Rams’ Role Is That of Spoiler : NFC: They can keep the Saints from the playoffs by winning at New Orleans tonight.
NEW ORLEANS — The Rams already have played out all their 1990 dramas--the good, the bad and the behind-the-scenes power struggles--setting the stage for a peaceful, if playoff-less postseason.
The New Orleans Saints, however, still have one more dose of nail-biting left in 1990: Beat the Rams tonight or lose the NFC’s final playoff spot.
On the last day of the year, all that remains for the Rams is to try to force the Saints into joining them on the post-season sidelines, with the eyes of Dallas upon them.
In the wake of the Dallas Cowboys’ 26-7 loss at Atlanta on Sunday, the 7-8 Saints can jump into the playoffs for the second time in history by defeating the Rams tonight. A Saint loss or a tie would let the Cowboys in as the NFC’s third and final wild-card team.
So, days after Ram owner Georgia Frontiere preempted an apparent showdown between Coach John Robinson and the front office and assured he would remain with the team, the Rams can show their appreciation by playing with a little more emotion than in last week’s loss in Atlanta.
The 5-10 Rams suddenly have only 1991 to look forward to--not the sweeping changes a new coach would surely bring. And if sighs of relief can be translated into crunching football, the Rams might have a little something going here.
“We can go out there and really play like we’re capable of playing or like we did last year,” cornerback Jerry Gray said, reflecting on Frontiere’s decision Friday to guarantee Robinson’s security and broaden his personnel powers. “Just all the things that we’ve been bundled up with this year, we can just go out there and lay it on the line and play.”
The Rams had best be ready, because the Saints’ quest is a little more specific than merely to feel good about themselves. After an up-and-down first 15 games, somehow, someway, New Orleans is on the doorstep of the playoffs.
Only a few weeks ago, the Saints were 5-7 and counting themselves out. Now, a few key injuries and a few key Saint victories--including a 24-20 one over the Rams in Anaheim Stadium Dec. 9--and most particularly that Cowboy loss Sunday, and the Superdome is ready to celebrate the New Year well before midnight.
“Oh boy, the Superdome will probably just blow up,” Saint linebacker Pat Swilling said. “Because our fans, they come and they’re excited whether we’re doing good or bad. . . .
“But an opportunity to get into the playoffs--it’ll be so wild in there, it’ll be unbelieveable. I don’t think we’ve had a game of this magnitude since the (franchise’s sole) playoff game against Minnesota three years ago.”
The Saints are keyed up enough about their playoff chances that Swilling already is talking about how they match up against the Chicago Bears--their would-be first-round playoff opponents.
“As for the Bears, their quarterback (Jim Harbaugh) is still out--I think he’ll be out for the playoffs. . . ,” Swilling said. “Their offense, they seem to want to put up enough points and let their defense play and not lose the game. It’ll definitely be a defensive game playing against those guys because of the philosophy of both teams.”
Does that mean New Orleans is certain it will beat the Rams tonight?
“I think if we come out and play on all cylinders from a defensive standpoint, and if our offense puts up enough points, we’ve got a good opportunity to win the game,” Swilling said, a little cautiously.
“But L.A. has the potential to score points. . . . They always play well against us, and we haven’t beaten those guys down here since ’83 (actually, not counting the 1987 strike year, since 1986).
“They play good in our stadium. It’s not going to be an easy game by any sense.”
The Saints don’t play easy games, so the playoff-deciding final week shouldn’t be any different. Second-year quarterback Steve Walsh--acquired from the Cowboys early this year--is still getting his feet wet in the NFL, and the offense has struggled.
New Orleans has the 24th-ranked offense in the league and has scored fewer than 20 points in five of its last six games. Walsh was pulled for early season starter John Fourcade for two series in last week’s 13-10 victory over the 49ers.
While the offense has stumbled, the Saints’ tough, linebacker-driven defense has been depended upon to hold things tight and has responded by dragging the team to the brink of the playoffs.
“I think with the quarterback changes and everything we’ve been through, it’s been difficult for us,” Swilling said. “But our defense has tried to rise to the occasion, and we’ve played pretty well through most of the season.
“Our offense put up enough points to keep it close, and a lot of the burden is on our defense--but that’s where a lot of our good players are at, and we just have to come through.”
As always, New Orleans will try to disrupt the Rams’ offense by sending its linebackers--Swilling chief among them--at Ram quarterback Jim Everett. The Rams will counter by using running back Marcus Dupree a great deal, but when they have to pass, look for Swilling and Rickey Jackson leading the usual Saint rampage to knock down Everett.
“Something doesn’t seem quite right,” Swilling said when asked what’s happening to the Rams’ offense this season. “I don’t know if it’s Jim or just the way their year has gone. . . . They seem maybe a little off, and that could be a lot of things.”
Rams Notes
Ram linebacker Kevin Greene is not scheduled to play because of a sore shoulder. Also not expected to play: Left guard Tom Newberry (ankle) and tight end Damone Johnson (hamstring). . . . In last year’s Superdome appearance by the Rams, Flipper Anderson set the NFL single-game receiving mark with 336 yards on 15 catches in the Rams’ 20-17 victory.
