Beating Rams Now Just Like Taking Candy From Babies : Pro football: After 4-0 start, St. Louis now is a 6-5 team that was humiliated by San Francisco earlier, and the Rams face rejuvenated 49ers and Young today.

Remember the gloating, the high-and-mighty proclamations, even the taunting: “We’re a real football team now,” Todd Lyght said. “We’ve left Candyland behind.”

And, “We’re the St. Louis Rams,” Leonard Russell said, “not the L.A. Rams, and we’re different.”

Well, not so different. After last week’s 31-6 loss to the Falcons, the media gathered in an adjoining room to the Ram locker room and reporters could hear Coach Rich Brooks shouting at his players: “So this is how it’s going to be--the same old Rams. Is that what you want to be known as? The same old Rams? Is that what you are telling me?”

Loud and clear. Since opening the season 4-0 and then 5-1, the team that drove away fans in Anaheim has gone 1-4 and is a heavy underdog today to the San Francisco 49ers.

“In the two games in which they had the chance to prove they were not the same old Rams--the first game with San Francisco and last week with Atlanta for first place--they were outscored, 75-16,” said Bernie Miklasz, columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “That first game with San Francisco killed this season. They were on their high horse, strutting around and thought they were the new princes of the NFC West, and then the 49ers humiliated them. They haven’t recovered from that.”

When the Rams made the move to St. Louis, the city and Miklasz welcomed them as if they were Hollywood stars. The city remains enthralled with the team, but Miklasz is no longer in the mood to honeymoon.

“The popularity and unconditional love almost work against them,” he said. “They are treated like Super Bowl champions win or lose. The public treated them like returning war heroes even after they were embarrassed in Atlanta. This team is very soft mentally and physically. They have been babied and coddled here, and it’s gone to some of their heads. . . . “No disrespect to Rich Brooks, because he’s done a lot of good things, but I think teams have also caught up with him and his staff. I don’t think they have evolved. Atlanta’s Chris Doleman said the Rams came in last week with the same exact game plan they had used in the first game. This is not the Pac-10; you have to play teams twice in a season.”

The Rams might have a new zip code, but a check of the roster indicates they still have Wayne Gandy, Chris Miller and Jessie Hester: the same old Rams.

“We just haven’t played with the professional kind of intensity a first-place team has to play with,” said Steve Ortmayer, Ram general manager. “The No. 1 challenge Rich Brooks had when he came here was convincing this team that it was better than everyone thought. Maybe they got convinced the other way. When we played San Francisco the first time, and it was announced Steve Young was out, it was like there was a feeling of all we’ve got to do is show up.”

After being trounced by the 49ers, 44-10, with Elvis Grbac at quarterback, the Rams had to play five of their next six on the road--only the second time in NFL history that a team has been put through such a grueling stretch. The team has lost three of those games on the road and must still play away against the 49ers and Giants.

“It wasn’t fair, but that’s the way it is,” said Ortmayer, who has a proven eye for talent. “Still, I wouldn’t be satisfied if we didn’t make the playoffs after the start we had. The opportunity is still there.”

The Rams have yet to be booed in St. Louis.

“I think St. Louis is a little frustrated; it’s like, ‘How can this be happening to us?’ ” Ortmayer said. “But it’s very positive here, a feeling of, ‘OK, let’s regroup and get this done.’ They want to help us. They’re not sitting around cursing the team for slipping and sliding. Even the newspapers have been positive.”

And how long will that last?

“I can’t say a bad word about the organization,” Miklasz said. “The players have been involved in the community and Georgia [Frontiere] has been fine. She’s been visible and enthusiastic, and the people here like that.

“Really, we have two things in St. Louis to be thankful for this year. We have football again in St. Louis, and no matter how bad the Rams are doing, they still have a better record than the [Arizona] Cardinals.”

ON TV

* THEY’RE B-A-A-A-C-K

New England (4-7) at Buffalo (8-3) Channel 4, 10 a.m.: The Bills won’t go away. They have won five consecutive games, are within striking distance of claiming home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, and although they were humbled in four consecutive Super Bowls, they just might be the class of the AFC.

What a sub: Wide receiver Bill Brooks, filling in for Andre Reed (hamstring), has scored nine of the team’s last 11 touchdowns.

* DIVISION CLINCHER

Pittsburgh (7-4) at Cleveland (4-7) Channel 4, 1 p.m.: The Browns were supposed to go to the wire with the Steelers, but first they benched quarterback Vinny Testaverde, and, as if that weren’t ridiculous, they announced they were moving to Baltimore with almost half the season yet to play in Cleveland. A victory by the Steelers will eliminate the Browns from title contention and allow the Browns to start packing early.

