Saturday, August 22, 1998

Rams, Dallas both could use win going into Saturday's preseason game

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- It may be only the preseason, but both the St. Louis Rams and the Dallas Cowboys could use a victory on Saturday, if for no other reason than to create some positive karma.

"They're in a new program, trying to get it going and establish different things," Rams coach Dick Vermeil said. "I'm sure they haven't taken a real serious approach to preseason games. I would imagine they'll take a little more serious approach to this preseason games. Just like we have."

The Cowboys (0-3) will play their starters for the half. The Rams (0-2) will play Tony Banks and their first-string offense into the third quarter. The Cowboys have lost eight straight games, going back to Week 13 of last season.

New Cowboys coach Chan Gailey said there is no reason to panic.

"It's the preseason," Gailey said. "The sky's not falling. But I think anytime somebody's a competitor and a winner, they want to win. They want to look good. And when you don't, it feels bad."

Gailey met Vermeil when he was head coach of the Birmingham Fire of the World League in 1991-92. Vermeil worked a couple of Fire games as a broadcaster.

"We're not close buddies, but we are more than just acquaintances," Gailey said.

Gailey and Vermeil find themselves in similar situations. They're both trying to jump-start offenses that have been lifeless so far in the preseason.

"It looks like they are playing fairly well defensively," Gailey said of the Rams. "They are stopping the run anyway. I haven't looked at the offensive side of the ball very well. Maybe they've had trouble moving the ball kind of like we have."

The Cowboys haven't scored a touchdown in their last nine quarters of preseason play. They were dominated in almost every phase during their 21-3 loss to the New England Patriots on Monday night in front of 106,404 fans in Mexico City, the second-largest crowd in NFL history.

The Rams have managed only one first down in the first quarter of each of their preseason games.

Will Furrer was scheduled to start at quarterback for the Rams this week, but Vermeil altered his plans after Banks took only eight snaps against the San Diego Chargers.

Furrer beat out Jamie Martin as the Rams' third-string quarterback last season after throwing 156 yards and two touchdowns in a 34-32 preseason loss to the Cowboys at Texas Stadium.

Vermeil said Furrer hasn't lost yet to veteran Steve Bono in the battle for the backup job behind Banks.

"I don't think anyone should assume that," Vermeil said. "People automatically write that because of his experience. That's tremendous. It's nice to have that, but nobody has written off Will Furrer."

Vermeil and his coaching staff have eased up on practice this week. They broke training camp at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Ill., on Wednesday.

"We've sort of taken a little freshen-up approach going into this third preseason game, and you can really tell on the practice field," Vermeil said. "There is more zip, more enthusiasm, more smiles, better tempo, better concentration and they're not feeling sorry for themselves."

The game will feature two of the top defensive ends in the NFL draft this year in St. Louis' Grant Wistrom and Dallas' Greg Ellis.

Vermeil ranked Ellis almost as high as Wistrom on his draft board.

"I liked his tenacity. I liked his size. I liked his power," Vermeil said of Ellis. "He's a rookie defensive end that might someday end up as a defensive tackle."

Former Cowboy John Flannery will start at center for the Rams, replacing Mike Gruttadaurai, who underwent knee surgery earlier this week.

Flannery started four games at guard for the Cowboys last season and was looking forward to going against his old team.

"It is a unique situation, and I'd be lying if I didn't say I was a little bit hungry," he said. "It's not so much vengeance. Hell, the Cowboys resurrected my career. I have nothing but respect for Jerry Jones and that organization."