PRO FOOTBALL DAILY REPORT : RAMS : Dallas’ Smith Cool to Bettis’ Challenge

This week, Ram running back Jerome Bettis challenged Dallas’ Emmitt Smith, who was the NFL’s top rusher last season.

Bettis said Smith will have to gain more than 2,000 yards if he hopes to retain his title.

Smith’s response: “If he’s not obsessed with me, then there’s something wrong with him.”

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Quarterback Chris Miller’s surgically repaired left knee is just fine, but his right knee has been sore. Because Miller has been favoring it, he has hurt an abdominal muscle.

Miller was held out of much of practice and Wednesday he was not allowed to participate in 11-on-11 drills.

“He’s chomping at the bit,” said Mike Martz, quarterbacks coach. “It’s just the risk--you don’t want him to really hurt it.”

Miller, who has been impressive since leaving the Falcons to join the Rams, has shown no ill effects from two surgical procedures on his left knee.

“It’s the knee where they took the tendon out to repair the other knee,” Miller said. “I plant on my right leg and I must have been coming across my body in a different way because it was tender. As a result, I did something to my abdominal muscle and it’s just a little sore.”

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Defensive tackle Marc Boutte injured his knee in practice, but Coach Chuck Knox said it was not serious.

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Sean Landeta, who finished strongly with a 43.5-yard punting average last season, is trying to keep free agent Matt Turk from taking his job.

Turk, a brother of Raider center Dan Turk, failed to make the Packers’ roster last season after averaging 36.3 yards a kick for Wisconsin Whitewater.

“Sean is in a battle with one of the finest young prospects I’ve seen in many a year,” said Wayne Sevier, special teams coach. “Both are in midseason form, and I’m anxious to see how this plays out in the games.”