Rams : Robinson Taking a Pass on the Running Game

Remember when the Rams ran the ball so much you screamed at your television set and threatened to take your season-ticket business to the Raiders?

Remember trap plays, 47-Gap, yawning, draws, and big David Hill clearing out some serious real estate? Or handing the ball to Eric Dickerson on third and 35 against St. Louis in 1984 and Dickerson stepping out of bounds after gaining 34?

John Robinson does.

“What happened to the good ol’ run we all loved?” he said Monday, quite facetiously.

This after fielding questions about the disappearance of his rushing game, which has been on life-support for 5 weeks now after Sunday’s 60-yard team effort against New Orleans. In ground numbers, that’s an average of 84 yards a week since the San Francisco game on Oct. 16.

Though definitely concerned/frantic/desperate, Robinson finds it amusing that he’s taking heat from the same people who once begged him to mix in a pass once in a while.

Well, he’s mixing in passes now. A lot of them. He brought you a top-rated quarterback. You wanted it all?

“We are a team in a different context now,” he said. “In those days, that was our bread and butter. Now, we’re trying to go to other things. The running offense, just by the nature of the fact that we are throwing the ball, isn’t going to be the future phase of the game.”

For Robinson, it almost amounted to a confession, the purging of a lifelong philosophy for the sake of a team’s best interests. Isn’t going to be the future phase of the game?

Yes, the balance of power has shifted in Anaheim, seemingly too fast and too much.

“It’s one of the problems you face, that constant juggling,” Robinson said. “When we didn’t pass well, everyone said, ‘How can you pass well when you only throw 18 times a game?’ When you’re trying to use a lot of weapons, those are some of the problems.”

Robinson wants only to balance the scales. Right now, they’re teetering toward pass.

Sunday, the Rams rushed the ball just 8 times in the first half. They passed 20. Welcome to the new era.

Did the Rams just forget to ring for Greg Bell on Sunday? Not according to Robinson, who knew well that Bell, then the National Football League’s fourth-leading rusher, didn’t make an appearance against the Saints until the third quarter.

Bell appears headed for the role originally intended for him--Charles White’s backup. That role, you’ll remember, was interrupted by White’s 30-day suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy.

“You’ve been aware of what has transpired,” Robinson said. “Fourth-leading rusher in the NFL, that’s true, but you’ve been aware that we’re going to go with Charlie. That was our plan to start Charlie and bring Greg on. The situation in the first half just never gave us a chance to get much started.”

The race in the NFC West may be going down to the final week. The Saints have a 1-game lead over the Rams, but get a load of their schedule the next 4 weeks: Denver, New York Giants, at Minnesota, at San Francisco. New Orleans closes the season at home against Atlanta, a real mystery team with talented Chris Miller at quarterback.

The Rams face the San Diego Chargers at home this week, then get the Broncos in Denver, Chicago and Atlanta at home before closing out the season in San Francisco Dec. 18.

The 49ers, 2 games behind the Saints, play host to Washington next week and then hit the road against the Chargers and Falcons. San Francisco closes out the season at home against the Saints and Rams.

“Our division is up for grabs,” Robinson said. “The two wild cards are up for grabs. It’s too hard to call. But we have to get back to playing with the crispness lacking the last couple of weeks.”

Ram Notes

Linebacker Mel Owens and his sprained ankle are again listed as doubtful for next Sunday’s game against San Diego. Owens spent part of his Sunday on the sidelines chatting with Magic Johnson. The conversation ranged from their rival alma maters--Owens is from Michigan, Magic from Michigan State--to what exactly prompted Johnson to make the drive down to Anaheim. “He said the Raiders were out of town,” Owens explained.

Jim Everett has fallen from the ranks of the mighty. The NFL’s top-rated quarterback a week ago has slipped to fourth in the NFC this week. Everett’s rating fell from 98 to 93.2. With 6 interceptions in the last 2 weeks, Everett has more than doubled his interception total through the first 9 games when he threw just 5. Coach John Robinson said he’s worried that Everett might be trying to do too much.

“We have to go on the practice field and do everything right this week,” he said. “He is having such a great year, he is such a really good quarterback, that we cannot have him begin to see himself as anything other than that. He’s started 27 games in the league now. He’ll probably start 150 more. He’s going to have some games that don’t go so good. You don’t want to get to the point where he is the only guy.”

Wide receiver Henry Ellard needs 97 yards to become the Rams’ first 1,000-yard receiver since Tommy McDonald in 1965. . . . There is speculation that linebacker Jim Collins, who has been on injured reserve all season after undergoing knee surgery in training camp, will be joining the active roster this week. Robinson said Monday that a decision hasn’t yet been made. . . . Punter Dale Hatcher hasn’t shown any signs of rust since returning from injured reserve. In the 2 games since his return, Hatcher has averaged 40.3 yards on 11 punts. . . . Does it really mean that much to lead the league in sacks? The Rams still do with 42, but the Dallas Cowboys (2-9) are closing fast with 37. . . . Against the Saints, the Rams were held without a sack for the first time this season.