No Rest in Sight for Rams’ Israel : Football: One week after playing against Andre Rison, cornerback must face Jerry Rice.

Cornerback Steve Israel emerged from the Ram locker room Monday afternoon, raised his arms in frustration and shot questions back at reporters in defense of his pass defense.

“What else do you guys want to know?” he said. “Yes, we lost to Atlanta. Yes, Andre Rison caught some balls against me. Yes, my technique was bad. What else is there?”

Well, this week, it’s San Francisco wide receiver Jerry Rice, the NFL’s career touchdown leader who has tortured the Rams with highlight reel catches over the years.

So is Israel for real? Rison toyed with him Sunday, beating him on short sideline routes, then taking him downfield on his way to 12 catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns.

Rison used that performance in his argument that he’s one of the NFL’s best receivers. But Israel has the task this week of covering perhaps the best in Rice, who caught eight passes for 166 yards and two touchdowns at Anaheim Stadium last season.

“Let’s say I pout and just keep thinking about Sunday,” Israel said. “Sure, I’m upset about it, I’m a professional, just like Andre is. I’m hired on by the Rams to cover guys, no matter who it is--Rison or some rookie.”

Frustration has clearly set in with Israel, a 1992 second-round draft pick from Pittsburgh who will start only his 16th NFL game Sunday.

A pulled thigh muscle forced him to miss a couple weeks of training camp, and he and cornerback Todd Lyght were beaten regularly during an 0-4 Ram exhibition season.

“I’m extremely disappointed in my progress,” he said. “This was by far my best off-season of conditioning and preparation I’ve had since I’ve been in the NFL.

“I came in here like, ‘This is my year.’ It’s only the second week of the season and things haven’t started like I’ve wanted them to, but there’s no reason to take down the tent and pack up now.”

His season so far:

Week 1--In the fourth quarter, Arizona wide receiver Ricky Proehl beats Israel by two steps down the left sideline, but Proehl drops a sure 58-yard touchdown pass. Rams win, 14-12.

Week 2--Rison guarantees victory over the Rams, then lines up against Israel, who was in man-to-man coverage at least 60% of the time. Rison makes Israel look like Robert Bailey, catching two touchdown passes against him.

Rams lose, 31-13, and afterward Rison says: “I guess my performance against No. 31 (Israel) shows what I’m talking about.”

“Andre Rison is one of the best,” Israel said. “I said it before the game, I said it after the game. I’m happy I get a chance to go against him again (Oct. 2) to prove that I’m better than what I showed on Sunday.”

Fox announcers Joe Buck and Tim Green, who worked the Rams-Falcons game, regularly defended Israel’s coverage, saying it was as good a job as anyone could do against a receiver as physical as Rison.

Former All-Pro wide receiver James Lofton, a former Ram who watched the game from the press box, wondered if there was a cornerback in the league who could stop Rison.

Ram Coach Chuck Knox wasn’t pointing a finger at Israel after the game, either.

“There are a lot of things that go into pass defense,” Knox said. “The formula is rush plus coverage. You have to have both.

“Rison caught 14 passes against Detroit the week before, and it wasn’t because Detroit didn’t know who he was. You try to defense him, but he gets his catches. It’s tough for any corner out there. But you just keep battling and battling. There’s nothing else you can do. You just go with it.”

The Ram defensive line sacked Arizona quarterback Steve Beuerlein four times for 30 yards in the season-opener.

But Falcon quarterback Jeff George’s three-step drop and quick release prevented the Rams from getting a sack or even a heavy pass rush. That left Israel and Lyght as easy pickings.

“Yeah, it wasn’t just Andre Rison vs. Steve Israel out there,” Israel said. “You’re right, you do need a pass rush.

“But if I’m on coverage, and taking care of my job like I’m supposed to be, then there’s no need to worry about it.”

The Rams used as many as six defensive backs on certain downs against Atlanta, but Israel was often left one-on-one with Rison, with little or no help.

“We had an excellent game plan,” Israel said. “The coaches had all the correct calls. A lot of the calls I was in place, and you didn’t see the times when I was in coverage and they didn’t throw the ball. You just see the ones where he (Rison) made plays.

“I play one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult positions in the league. You’re not rewarded if you’re on coverage and they don’t throw. You’re only rewarded if it’s a big-time play and you knock the ball down or make an interception. That’s it. That’s the bottom line.”

With the rewards few and far between, has Israel’s confidence been shaken?

“That’s one thing I told myself I would never do,” he said. “You can’t lose confidence in yourself at this level, and certainly not at my position.

“If you do, you’re shot.”