Imperfect and in trouble
10/23/2000
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After the St. Louis Rams got smacked around by the Kansas City Chiefs last Sunday, not only did the talk of a perfect season die down, but so did any talk of NFL dominance. The Rams' All-World QB Kurt Warner, the guy who could probably throw for 300 yards and three touchdowns with his helmet on backwards and his shoelaces tied together, broke a finger on his throwing hand and will miss the next four to six weeks. But Warner's injury isn't head coach Mike Martz's main concern.
While a passer of Warner's caliber will be hard to replace, St. Louis has probably the best backup QB in the game in Trent Green, a guy who ironically was supposed to lead the Rams last year until a preseason injury forced then-coach Dick Vermeil to let an untested Warner start every week. Tough break, huh? But now it's Warner's injury that will give Green another chance with this potent Rams attack, and while it'll be nearly impossible to match his fallen teammate's numbers, Green should be able to keep the offensive wheels rolling until Warner's ready to return.
So instead of worrying about the loss of his starting QB, Martz needs to figure out how to stop someone defensively after the Chiefs rolled up 54 points and 468 yards of total offense Sunday. Scoring 42 points every week is great, but this is football and the last I heard the object of the game still was to have more points on the scoreboard than your opposition when time expires. Before their game against Kansas City, the Rams were able to overcome their defensive shortcomings by simply manhandling every defense they faced, but something had to give at some point this season. After all, St. Louis has allowed 228 points this season, the third-most in football after the 49ers (258) and the Falcons (238). In fact, this defensive unit has not held any team under 20 points all season while giving up more than 30 four times already. In two games against the Falcons, who rank 30th in the NFL in total offense, St. Louis allowed 49 points. The Seattle Seahawks, ranked 27th overall in total offense, exploded for 34 points against the Rams in week two while the San Diego Chargers, 26th in total offense, scored 31 in their October 1st game in St. Louis. That all equates to a Rams team ranked 21st in total defense, sixth against the rush (not too shabby) but 30th vs. the pass (yikes!). Defensive guru Bud Carson was brought in as a team consultant but he may even have trouble turning this troubled unit around.
With their leader down, the Rams as a united team need to step it up a notch if a repeat is still the ultimate goal, which it obviously is. They aren't undefeated anymore and they surely aren't invincible. Hell, with the way the Vikings, Titans and Raiders have been playing, St. Louis isn't even the best team in football anymore. But they may still own the best offense in football, with or without Warner, on grass or on turf. And they're still dangerous. With Green behind center, they'll score a boatload of points, but it won't be as easy to cover all those defensive mistakes. If the Rams' secondary doesn't buckle down soon, this dream season will turn nightmarish before Warner even steps foot on the field again.
Mind games
Don't think for one second that Roger Clemens doesn't know what he's doing on the mound. You think that whole bat-tossing incident with Mike Piazza in the first inning of game two was a mistake? Do you really believe Clemens mistook Piazza's shattered bat barrel for the ball? Or that he didn't see Piazza running down the baseline when he launched the bat at the All-Star catcher's feet? Don't be fooled; Clemens knows exactly what he's doing.
The seed for this incident was planted four months ago when the Rocket plunked Piazza in the helmet during the Mets/Yankees interleague series. Piazza and several others in the Mets' organization said the beaning was intentional; Clemens obviously denied those claims and apologized.
Next we'll flash to the first inning of Sunday's game two of the World Series. Piazza swings at an inside offering from Clemens that shatters his bat. The barrel comes flying out to the mound where Clemens immediately scoops it up and fires it at Piazza's feet. The two have some heated words and the benches clear but nobody's tossed from the game as no punches are thrown. Clemens then proceeds to shut down the fired-up Mets for eight innings, allowing only two hits (none of those belonging to Piazza, by the way), no walks and no runs while striking out nine.
In much the same way Dennis Rodman used to aggravate opposing players on the basketball court, Clemens uses these tricks to let opposing hitters take themselves out of the game. Instead of being patient at the plate and making Clemens work for the win, the Mets hitters were so keyed in on their distaste for the Yankees pitcher that they lost focus and swung at some terrible pitches. Overlooking his own familiarity with technical fouls for a second, Rodman could goad almost anyone in the NBA into a technical just by getting inside their head. Clemens knows how to neutralize Piazza too.
For proof, just look at how the Mets tattooed Jeff Nelson and Mariano Rivera in the ninth inning after relieving Clemens. Piazza, 0-3 against the Rocket, launched a two-run homer to left off Nelson and Jay Payton later hit a three-run bomb to right off Rivera. The Mets' rally fell one run short but you could almost see the burden lifted from their shoulders when they stepped into the batter's box and Clemens wasn't on the mound anymore.
For even more proof, think back to game four of the ALCS when Clemens threw two straight high-and-tight fastballs to Alex Rodriguez. Not only did those pitches knock the All-Star shortstop to the ground, but they also knocked the Mariners out of the game as Clemens pitched a one-hit, 15-strikeout shutout. The Mariners didn't recover from their confrontation with Clemens; after falling behind 2-0 in the series, the Mets are in serious trouble too... and that's right where the future Hall-of-Fame pitcher wanted them.
In the Bullz-Eye
Philadelphia 76ers guard Allen Iverson. Despite his shaky relationship with the Sixers star, head coach Larry Brown made Iverson one of his team captains this preseason. Reports say Iverson has responded by making every single team function on time and acting responsibly for perhaps the first time in his career. If he continues on this saintly path, the 76ers could be a major force this season with the talent currently on the roster. But if the troubled guard reverts to his controversial tendencies, it'll be another explosive and unpredictable season in Philly.