PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : RAMS : Bettis to Face Tough Defense

The Charger defense has given up a league-low 3.2 yards a rush and stands second in the league, giving up 82 yards a game.

This is not good news for Ram running back Jerome Bettis, who has hit the wall the last two weeks, having gained 42 yards in 25 carries.

“Looking at this defense, I don’t think we’re going to get a lot of yards, but I think we can get the important yardage,” Bettis said.

The Ram running game will receive a boost with the return of guard Leo Goeas, who has been sidelined with an abdominal muscle strain. Darryl Ashmore had replaced Goeas, moving from tackle to guard in a matter of days.

“This is a tough defense to run on, but we’ve been working on it all week and we just have to keep linebacker Junior Seau from jumping into the gaps and getting into the backfield,” Goeas said. “You don’t want to let Seau get going and excite the crowd with that dance of his.”

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Injury update: Coach Chuck Knox said center Bern Brostek, who has had a leg problem, will be available for emergency duty, and cornerback Darryl Henley’s sore hip will get a long look Sunday morning.

Wide receiver Flipper Anderson sat out practice most of the week, but he said he’s in better shape than at this time last week, when he went on to catch five passes for 99 yards and a touchdown.

Knox said he will also wait until just before the game to determine if Chris Chandler’s sprained ankle will let him work as No. 2 quarterback behind starter Chris Miller.