Game #1: New Orleans 9/06/98

Last Game

UGGGGGGHHH! Well I tried to put off writing this summary for as long as I could until my gag reflex relaxed and I could watch the tape of the game safely... Let's just say that it's one that we Rams fans should certainly forget, but Dick Vermeil and the Rams had better remember it for a long time, lest history repeat itself. The Rams opened up the game and graciously spotted the Saints an early 24 point lead before deciding to come out playing in the second half and come all the way back to within a touchdown, only to run out of time just 35 yards away from the tying score. Fans will remember this game despite all attempts at selective amnesia as the game in which Vermeil committed suicide by his very questionable pregame decision to place both RB's Robert Holcombe and Greg Hill on the inactive list. Vermeil put all his eggs in the basket of starting halfback Jerald Moore and inexperienced June Henley, and it didn't take long for Jerald to spill the basket... literally. Moore fumbled the ball at the five yard line in just the Rams second offensive possession and Saints DE Joe Johnson ran it in for an early touchdown. The Rams were visibly shaken by the unfortunate miscue, and things would get alot worse before they got better. The Rams continued to sputter on offense as the offensive line racked up penalty after penalty, Fred Miller experienced some serious growing pains at LG, and Moore continued to bobble the ball and find very little running room. Meanwhile the Saints shocked the Rams defense with a halfback option pass to Andre Hastings in the endzone, on which cornerback Dexter McCleon played zone and his help, safety Billy Jenkins bit on the running fake... 14-0 Saints. The lowpoint came not long after when Saints running back Lamar Smith took a little dump pass from QB Billy Joe Hobert and juked his way through missed tackles and whifs by all of FIVE Rams defenders to give the Saints a 24 point halftime lead! Thankfully, the Rams would come back. In the second half, the Rams defense knocked out Hobert and completely shut down the Saints offense lead by backup Danny Wuerfel. They also held the Saints to just 36 yards rushing, a avg. per carry of well below two yards. Ray Agnew played very well, recording 5 solo tackles on the defensive line. Lorenzo Styles also had a good game against the run in place of injured starter Roman Phifer. The secondary didn't play poorly either, holding the Saints wide receivers to just 4 catches, but the safeties once again blew some important reads and gave up some back breakers to the Saints tight ends. Jerry Rhome made some adjustments at halftime, adding a post pattern to the backside of all of Isaac Bruce's routes, on which the Saints coverage had been cheating, and the result was a nice touchdown over the middle to Eddie Kennison despite another fumble and penalties that had pushed the offense almost out of the redzone. The offense thrived in the second half with Tony Banks racking up 298 yards on 29 for 44 passing, 1 TD, & 1 INT for a very respectable QB rating of 83. The interception was not Tony's fault, rather it bounced off of Rickey Proehl hands, and Banks also had another touchdown pass dropped by backup TE Tyji Armstrong. The drop by Armstrong would come back to haunt the Rams, as they were forced to settle for a FG on the possession, whereas if they'd scored the TD, they could have tied the game at the end with a FG... they were in range. Banks spread the ball around nicely, finding 7 different receivers. Conwell had 4 catches and played a bigger part in the offense, and Eddie Kennison showed signs of coming out of his year long funk, with a nice punt return and another nice catch on a slant pattern just prior to his touchdown reception. The star of the game, however, was Isaac Bruce. Ike was the man, making 10 receptions for 131 yards in the game. Bruce now leads the league in receptions and is second in yardage for a wide receive after one game. The Rams came up short despite all the heart they showed coming back in the second half. They are going to have to get alot better blocking from the offensive line and better production from their running backs and safeties in order to have a chance against the high powered Viking offense. Final Score: Saints 24, Rams 17 Up Next: MINNESOTA Peace, FastEddie HOME