Rams’ Offense on the Spot Early : Pro football: Bettis, Miller will play tonight against Patriots in an attempt to increase production.

So far they appear to be the same old downtrodden Rams, showing no spark and offering little promise of better days ahead.

They failed to score a touchdown in last week’s exhibition opener with Green Bay, a common shortcoming during last year’s 5-11 season, and they were helpless to stop the Packers from scoring the first time Green Bay had the ball.

Their first-round draft pick, tackle Wayne Gandy, looked like a revolving door as Sean Jones spun past him and blasted quarterback Chris Chandler. The team’s two rookie receivers, Isaac Bruce and Chris Brantley, who are being counted on to produce this season, combined for two catches for 32 yards.

The Rams have lost six consecutive exhibitions, and although that’s fine for a team saving its best for regular-season play, the Rams’ track record suggests that they have some explaining to do.

“Sure, (quarterback) Chris Miller didn’t play last week and I didn’t play last week,” running back Jerome Bettis said. “But fans don’t want to hear that stuff. Preseason game or not, this team needs to start winning.

“There’s all this talk about how we’re going to be better, but talk won’t cut it. The only thing that is going to get people interested in this team is winning.”

The lack of interest will be evident at Anaheim Stadium tonight. Ram ticket manager Don Nims said the team has distributed 29,000 tickets for the exhibition with the New England Patriots. Nims added, however, that he expected only 25,000 to 26,000 to show up.

“I think the 25,000 fans that we have there will be very loyal football fans,” assistant coach Joe Vitt said. “And they will see that we are improving on defense, improving on offense and trying to work on things that will give us the best chance to win the (regular-season) opener.”

That was the plan last year, and the Rams lost their opener--for the fourth consecutive year.

The Patriots, meanwhile, are also preparing for a regular-season opener, under the direction of Bill Parcells, who is 29-9 in exhibitions as coach of New England and the New York Giants.

The Patriots, while 5-11 like the Rams a year ago, appear headed in the opposite direction. The team has captured the fancy of fans throughout New England, and drew 37,800 in a rainstorm last week for a 24-6 victory over the New Orleans Saints.

So where does that leave the Rams after last week’s lackluster debut?

“I think there has been a sense of urgency this week to practice better and then play better,” Bettis said. “We need to put some points on the board. We can’t have people stay in there for the whole game and risk being lost for the regular season, but we need to put in a good effort for the people and show them something.”

Bettis, who was rested last week, will start, as will Miller, who will be making his first appearance as the Rams’ starting quarterback.

Miller, who has undergone surgery on his left knee twice in the last two seasons, has been impressive in practice and has displayed leadership qualities, but he has yet to get hit.

“Preseason games, from a win-loss standpoint, are not that important,” Miller said. “But we have a lot of new faces and it’s important for us to develop team chemistry and show our fans a piece of what they are going to get during the year.”

Coach Chuck Knox said Miller and Bettis will play at least a quarter and said the team’s No. 1 offensive and defensive lines will play at least two quarters.