Rams and Falcons Will Be Running Wild : Down-to-Earth Football Is Expected as Teams Battle for First Place
The Rams and the Atlanta Falcons meet today for the second time in three weeks, which means it’s time once again to get out your stopwatch to clock what surely will be the NFL’s fastest game of the week.
These are two of the league’s 9-to-5 teams. None of that fancy passing stuff for these guys. They run the ball until the clock strikes zero. And may the filthiest team win.
In less than three hours, the Rams and the Falcons promise to beat each other to a pulp, throw a maximum of 15 passes each and decide for now who is king of the NFC West.
It’s a real-man’s brand of football, even if it isn’t real exciting.
The Falcons (5-1-1) messed up the standings last week after a wacky 10-10 overtime tie with the San Francisco 49ers.
So, after seven weeks, Atlanta holds a half-game lead over the second-place Rams.
The Falcons have climbed to the top by stealing the formula the Rams used to get there last season.
Both teams pride themselves on having strong running games and a quarterback who promises never to drop a center snap.
And how about that revenge motive? Two weeks ago in Atlanta, the Falcons beat the Rams, 26-14.
That ought to be enough to get everyone riled up. Or is it?
“I’m not going to come out and say, ‘Oh my God, it’s the Falcons, we’ve lost to them once all ready,” running back Eric Dickerson said.
Still, most Rams were offended last time that the Falcons dared to beat the Rams at their own game.
Falcon running back Gerald Riggs, in a Dickerson-like performance, gained 141 yards in 35 carries against the Rams’ vaunted run defense.
Atlanta’s defense, meanwhile, allowed Dickerson just 73 yards in 16 carries.
It is the Falcons these days, and not the Rams, who lead the NFL in rushing with a 187.1-yards-a-game average.
Dickerson and Riggs have created quite a little rushing rivalry. Dickerson leads the NFL with 860 yards, while Riggs is third with 652.
Riggs and Dickerson don’t know each other, but they are familiar with each other’s work.
“He’s a power runner,” Dickerson said of Riggs. “He’ll get you four, five, six yards per carry. He’s not the type of back to break an 80-yarder all the way.”
Dickerson, of course, is just that kind of back, though he hasn’t shown it against the Falcons. Atlanta has held Dickerson to fewer than 100 yards the last three times the teams have met.
But that’s misleading, Dickerson is quick to point out.
In those three games, Dickerson has carried only a total of 34 times for 140 yards.
In the first game last year, Dickerson was slightly injured. In the second, the Rams were taken out of their game plan early as Atlanta won, 30-14.
Two weeks ago, Dickerson carried only 16 times.
“Believe me,” Dickerson said. “If I carried 35 times a game like Riggs does, I’d get a hundred yards.”
He may get a chance today. With Steve Dils starting at quarterback in place of injured Steve Bartkowski, the Rams figure to fall into their safety-first offense.
The Rams also figure to do a better job stopping Riggs this time.
The Rams have moved Shawn Miller from defensive end back to nose tackle in an effort to stop the rush up the middle. The Rams also have Carl Ekern back at inside linebacker. Ekern missed the first Atlanta game with a groin injury.
Riggs, too, is expecting a different game.
“I don’t have any doubt about that,” he said. “They probably brought in a guy . . . and dressed him in 42 (Riggs’ number) and just let everyone take hits on him this week. They’ll be after our running game, I know that for a fact. But we’re not going to change our game plan. We’ve got to establish a run game; 20 times, 40 times, whatever it takes.”
The Rams figure to do the same thing. And so what if the Rams don’t have much of an offense.
“Don’t tell me they’re not successful,” Falcon Coach Dan Henning said. “Look at that team south of you (San Diego). Their quarterbacks have a lot better stats, but they’re not 5-2. When you’re winning when you go into the dressing room, it doesn’t matter what statistics you have.”
Should make for an exciting game.
Ram Notes
The Rams Saturday cleared a spot on the roster for wide receiver Henry Ellard by releasing six-year veteran receiver Bobby Duckworth. . . . Duckworth, 27, who started six games in Ellard’s place this season, had just 9 receptions for 141 yards and 1 touchdown. He became expendable after Ellard returned from a contract dispute earlier last week. The Rams have also recently acquired former Tampa Bay receiver Kevin House. . . . The Falcons have never swept the Rams in a season series. . . . Eric Dickerson needs 180 yards to break Lawrence McCutcheon’s Ram career rushing record of 6,186 yards. . . . Former Ram David Croudip will start at left cornerback for Atlanta, replacing injured Bobby Butler (broken leg). . . . Herman Edwards, former Ram cornerback, was signed by the Falcons this week. . . . Falcon wide receiver Billy (White Shoes) Johnson, returned to the lineup last week against San Francisco. Johnson had spent the first six games on injured reserve with a foot injury..
