Rams News

ST. LOUIS RAMS

August 12, 1998

The St. Louis Rams seem serious about resurrecting their running game.

Saturday night, they rushed for 94 yards during their 20-13 preseason-opening loss to the Denver Broncos.

Ninety-four yards is not exactly a steamrollering, but it's more yards than the Rams gained in seven of their 16 games last season.

The Rams' coaching staff also showed that they're committed to the run after the Broncos came out in a eight-man front.

The Rams answered the dare instead of becoming pass-happy.

Running back Greg Hill had been with Rams for five days, but it looked more like five years.

Hill rushed for 56 yards on seven carries. His 31-yard dash around left end in the second quarter was three yards longer than the Rams' longest run last season. He also had a two-yard touchdown run in the third quarter.

With Jerald Moore, Robert Holcombe and David Thompson all hurt and June Henley fumbling on his second carry against the Broncos, Hill might have leapfrogged to the head of the line in the battle for the job of feature back.

"I haven't earned the job yet," Hill said. "I just had a good game because the offensive line had a good game. It was really more of a concerted effort by the offensive line. It meant something to those guys to go out and play against Denver tonight."

The touchdown was a rarity for Hill. He had no touchdowns last season, even though he led the Kansas City Chiefs in rushing with 550 yards.

Once the Chiefs got to the goal line, future Hall of Famer Marcus Allen got the ball.

"In Kansas City, I was the guy who carried the ball between the 20 and 20, and Marcus Allen would come in and score the touchdowns," Hill said. "I felt cheated a lot of times, but I was glad to do that because I'm a part of history."

Hill has an explosiveness that the Rams' other running backs don't possess.

"He's a speed guy, a change-of-pace guy, because he's a little faster than the guys we've got," quarterback Tony Banks said.

The Rams averaged a robust 4.9 yards per carry during the game.

The passing game wasn't nearly as efficient.

Banks struggled. He completed 7 of 13 passes for 45 yards and was intercepted once.

"Tony is going to have to play better than that," Rams coach Dick Vermeil said. "It was a very average performance for a guy going into his third year."

The most telling statistic of the game was third-down efficiency. The Broncos converted 63 percent (10 of 16) of their third downs, while the Rams converted 30 percent (3 of 10) of theirs.

The Rams' patchwork secondary had problems. Playing without safeties Keith Lyle and Toby Wright and holdout cornerback Ryan McNeil, the Rams let Denver backup quarterbacks Bubby Brister and Brian Griese throw for a combined 304 yards and two touchdowns.

CAMP CALENDAR: The Rams will hold three more two-a-days before breaking their training camp at Western Illinois University on Aug. 19.

The Rams' offensive linemen have made a pact not to talk to the media this season.

The linemen talked freely during the first two weeks of training camp, but then clammed up last week. They decided on the no-talk policy as a way of promoting team unity.

The Broncos' offensive line had the same policy last season. However, the Broncos' O-line was arguably the strongest link on the best team. The Rams' line is weakest link on the NFL's worst team in the 1990s.

The sportswriters covering the team will file a protest through the Pro Football Writers of America.

--There is a slight chance that Craig "Ironhead" Heyward could play for the Rams yet this season.

Heyward could report to training camp in the next couple of weeks if he can meet, or come close to, Vermeil's weight mandate of 260 pounds.

Heyward's agent, Jack Mills, met with Rams executive vice president Jay Zygmunt last weekend in St. Louis.

--New punter Rick Tuten averaged 47 yards on four punts against the Broncos.

--The Rams released rookie defensive end Glenn Young, Jr., who was to be sidelined for 3-4 weeks with a hamstring injury.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "We didn't get the type of pass rush we have to get. I don't know if anybody gets a good pass rush against them." -- Rams coach Dick Vermeil, after his team failed to register a sack against the Denver Broncos.

The Rams signed James Stewart in the hope they can convert the 6-3, 235-pound running back into a fullback/H-back. Stewart, who played previously for the Minnesota Vikings, sat out last season.

The Rams showed a new wrinkle with a pass-rushing formation that featured rookie linebacker Leonard Little at left end and linebacker Charlie Clemons at right end.

The Rams are working John Flannery at both center and right guard. It wouldn't be a shock if he unseats either center Mike Gruttadauria or right guard Zach Wiegert for a starting spot.

Vermeil said he is keeping his vow to be more involved with the offense this season. He called about a half-dozen plays during the Broncos game.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: RB Greg Hill, who averaged eight yards a carry and scored a touchdown against the Broncos. Hill was able to pick up the Rams' offensive scheme in only five days because it is so similar to the Kansas City offensive scheme.

After feeling like he was lost in the crowd with the Chiefs, Hill welcomes the chance to be a main attraction with the Rams.

"I didn't get a chance to show all the things I can do for the simple reason that they have so much talent in Kansas City," Hill said. "They have so many guys who can get the ball in the end zone that there's not enough balls to go around."

BATTLE OF THE WEEK: Eric Hill vs. Lorenzo Styles for starting MLB. Styles started in the middle against the Broncos, even though Hill has been healthy for a week. Hill missed the first two weeks of training camp due to a back injury.

"I'm not going to take somebody who is playing better than somebody and move him out of there," Vermeil said. "I don't care what we paid for him. Eric hasn't had enough practice to play well yet. He'll get a lot better soon."

OTHER BATTLE FRONTS: David Thompson, June Henley, Tony Horne and Az-Zahir Hakim for No. 1 kickoff return man. Thompson had the job last season, but he has been sidelined due to a bruised thigh. Horne returned four kicks for 74 yards against the Broncos. He nearly broke through a seam in Denver's kick coverage, but got tripped up right before reaching daylight.

ROOKIE REPORT: DE Grant Wistrom intercepted two passes during a practice late last week, but the first-round draft pick got his bell rung after he collided with Denver's Derek Loville on a kickoff return. Wistrom returned to action in the second half. Wistrom had one tackle and forced a fumble in the game.

INJURY REPORT: RBs Jerald Moore (thigh), David Thompson (thigh) and Robert Holcombe (hamstring) have all returned to action. S Toby Wright was supposed to see his first action of the preseason this week in San Diego, but he might have to wait until next week at home against Dallas.

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