Washington at its 10-yard line late in the third quarter as quarterback T.J. Rubley warmed up to replace starter Jim Everett and lead the Ram comeback.

-- Wymon Henderson’s strong pass defense and five tackles in place of Lyght.

-- Cornerback Courtney Griffin coming off the bench to contribute eight tackles.

-- Flipper Anderson’s juggling circus catch over Redskin rookie cornerback Tom Carter for a 29-yard gain that set up Zendejas’ field goal.

“Those are the things that when you play a tight game, if you keep the pressure on the other team, something is going to break,” Stewart said. “It’s got to bounce our way. And finally, it did.

“Wymon and Courtney worked hard all week and they stepped up today. You see that in practice. They’re kind of the unsung heroes. You’re glad to have guys like that who can step up and do the job. It seemed like we’ve been hit by injuries with Pat, Todd and Robert all out.”

In the locker room after the game, Ram defensive end Fred Stokes smiled as he watched reporters circle Stewart’s locker.

“If you’re going to give out a game ball,” Stokes said, “you have to give it to Michael. He came up with the big play at the end.”

Stewart would have been happy just with a couple of aspirin after reviewing the hit that knocked him woozy in the fourth quarter. He told the story over and over and over.

“I’ll be OK,” he said. “I feel pretty good. And any time you win, you’re going to feel a lot better.”