Rams News

Preseason proved Banks can beat backups

08/28/98

By Tom Wheatley
Of the Post-Dispatch Staff

KANSAS CITY -- The Rams exhibition season has expired, some may say mercifully. And a major question has been answered.
Quarterback Tony Banks and his varsity mates proved that they fear no jayvee lineup.
The Rams slogged past the patchwork Kansas City Chiefs 10-6 Friday night at Arrowhead Stadium.
Chiefs coach Marty Schottenheimer, who thinks the Governor's Cup is a candy dish, treated this gala like an optional practice.
He held out seven starters, four on offense. The rest of his regulars played exactly 15 minutes.
The Rams won that first quarter, 7-0, despite letting Chiefs run through them 10 times for 70 yards.
Banks completed three of five passes for 30 yards. He was intercepted when the ball bounced off a receiver. In the second quarter, working only against scrubs, Banks completed seven of nine passes for 90 yards.
Then he and the rest of the offensive and defensive regulars sat down after intermission with a 10-6 lead.
The Chiefs cooperated with a Rams-like penalty binge, including a mulligan for Rams punt returner Eddie Kennison.
He fumbled away a first-quarter punt, then got a reprieve when Chiefs headhunter Greg Manusky sneaked downfield illegally.
That led to the night's most animated moment. Schottenheimer summoned Manusky for a tongue-lashing on the sideline, then kept turning to glare at the culprit on the bench.
Until Schottzie detonated, the night's most entertaining display was a plane circling overhead with a streamer that read:
``Go Mark McGwire -- From Margarita's.''
Rams coach Dick Vermeil was not in a party mood. He worked his starters on both sides of the ball for two quarters.
That mismatched gameplan also worked last week against Dallas, when Banks led a second-half scoring drive against the Cowboys' second-string defense. That margin was the difference in a 22-14 victory.
For Banks, starting his third year, the replay of his preseason has been inconclusive. He was outplayed by three rookies:
Peyton Manning of Indianapolis, in his first pro scrimmage; Brian Griese of Denver, in his first pro exhibition game; and Ryan Leaf of San Diego in his second pro exhibition.
Manning and Leaf went 1-2 in the recent draft and are exceptional prospects.
But Griese lasted until the third round, 91st overall, in the recent draft. Banks was taken in the second round, 42nd overall, in 1996.
Against Denver, one pro scout at the Trans World Dome rated Banks fourth of the four quarterbacks used by both teams. ``He would have been fifth,'' the scout said, ``but John Elway didn't play for Denver.''
Like Hillary Clinton, Vermeil is standing by his man.
``Manning was playing in a scrimmage,'' Vermeil said before the Chiefs game. ``So we don't know how he'd have looked in a game situation. Brian Griese was out with the second guys against our second guys. So you can't really tell what he would have done against our first guys.
``The only difference between Tony and Ryan Leaf was that Ryan Leaf threw those balls deep.''
Vermeil conceded that was a large if.
``He's just missed the deep balls,'' Vermeil said. ``He has to be more consistent in throwing the ball deep.''
Vermeil also said Banks made only one poor decision in the first three exhibitions.
A team can lose with a good quarterback. It's almost impossible to win with a bad one.
Last season, Banks seemed to care more about his dog and his pickup basketball games than about his job. That soured many admirers, including this one.
Does Banks care enough to push himself and his teammates into the victory column?
``Oh, he cares,'' Vermeil said. ``If he wasn't that way, I'd tell you. But he isn't going to show the fans what they like to see. It crushes him when he makes a mistake. In fact, he cares too much.
``When he makes a mistake, he should erase it and move on. Sometimes it bothers him so much that he carries it over to the next play.
``I still believe in him,'' the coach said of his young quarterback. ``Shoot, yeah.''
Seeing will be believing next time out. The Rams open the regular season against New Orleans on Sept. 6 at the Trans World Dome.
Saints coach Mike Ditka is not expected to rest his regulars for three quarters.

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