Rams News

Rams fight back for win
09/20 08:54 PM

By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch Staff

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Say what you will about these St. Louis Rams. They are nothing if not resilient.
Injuries took away many of their top players Sunday. The casualties included wide receiver Isaac Bruce, running back Greg Hill, defensive end Kevin Carter and cornerback back Todd Lyght. Bruce didn't even dress because of a hamstring injury.
They had enough defensive breakdowns to yield 31 points to one of the league's most feeble offensive units. Buffalo had managed 21 points -- total -- in its two previous games.
They left receivers wide open for touchdowns . . . got gashed for 215 yards by the Bills' running game . . . muffed a punt, and had three other turnovers . . . got nabbed for a crucial fourth-quarter safety.
And one other thing: They won.
Quarterback Tony Banks dashed into the end zone for a 2-yard TD with 11 seconds to play, giving the Rams a dramatic 34-33 victory.
``It's like deja vu three weeks in a row,'' said Amp Lee, who led Rams receivers with five catches. ``We come down to the last series, we're in a panic to get in the end zone.''
Two weeks ago, the Rams spotted New Orleans a 24-0 lead. Banks was sacked trying to throw a game-tying touchdown on the final play of a 24-17 loss.
Last week, Banks was stopped inside the 1-yard line trying to score the game-tying touchdown as time expired in a 38-31 loss to Minnesota. The Rams trailed 24-10 at halftime in that one.
On Sunday, they were down
28-10 midway through the third quarter before rallying.
``We're just a bunch of guys that like to battle,'' Lyght said.
This time, they won the battle and the war.
``We were due for something good to happen to us,'' coach Dick Vermeil said. ``There's absolutely no quit in these guys. They believe they can win, and they know they have the stamina to really come on and compete successfully in the second half of a football game.''
The Rams have outscored the opposition 55-33 in the second half this season. They scored 21 points Sunday in the final quarter and a half.
``We're the hardest-practicing team in the world,'' said D'Marco Farr, who had two of the Rams' nine sacks. ``And it shows in the fourth. In the fourth quarter, they're dying. We're still going. So we're never out, no matter what the score is.''
The Rams looked down and out when Hill was crunched by mammoth Buffalo defensive tackle Ted Washington for a safety with 8 minutes 19 seconds to play. The play gave Buffalo (0-3) a 33-28 lead and the ball back on a free kick by
St. Louis. It also sent Hill to the locker room with a broken right leg after rushing for a career-high 154 yards and two TDs. He will be sidelined about six weeks.
``It's a tough loss for us,'' offensive tackle Orlando Pace said. ``He was running so well.''
If there was ever a time for a team to let down, this was it.
``This squad doesn't know what `letdown' is all about,'' Vermeil said. ``Did they show any sign of letting down at any time? They've worked through times when they could have been mad enough at me to walk off the field. They've worked through those things and hung together.''
First, the Rams knocked Buffalo's Rob Johnson out of the game with a jarring hit by middle linebacker Eric Hill on a quarterback sneak. Next, they got the ball back after a punt by Chris Mohr rolled into the end zone.
They took over at their 20 with 3:57 to play, one timeout, no Bruce, no Greg Hill, and seemingly little hope.
But Jerald Moore, in his first carry since his three-fumble game against New Orleans, got a first down on third and 1 from the Rams' 29.
Ricky Proehl, starting in place of Bruce, caught a 22-yard pass over the middle on third and 15 from the Rams' 25.
Completions of 34 yards to Proehl and 12 yards to Lee advanced the ball to the Buffalo 2 with 27 seconds remaining.
A running play for a loss, a timeout, and a holding penalty on Buffalo put the ball back on the 2. The clock was stopped, and the Rams had a first down. But with only 17 seconds left and no timeouts.
Before the play, Vermeil instructed Banks not to run the football, because if he was stopped short of the end zone, the Rams probably couldn't get another play off. If there was nothing there, Vermeil wanted Banks to throw the ball away to stop the clock.
Well, there was nothing there. Primary receiver Ernie Conwell was held up at the line of scrimmage. No. 2 option, backup tight end Tyji Armstrong, was covered.
So Banks too off.
``He knew if he didn't score, it's over,'' Vermeil said. ``Just like last week. He got it in there this week.''
Banks eluded one would-be tackler before dashing to his left. But he scored untouched. It was a huge play, the kind of clutch touchdown that most players remember long after their careers are over. But in typical Banks fashion, he didn't even save the football for a memento.
``We're still 1-2,'' he said. ``It's a big win, but it's not like we're about to make the playoffs or something.''
His teammates were a bit more excited -- for the team and for Banks, who needed a shot of pain-killer before the game because of a sore throwing shoulder.
``For him to go out there and have the game that he did, with the best wide receiver in the league on the sideline, speaks very highly of Tony,'' said Lyght, whose day ended in the third quarter because of a thigh injury.
``I was so proud of him,'' offensive tackle Wayne Gandy said. ``He made a lot of big plays. He takes big hits and gets up. Nobody pulls for him like the `o-line' because we see talent. He just has a few more things in his armor to get right and he'll be ready.''
Ready for what?
``Hopefully, we'll be able to get this thing snowballing, and keep some `W's' going,'' Banks said. ``So we can try to make a run for the playoffs.''

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