PRO FOOTBALL : Rams’ Everett Starting to Get Command of Foreign Language

Jim Everett’s ongoing Berlitz lesson--that is, learning the language of Zampese--took a turn for the better Sunday.

For instance, there was Everett, in full view of the Tampa Bay Buccaneer defense, conjugating passes and touchdowns as if Zampese were his native tongue. In that first Ram drive, Everett didn’t miss a thing, including a wide open Henry Ellard located at the back of the Buccaneer end zone.

Then Everett dropped a second scoring pass, this one 39 yards, neatly into the hands of Ron Brown. You don’t toss paper wads in the office wastebasket this easy.

By the time he retired to the sidelines and his warmup jacket midway through the fourth period, the Rams had a 35-3 victory tucked nicely away and Everett had some pleasing numbers to consider.

There were those 14 completions in just 19 attempts, 208 yards and 2 touchdowns. There wasn’t an interception in the bunch and no one ever mentioned that Dieter Brock wasn’t such a bad quarterback, after all.

Even Everett, all humble and aw-shucks in these kind of circumstances, allowed himself a self-congratulatory handshake.

“I guess I could admit that I was pretty hot today,� he said.

In a Ram sort of way, he was. Despite the arrival of offensive whiz Ernie Zampese from the pass-happy San Diego Chargers, this still isn’t Air-Ram here. Coach John Robinson still prefers to travel by land, which is why Charles White had the ball placed in his hands 29 times Sunday for 137 yards. In all, the Rams bullied their way for 213 rushing yards in 50 carries.

This leaves Everett with only so many opportunities. Against the Houston Oilers back when the season still meant something, Everett completed just 9 passes in 26 attempts. The Rams lost.

Against the Minnesota Vikings, his passes accounted for just 105 yards. The Rams lost.

Against the Cleveland Browns, Everett threw 50 times and left with 3 interceptions. The Rams lost.

On and on it went until Robinson decided the Rams would return to the run until Everett could grasp that peculiar Zampese dialect.

On Sunday, against the mostly helpless Buccaneers, Everett spoke it fluently. Almost flawlessly.

Five passes thrown on that first drive, five passes completed.

At halftime, he was 9 of 12 for 141 yards.

As the Rams pulled quickly ahead, Everett used his right arm mostly to hand off. But on occasion, he reminded the Buccaneer defense that he was still alive and doing quite nicely, thank you.

“Jim Everett had, I think, one of his best games,� Robinson said. “The numbers . . . that’s really outstanding, I think, in terms of how much of an impact those (14) receptions had. I think he played really well.

“I think he’s getting comfortable. He’s continuing to improve at a rapid rate now.�

Everett is fast proving that less is better. In the Rams’ win over the Washington Redskins last Monday night, Everett finished with 7 completions in 13 attempts. This time, against the Buccaneers, he doesn’t attempt enough passes to keep Miami’s Dan Marino happy for a quarter.

“But he’s throwing the football differently,� Robinson said. “He’s throwing it on time. He’s willing to go back and get rid of it. The receivers are responding quite well to that.�

Seven different Ram receivers caught passes Sunday. Ellard’s five receptions included his first touchdown of the season. Brown had 4 receptions for 91 yards. The new and improved Everett? They noticed it.

“He’s just reacting,� Ellard said. “He has the confidence now. He might have been hesitant before. Now he’s starting to let the ball go early.�

Said Brown: “The whole program is getting better. It’s like night and day. Before the strike, we were pretty close to this.�

Everett has labored since training camp to understand the new offense. Any more film of Charger quarterback Dan Fouts, and he’ll grow a beard.

So similar is the Ram offense to San Diego’s that Everett completed a pass against the Chargers in an exhibition game, and Fouts yelled the name of the play to him.

Now Everett is on his own, sort of. Zampese and quarterback coach Dick Coury have served as personal tutors lately. It shows. Everett said he finds himself understanding more and more.

“There were times when I was a frustrated,� he said. “I didn’t really comprehend. I could see it, but I couldn’t quite do it.�

Now he can. Just ask the Buccaneers.