Bettis Reverses Field With Rams : NFL: Team is 1-0, but running back believes he has been grounded because the offensive line has failed to do the job.
What’s wrong with Jerome Bettis?
The Rams are 1-0, ready to play their first game in St. Louis and the player they marketed under all that Gateway Arch hype is dead on his cleats.
Bettis had more carries than yards during the exhibition season, and that’s hard to do. He continued to retreat in the season opener at Green Bay with seven carries for four yards before being benched.
This is the same moving mountain who had seven 100-yard games as a rookie while finishing second--by 57 yards--to Dallas’ Emmitt Smith, the league’s top rusher. Last season, he set his goal at 2,000 yards before being stopped at 1,025.
“I don’t think anything has happened to me,” Bettis said. “I’m not the reason we’re unable to effectively run the football. I don’t think me running differently is going to make the linebackers disappear.
“No one is looking at the obvious.”
Bettis believes he has been grounded because the Rams offensive line has failed to properly get in the way of the opposition.
“When did I stop contributing last year?” Bettis said. “When the line went down.”
Bettis ran for more at least 100 yards in four of the Rams first five games last season and averaged 3.9 yards a carry. In the remaining 11 games, he failed to hit the 100-yard mark and averaged 2.7 yards a rush.
“How well could Emmitt Smith do if he had to do it all by himself?” Bettis said. “I’m the same guy who was running for all those yards at the start of last season, only now I’m getting hit in the backfield.
“I don’t want to be critical, but I don’t think our running game without me has been great.”
Leonard Russell replaced Bettis and gained 36 yards in 10 carries.
The next day the coaches told Bettis the offensive line had bungled blocking assignments badly on four of his seven running plays. They reaffirmed their faith in Bettis and said he will start against New Orleans.
The Rams advertised their arrival in St. Louis by touting Bettis as a big-time running back. He held out of training camp, he said, because the team refused to return his agent’s phone calls after opening talks about a contract extension. Bettis has three years remaining on a five-year deal with the Rams with an escape clause that allows him to leave after four if he has one more 1,200-yard rushing season.
It might take three years to gain 1,200 yards. “He’s just not the same back,” said an NFL general manager. “He’s tentative, dancing as he steps to the hole, and if he does that, he’s going to get clobbered.”
The Rams believe Bettis has been negatively influenced by his agent, Lamont Smith. They don’t think he prepares himself properly for the season. They are concerned he took too many hits while playing for Chuck Knox. They wonder if he was a one-year wonder.
“Everybody is trying to make it like I’m not going all out,” Bettis said. “I’m running as hard as I can, but I can’t be invisible. I’m no one-year fluke, I know that. Once I get the opportunity, everyone will be jumping back on the Jerome Bettis bandwagon.”
ON TV
* HOSS & GUS
Oakland (1-0) at Washington (1-0), Channel 4, 10 a.m.: Offensive line injuries put Raider quarterback Jeff Hostetler in harm’s way. At least he’s still standing. Arizona tried to plant Heath Shuler into the RFK turf; he suffered a separated shoulder. Gus Frerotte is 1-3 as a stand-in for Shuler. The Raiders’ Robert Jenkins, who couldn’t make it as a reserve on the Rams’ crippled line, starts for Gerald Perry (broken arm) at left tackle.
Kicker question: Jeff Jaeger or Cole Ford. It matters: The Raiders are 2-2 in Washington with all four games being decided by four points or fewer.
* FIREWORKS GALORE
Denver (1-0) at Dallas (1-0),Channel 4, 1 p.m.: The Cowboys draw Denver without run-stuffer Michael Dean Perry (knee). Emmitt Smith averaged 2.4 yards a carry in the only previous meeting. Quarterback John Elway is 1-0 against Dallas with three touchdowns. Dallas is without cornerback Kevin Smith (partially torn Achilles’ tendon) and will start Clayton Holmes.
History tidbit: Mike Shanahan was the receiver coach at Oklahoma under Dallas Coach Barry Switzer.
* FALCONS’ FINAL EXAM
Atlanta (1-0) at San Francisco (1-0), Channel 11, 1 p.m.: The last division loss at home for 49ers was against Atlanta on Oct. 13, 1990. Northwestern beat Notre Dame. Jerry Rice has more touchdowns (19) against the Falcons than any other foe. Nate Singleton starts for receiver John Taylor (knee).
Defense, defense: In their last five victories over the Falcons, the 49ers have averaged 45.2 points.
* PULL THE PLUG
Philadelphia (0-1) at Arizona (0-1), TNT, 5 p.m.: Buddy Ryan’s old team against Buddy Ryan’s new team: both huge busts. Eagle running back Ricky Watters begins his apology comeback against a defense that gave up 259 yards on the ground. Garrison Hearst averaged 5.7 yards a run, but the team still lost by 20.
