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| Monday, November 1 Updated: November 2, 1:24 PM ET Rams not perfect, but ... By Dave Goldberg Associated Press |
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As they've done for each of the past 27 seasons, members of the 1972 Miami Dolphins celebrate when the NFL's last unbeaten team falls.
The Rams had reason to celebrate, too, even though they lost 24-21 in Tennessee. They came back from a 21-0 deficit against a good team on the road, barely missing overtime when the usually reliable Jeff Wilkins missed a 38-yard field goal with 14 seconds left. "We knew we were going to lose a game here and there," said cornerback Todd Lyght, who until this season had played eight seasons on Rams teams that were a combined 43-85. Some positive points:
Yes, some problems showed. Warner, who had been sacked just nine times in six games, went down six times. Right tackle Fred Miller, lined up against Tennessee rookie Jevon Kearse, was flagged six times for false starts and called for holding twice, though one of those was declined. Overall, the Rams were penalized 15 times for 97 yards. But those things happen on the road before 66,415 screaming fans, particularly when an offensive lineman thinks he's overmatched. The Rams have that advantage in their home dome and they exploit it. "We haven't been in this kind of atmosphere," coach Dick Vermeil said. "We haven't been under this kind of pressure before." The Rams might have the same problem next week in Detroit, which at 5-2 is as big a surprise as St. Louis. But St. Louis is already three games ahead of the 49ers in the NFC West and nobody there, including San Francisco, has shown the wherewithal to climb back in the race. Now the Rams have shown that they can perform under the kind pressure Vermeil described -- something they'll need to do in the playoffs. Even the team that beat them admired their spunk. "We wanted to see how they would react being down," Tennessee safety Blaine Bishop said. "They hadn't been down all year, blowing everybody out. They came back out fighting in the second half. Hats off to them."
Saints marching backward 1. He still hasn't figured out how to manage the clock. 2. He still hasn't figured out how to defend against the desperation pass. For the second consecutive week, the Saints allowed a touchdown on one of those heaves on the final play of a game or half. This one, from Tim Couch to Kevin Johnson, gave the new Cleveland Browns their first win. Time management? Last week's bomb was set up by two timeouts called by the Saints that gave the Giants time to hit a desperation pass on the final play of the half. This week, the Saints called time with 29 seconds left, giving Cleveland just enough time after Doug Brien made the go-ahead field goal. New Orleans (1-6) has blown fourth-quarter leads in five of its losses, the only blowout being the Giants' 31-3 victory. That means some talent is there. But it raises questions about something else.
Peter making progress Later that season, Peter was signed by the Giants, a team with a history of bypassing troubled players. He spent the rest of the year undergoing counseling. Since then, there hasn't been a hint of trouble, and Peter has become a big-time player even though he's technically a backup -- he's starting now because Robert Harris has a broken leg. On opening day, he returned a fumble for a touchdown against Tampa Bay. On Sunday in Philadelphia, he blocked a field-goal attempt that would have given the Eagles a 10-point lead. Then, in overtime, he blocked a pass by Doug Pederson. The ball was grabbed by Michael Strahan, who ran 44 yards for the winning touchdown.
Blowing the whistle But on the first lateral, a flag flew -- forward pass. The play continued for a few seconds, then referee Tony Corrente blew his whistle and stopped the game. The obvious penalty meant the game was over. It turns out that's league policy -- if the players can hear the whistle. Two weeks ago, Dallas tried that play against the Giants. The first pass was clearly forward and drew a flag, but the play continued with a touchdown. Then, the penalty was called and the game ended. Meanwhile, Brad Daluiso, New York's kicker, tore a knee ligament trying to make a tackle and is gone for the season.
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