Rams News

ST. LOUIS RAMS

September 24, 1998

It will be a long, long time before this L.P. -- Lawrence Phillips' moniker -- plays again in St. Louis.

St. Louis Rams coach Dick Vermeil won't be bringing back the troubled Phillips, although his name has come up in personnel meetings after running back Greg Hill broke his leg.

Vermeil spoke with Phillips last week and Rams running backs coach Wilbert Montgomery spoke with Phillips on Monday.

Vermeil still clearly has a soft spot for Phillips.

"I like Lawrence Phillips and I care about the kid," Vermeil said. "I recommended him to three other teams. I couldn't very well recommend him to three other teams without at least having him on my mind some way or another."

Considering the commotion he caused, Vermeil said he wished he would have lied when asked about Phillips on Monday.

"I'm going to have to start not answering questions honestly," Vermeil said. "It just creates problems for (Rams public relations director) Rick Smith, management, ownership

... I mean it's amazing.

"Somebody asks me, 'Is Lawrence Phillips on your mind?' Darn right Lawrence Phillips is on my mind. I had a 15-minute conversation on the telephone with him last week and Greg Hill hadn't even broke his leg."

Rams management was strongly opposed to Vermeil signing Phillips.

The Rams have named rookie Robert Holcombe as their starting feature back for Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Holcombe has been on the inactive list for the club's first three games.

Holcombe, the team's second-round draft choice this spring out of the University of Illinois, was the Rams' leading rusher during the preseason.

"He has impressed me," Vermeil said. "He is reliable. He is secure with the football. If Jerald Moore was more secure with the ball, I would probably start him and work Robert into the game."

Moore, who fumbled three times in the Rams' season-opening loss to New Orleans, will serve as Holcombe's backup.

Vermeil tried to explain why Holcombe was placed on the inactive list for the first three weeks, but something got lost in the translation.

"It basically meant that I didn't think he was ready to be our starter initially," Vermeil said. "If he wasn't my starter, he wasn't my backup because my backup has to play more than one position or he has to be a starter within the third-down offense, and he wasn't that."

SERIES HISTORY: 47th meeting. The Rams hold a 24-20-2 advantage in the series. The two franchises last played each other on Sept. 29, 1996, with the Cardinals pulling out a 31-28, come-from-behind overtime victory in Phoenix. It was quarterback Tony Banks' first start. The Rams saw a 28-14 fourth-quarter lead evaporate in the desert heat. The Rams' defense was too worn down to hold the Cardinals in overtime. On the second play of overtime, running back LeShon Johnson broke two tackles en route to a 66-yard run. That set up Greg Davis' winning 24-yard field goal just two plays later. This will be the Cardinals' first regular-season contest in the Gateway City since relocating to Arizona before the 1988 season.

The Rams are slow starters, but they sure are fast finishers.

The Rams have outscored their opponents 55-33 in the second half. They have outgained their opponents 617 yards to 363 in the second half.

The fourth quarter has been the Rams' best quarter. They have outgained their opponents 410-121 in the final period.

"Regardless of how tired they think are going into the game because I work them too hard -- and I'm not using that as a sarcastic remark -- the end result is they play better as the game goes on, and they can be dominating in the second half," Vermeil said.

In contrast to their fantastic fourth quarters, the Rams have had futile first quarters. They have been outscored 35-0 in the opening quarter.

"What we have to do is turn it loose more in the first quarter," Vermeil said. "What we have to do is play with the confidence that we can start strong and still finish strong. The gas is still going to be in the tank."

--Banks bashers who wanted the team to draft a quarterback should take note of Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning and San Diego quarterback Ryan Leaf, the top players taken in this year's draft.

Manning has thrown eight interceptions and has a passer rating of 49.0, while Leaf has completed an NFL-low 42.9 percent of his passes and has a passer rating of 41.0.

"The No. 1 thing you have to do is make a commitment to a person," Vermeil said. "I decided to make a commitment to Tony and then work with him. You build a quarterback. It's tough to buy one nowadays."

--The Rams' punt return unit has posted at least one return of 30 or more yards in each of their three games this season.

BY THE NUMBERS: Tony Banks' passer rating in the fourth quarter is 87.7 compared to his overall rating of 63.0.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I talked him, yeah, but I really don't feel it's a possibility at this time. I understand it has created quite a little news thing around the country. I'm sorry I did that." -- Rams coach Dick Vermeil, a couple of days after saying that he would consider bringing RB Lawrence Phillips back to St. Louis.

With RB Greg Hill sidelined 8-10 weeks after having surgery to place pins his broken leg, the Rams are looking for another running back.

Two possibilities are former Rams RB David Thompson -- the team's Rookie of the Year last season, who was cut Aug. 30 -- and former New York Giants RB Rodney Hampton.

The Rams will likely free up a roster spot by putting Hill on injured reserve.

--Coach Dick Vermeil will let offensive coordinator Jerry Rhome continue calling the plays. Vermeil deferred the play-calling duties to Rhome last week because he felt too distracted by all the player unrest over his long practices.

Vermeil said he will still have a voice in the play-calling decisions.

GAME PLAN: The Rams need to find some kind of running attack without Hill. If they don't, the Cardinals' pass rushers, namely Simeon Rice and Eric Swann, will be able to tee off on Tony Banks. The Rams' defense needs to get pressure on Jake Plummer, and then it needs to keep Plummer from breaking containment and still making big plays. The Cardinals' offensive line has allowed 12 sacks in three games. The Rams are coming off a nine-sack effort against Buffalo.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH: Rams LBs Mike Jones and Roman Phifer vs. Cardinals FB Larry Centers. Covering RBs has been a chronic problem for the Rams. Centers had a career-high 13 receptions against the Rams in a 1996 overtime game.

Rams RG Zach Wiegert vs. Cardinals DT Eric Swann. Wiegert has been a solid run blocker, but he has had trouble with pass protection. Swann, who has made two consecutive trips to the Pro Bowl, is an explosive pass rusher.

Rams WR Isaac Bruce vs. Cardinals CB Aeneas Williams. If Bruce plays, this will be a matchup of two of the best players at their positions. Bruce has been nearly unstoppable as he still leads the NFL in receiving yardage despite missing last week's game. Williams is one of the NFL's premier coverage guys.

INJURY IMPACT: WR Isaac Bruce won't even practice until Friday due to a tight hamstring muscle in his right leg. Considering Bruce's history of hamstring trouble, the Rams might opt to sit out Bruce this week and then let him rest and recoup during the bye week next week.

QB Tony Banks' sore throwing shoulder has cost him practice time for the second straight week. He'll play Sunday, but he might not be as sharp after being unable to throw much during the week.

LDE Kevin Carter is questionable due to a strained calf muscle. He should be able to play, but if Carter can't go, Jay Williams, who flunked out in his two-game test as the starter at RDE, will start at LDE.

LB Roman Phifer will make his season debut on Sunday. He has been sidelined with a hamstring injury.

LB Lorenzo Styles has a groin strain and probably won't play this week. With Phifer coming back, Styles wouldn't have seen much playing time anyway.

RB Greg Hill will miss 8-10 weeks with a broken fibula. He probably will be placed on injured reserve.

SS Toby Wright has swelling in both knees -- his surgically repaired right knee and his good left knee. He should be able to start on Sunday.

CB Todd Lyght has a bruised thigh that will keep him out of practice, but not out of games.

C Ryan Tucker has a pinched nerve in his neck. His status is day-to-day.

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