Domination: The Steelers have won five in a row against the Browns.

* LIKE OLD TIMES

St. Louis (6-5) at San Francisco (7-4) Channel 11, 1 p.m.: The 49ers will have Young back at quarterback, and the Rams will have no chance to win. San Francisco leads the NFL with 18 interceptions; playing against Ram quarterback Miller should allow San Francisco to improve that total.

Super soph: Ram second-year wide receiver Isaac Bruce needs nine catches to set the club single-season mark of 86, topping Henry Ellard’s 1988 record.

* THE SUNDAY BLAHS

Carolina (5-6) at New Orleans (4-7) ESPN, 5 p.m.: After a long holiday weekend of football this is how it must end? The Saints’ Jim Everett became the 19th quarterback in NFL history to pass for 30,000 yards; he’s also the worst quarterback in NFL to throw for 30,000 yards.

Sizzling stat: The Saints are 2-0 when leading at the half this season, or, in other words, they have been ahead only twice this season come halftime.

KEY GAMES

Miami (6-5) at Indianapolis (6-5): The AFC’s two highest-rated quarterbacks meet--the Dolphins’ Dan Marino and the Colts’ Jim Harbaugh. Miami can’t afford to slip further behind the Bills. Marino needs one touchdown pass to break a tie with Fran Tarkenton for the all-time NFL lead. Harbaugh needs 272 more touchdown passes to catch Marino.

Coaching edge: Miami’s Don Shula has coached against 131 different coaches in his career. Buffalo’s Marv Levy has handed him the most losses--13--but the Colts’ Ted Marchibroda is next with eight.

Tampa Bay (6-5) at Green Bay (7-4): Most bizarre. The Buccaneers have a better record than 13 NFL teams, and one more victory guarantees they will not lose at least 10 games for the first time in 13 years. Tampa Bay running back Errict Rhett needs 104 yards for second consecutive 1,000-yard season; the Packers rank 17th in stopping the run.

Going Favre: Green Bay’s Brett Favre needs 87 yards to become the first quarterback in the team’s 75-year history to pass for more than 3,000 yards in four seasons.

UNEXPECTED MISMATCHES

Atlanta (7-4) at Arizona (3-8): The Falcons continue to surprise, while the Cardinals continue to play as if they are trying to get Buddy Ryan fired. The Cardinals rank last in the league stopping the run and stopping the pass, so naturally they lead the league in surrendering the most points.

Fast-break offense: Wide receiver Eric Metcalf keys the Falcons’ run-and-gun offense with an NFL-leading 11 plays of 30 yards or more.

Chicago (6-5) at N.Y. Giants (3-8): The Giants were picked by many to make a run at the Cowboys this season, but New York ranks 26th in offense and No. 1 in coach-front office squabbling.

No magic: Since becoming head coach of the Giants three years ago, Dan Reeves has compiled a 23-20 record.

THROWAWAYS

Cincinnati (4-7) at Jacksonville (3-8): The Bengals were one of the league’s most exciting teams earlier this season, but they have been unable to win and stay in the race. Cincinnati quarterback Jeff Blake has a touchdown pass in 18 consecutive games.

Notice: The NFL announced this week that Pro Bowl balloting will take place at Jacksonville Stadium. But why?

Denver (6-5) at Houston (4-7): Both teams figure they probably need to keep winning to remain alive in the playoff race. Whom are they kidding? Denver will finish the season with games on the road at Kansas City and in Oakland. Houston has Chris Chandler at quarterback. Case closed.

Rookie phenom: Denver running back Terrell Davis needs 117 yards to join Bobby Humphrey as the only first-year players in team history to top 1,000 yards.

N.Y. Jets (2-9) at Seattle (5-6): Folks will actually be charged money to watch this one. The Seahawks aim for their fourth consecutive victory. The Jets rank last in offense and last in scoring.

Unbelievable: The Jets’ defense leads the NFL in pass defense, giving up only 177.8 yards a game.

SLEEPER

Philadelphia (7-4) at Washington (3-8): Almost everyone figures the NFC will belong to the Cowboys or 49ers come the playoffs, but the Eagles have won six of their last seven games and play three of their final five against the Redskins, Seahawks and Cardinals.

Mr. Specialist: Redskin running back Brian Mitchell has the chance to become only the second player in NFL history, along with Mel Gray, to lead the NFL in punt returns and kickoff returns.