Statistic killer: Wide receiver Rob Moore averaged 65 catches the last four seasons with the Jets; after his first game with Buddy, he had one catch for 15 yards.
SHOULD BE ON TV
Miami (1-0) at New England (1-0): Miami’s Dan Marino, 33, needs 1,580 yards and 11 touchdowns to overtake Fran Tarkenton as the NFL’s top passer. Drew Bledsoe, 23, needs less than 3,000 yards this season to become the youngest quarterback in league history to reach 10,000 yards. Flip a coin.
Halftime check: If the Dolphins are trailing at the half, the game might be over. In the last six games, the Patriots have not given up a second-half touchdown.
ONE-GAME WONDERS
Tampa Bay (1-0) at Cleveland (0-1): Vinny Testaverde faces his former team for the first time. Linebacker Pepper Johnson had 17 tackles against the Patriots. Buccaneer receiver Horace Copeland caught five passes for 155 yards, threatening to make Wally Pipp out of Alvin Harper (ankle). The Tampa Bay defense, which had league-low 20 sacks in ‘94, had five Sunday and get a tackling dummy in Testaverde.
Tampa express: The Buccaneers have won three in a row on the road for the first time since 1979. The franchise has never had four-game road winning streak.
Jacksonville (0-1) at Cincinnati (1-0): The Bengals are cruising toward a Super Bowl XXX showdown with the Buccaneer. Don’t scoff: Cincinnati gets Seattle and Houston the next two weeks and has a chance for a 4-0 start. The Jaguars managed only 152 yards with quarterback Steve Beuerlein passing for 60.
Onward to Phoenix: After Dave Shula’s Bengals start 4-0, he takes on daddy’s Dolphins. So much for going undefeated.
New Orleans (0-1) at St. Louis (1-0): Who better to spoil the Rams’ celebration than Jim Everett? Ram receiver Isaac Bruce has four touchdowns in his first 13 NFL games. The Saints will be without linebackers Winfred Tubbs and Rufus Porter; the way Bettis has been running, the Saints can go with nine defenders.
Saints should move: New Orleans ought to look into filling Anaheim Stadium; the Saints won eight in a row on the Rams’ former home turf.
N.Y. Giants (0-1) at Kansas City (1-0): Some people never win Lotto. The Chiefs get the Seahawks and Giants in consecutive games. New York gave up 459 yards and failed to sack Troy Aikman. Giant quarterback Dave Brown is 3-1 against AFC teams and is better against almost anybody, as long as they’re not playing for the Cowboys.
Fumble feast: The Chiefs lead the NFL in takeaways in the ‘90s with 195, including 101 fumble recoveries.
DIVISION TEASER
Pittsburgh (1-0) at Houston (1-0): The Oilers hit the jackpot, getting the Steelers without Neil O’Donnell and Rod Woodson. Chris Chandler, Houston quarterback, returns after bruising his shoulder. The Steelers start Mike Tomczak at quarterback and Alvoid Mays at cornerback. Willie Mays would be more effective--both at quarterback and corner.
Division dominance: The Steelers’ last loss to a division opponent was Dec. 19, 1993--against Houston.
LOSERS VS. LOSERS
Carolina (0-1) at Buffalo (0-1): Frank Reich, a former Bill, engineered the greatest comeback in NFL history, rallying Buffalo from a 32-point deficit to defeat the Oilers, 41-38, in the 1992 playoffs. Experience of falling behind will come in handy playing for Carolina.
Why stop at 319? Jim Kelly needs 319 yards to reach 30,000; if expansion had come earlier, he might be going for 40,000.
Indianapolis (0-1) at N.Y. Jets (0-1): The Colts have defeated the Jets 12 of the last 16 times they have met. Quarterback Craig Erickson starts again, but owner Robert Irsay will be ready to insert Jim Harbaugh. Who cares? Marshall Faulk has averaged 101 yards in two games against the Jets.
Play them every week: Ted Marchibroda is 51-59 as a head coach against the rest of the league, 11-5 against the Jets.
Seattle (0-1) at San Diego (0-1): Dennis Erickson, new Seahawk boss, went 63-9 as head coach at the University of Miami. Yes, he’s still a miracle worker--he makes the Chiefs look like world-beaters. This is a great opportunity for the Chargers to rekindle their confidence with Natrone Means controlling the ball and the game.
The Ross factor: The Chargers have won five of six games against the Seahawks since Bobby Ross became coach.
Detroit (0-1) at Minnesota (0-1): Lion back Barry Sanders has 41 100-yard games in 90 starts. Receiver Herman Moore might be sidelined because of a sore ankle. Minnesota kicker Fuad Reveiz needs two more field goals to break John Carney’s NFL record of 29 in a row. How exciting.
History lesson: Four years ago, Sanders rushed for 220 yards and scored four touchdowns on Metrodome carpet.