Who Knows? Dickerson May Be Hurting, but He Isn’t Talking

While in search of a passing attack, the Rams misplaced their running game this season.

“Let’s see, it must by lying around here someplace,” people say to Coach John Robinson. “You sure it’s not in your other suit? Do you suppose Al Davis has anything to do with this? Maybe you should run an ad.”

Lost: one juggernaut, somewhere between Eric Dickerson’s holdout and the disappearance of the offensive line. Return to Anaheim Stadium by 1 p.m. Sunday. No questions asked.

It’s not as if Robinson can call in an expert to solve the problem. When it comes to running the football, Robinson is the expert.

In his first two years with the Rams, Robinson built a ground assault that averaged 140.8 and 179 yards but is down to 125 this season. Dickerson is averaging 72.5 yards in the six games he has played, off 59.1.

Theories abound. According to a survey of principals Wednesday, they fall into three major categories:

--It’s Dickerson’s fault for:

(a) Holding out.

Bruce Snyder, who coaches the running backs, doesn’t buy that. “It certainly wasn’t in the first game he played (when Dickerson gained 150 yards at Seattle).”

(b) Not running the way he used to, i.e. trying to dance with defenders instead of blowing past them.

Dickerson, who after Sunday’s 28-14 loss to the 49ers had repeated his frequent line, “I’m not Superman,” responded Wednesday, “No comment.”

Robinson said: “I certainly believe Eric is discouraged, because the focus tends to be on him. I think it’s a factor in his state of mind. I don’t think he’s caught the same confidence and expectation, so that’s taken some of the aggressiveness away from him.”

(c) Dickerson’s hamstring is bothering him. (He left the Atlanta game five weeks ago when it tightened up).

Trainer Jim Anderson said: “We’re not treating him for anything. He hasn’t complained of anything with it. He’s been running fine in practices.”

Dickerson said: “No comment.”

--It’s the offensive line’s fault for:

(a) Not blocking.

Offensive tackle Jackie Slater said: “Basically, a lack of execution has been the main thing. We’ve lacked thoroughness in the completion of our blocks and intensity in some of our blocking.”

(b) Getting too many players hurt.

But offensive line coach Hudson Houck said: “Everybody we’ve put in there has done a good job.”

(c) Suddenly getting too old (average age 30.7 years).

Robinson said: “I could probably address that better in January. If we don’t come back and don’t perform, you’d have to look at that. It’s clear that the line is mature.”

--Everybody wants to stop Dickerson.

The other offensive tackle, Bill Bain, said: “The other teams are psyched up. They want to stop the best running back in the league. I think we’re holding our blocks as long. People are just playing us tougher.”

Houck said: “Eric’s been no secret for the last couple of years.”

After his rookie season, Dickerson and Vince Ferragamo gave the offensive linemen Rolex watches. Last season, when he ran for a record 2,105 yards, Dickerson gave them custom gold rings.

He may have already decided what he’s going to give them this year: a blocking sled.

Robinson said: “I think it’s impossible to say how much was Eric and how much was the line last year when he broke the record and led the league in average per carry (5.6 last year, 3.5 this year). It’s not an isolated act. But the circumstances since he came back have not been as positive.”

The Rams’ offensive line has been intact for only two games--the first two when Dickerson was still holding out. Right guard Dennis Harrah then missed the next six games with a torn thigh muscle. He is eligible to come off injured reserve for the game against New Orleans Sunday.

Harrah’s replacement, Russ Bolinger, broke his arm early in the fourth game. Bain sat out two games with nagging injuries after playing so-so in pain. Center Doug Smith played while suffering from two viruses.

For a few weeks, Robinson didn’t think the problem was serious, noting that opponents were stacking their defenses.

“They were determined to stop the run, which people can do,” he said. “The Tampa game was the first time I felt we had slipped. And at Kansas City I looked and said, ‘We should be doing better. There’s something wrong with us.’ In both of those games we were without a significant number of our offensive linemen.

“I’m not trying to offer excuses,” Robinson said. “The best thing for me and us would be for me to refuse to talk to you about it. It would help us to get out of this thing better. The more attention that is paid to the negative things makes it more difficult.

“We’re in situation where we just fundamentally aren’t doing the job--not blocking, not running or coaching. All parts should be responsible. It’s easier to identify the runner, but I don’t see his performance as being much different from the rest of us.

“In the 49er game, it was almost funny. We ran the first seven plays and we had seven different people miss a block, and the guy who was free made the tackle.

“The big problem when things are going poorly is that you start to lose confidence in yourself and pretty soon everybody is trying to look for answers. Miami is going through some of the same problems with (quarterback Dan) Marino. (Washington wide receiver Art) Monk is way off. The three record breakers of last year are all struggling.”

Dickerson asked to be relieved of all interviews this week. CBS-TV’s “NFL Today” crew came from New York to interview him only to find that he wasn’t talking. The last time he went silent he was about to break O.J. Simpson’s record. That isn’t the problem this time.

“He’s trying like hell to make a real effort to be as focused as he can for the game,” Robinson said.

Harrah’s anticipated return would put the whole offensive line in front of Dickerson for the first time.

“I think it will make a big difference,” Houck said. “Just his leadership.”

Robinson said: “Our problem is patience, much like (San Francisco quarterback Joe) Montana. Montana was a bad quarterback for about four out of those first eight games, and he’s taken a rash of (bleep), too. It’s like a baseball player being in a slump.

“Fortunately for us, we’re going through that and have been 7 and 1 (instead of) 4 and 4.”

Snyder said: “Maybe we’re trying too hard. When you’re really sailing it seems effortless. But whenever we get the line settled and playing together, and if Eric runs with his old confidence, it’ll be fine. Offenses need rhythm. We have to settle into a rhythm.”

Houck followed Robinson’s upbeat lead.

“I’m not overly concerned. It’ll come,” he said. “The ingredients are all there again. But it had better come pretty soon.”

Ram Notes Whether Dennis Harrah will start at right guard won’t be decided until Friday, Coach John Robinson said. Harrah, eligible to come off injured reserve this week, rejoined the offense in practice Wednesday but said: “I haven’t been under that true pressure of a 280-pound defensive lineman crashing into me (and) whether I can hold up or not. I’m worried to death about myself right now.” . . . Quarterback Dieter Brock practiced normally despite a kidney stone problem that hospitalized him overnight after Sunday’s game. “The only pain is where I got the shot to ease the pain,” he said. Team physician Dr. Toby Freedman had him checked again at Chapman General Hospital after practice and said he was OK. He also said that if the stone hasn’t passed by Monday, it will be surgically removed, which Freedman called a “fairly minor process.” Brock probably wouldn’t even miss practice next Wednesday. . . . Sunday’s opponents, the New Orleans Saints, had to move inside the Superdome to practice Wednesday because of continuing flooding from Hurricane Juan.