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November 26, 1990|TIM KAWAKAMI | TIMES STAFF WRITER
SAN FRANCISCO — By the time Cleveland Gary was adroitly drop-kicking his way into the end zone, the Rams figured something strange and sweet was happening before their eyes.
Maybe it was that pass-lateral-shovel from fullback Buford McGee to Gary for the Rams' first touchdown that did it. Maybe it was that confusing amalgamation of defenses the Rams threw at Joe Montana, making him look mortal at last.
Maybe it was the Candlestick Park wind and gray sheets of rain that seemed to comfort the Rams, not rattle them.
"We've had a tough season, but today was our day," McGee said. "We felt that from the beginning, and we deserved it."
Whatever it was, the 4-7 Rams ended the winning streak of the San Francisco 49ers at 18 games Sunday, 28-17, at least briefly resurrecting some of the distant memories of a season ago.
And it was a victory that cooled for now any speculation that Coach John Robinson could lose his job because of the Rams' disappointing play this year.
"That's the way we played last year," center Doug Smith said with a broad smile, "and unfortunately, it hasn't been the way things have gone very much this year.
"But we had that air of confidence, that belief that we were going to go ahead and do it. Jim (Everett) just said, 'Hey, this is us, this is who we are, this is how we play football, and let's not forget it.' "
Robinson, who had no intention of turning the improbable victory into his own personal salvation, chose to credit the Rams' dominating 17-play, 10:27 drive that ended with Gary's soccer-style, one-yard touchdown run, his third and most important touchdown of the day.
On that drive, the Rams started on their 10-yard line after Vince Newsome intercepted a Montana pass, one of three picked off by the Rams. With 14:28 left to go and gamely protecting a 21-17 lead, the Rams had to score or else leave the game in the hands of Montana.
"We had to move it," Gary said. "Just took our time, and we did it."
Slowly, methodically, the Rams took it out of Montana's dangerous hands, and put it into Gary's, which are dangerous for many reasons.
And on the last play of the drive, on third-and-goal from the 49er one-yard line, Gary, who had lost a fumble earlier, let the ball slip from his hands, kicked it along the ground once, then simply picked it up about four yards from the goal-line and went in untouched to put the game away with 2:31 to play.
"When you see something like that, I guess you know things are going right," said McGee, who, in addition to his passing exploits, carried a season-high six times for 36 rough-and-tumble yards and a touchdown. McGee also mentioned a tipped pass to receiver Flipper Anderson on the drive as a sure sign, and he was hard to argue with.
After the Gary touchdown, cornerback Bobby Humphery intercepted a Montana pass, and the Rams had pulled off their third consecutive regular-season victory in this park.
And had found at least a measure of the self-respect lost in the week-by-week crisis of their 1990 season.
"We needed that," Robinson said. "It was a win that is very gratifying to us. Obviously, it makes it more gratifying to do it against a great football team. They're one of the great teams of all-time."
But not when a constantly changing, hard-to-pin-down Ram defense is holding Montana to 22-for-37 passing, for 235 mostly undramatic yards, and forcing six costly 49er turnovers. Not when receiver Anderson is making sharp cuts on a wet track, slicing up the 49er secondary for eight catches and 149 yards.
And not when a 49er team that had allowed just one rushing touchdown all year and was the No. 1 team against the rush allows three running touchdowns and 111 yards in 37 carries.
"We've beaten this team before," Gary said, explaining how a 3-7 team could come into a game with the 49ers so assured. "What would make us believe that somebody was invincible? They're a good football team, but we're not a bad football team ourselves."
What happened early was that the Rams, who have been losing ugly all season long, finally got the chance and the dreary climate to pull the previously unblemished 49ers down to their level.
With the football bouncing over heads, through hands and generally away from the 49ers, the Rams found the sure grip and capitalized on the 49er turnovers.
The first quarter was wild, as the Rams and 49ers traded the ball back and forth a combined five times, including three on successive plays.
Gary opened the unofficial rugby scrum in the mud when 49er defensive back Don Griffin stripped the football away early in the first quarter. On the next play, Montana was blindsided by Ram linebacker Bret Faryniarz, lost the ball and linebacker Kevin Greene was there to recover.
On the next play, Everett (16 for 27 for 224 yards and an interception) missed tight end Pete Holohan, and 49er safety Dave Waymer stepped in for the interception. But after a two-play miscue respite, 49er fullback Tom Rathman fumbled when Ram safety Vince Newsome crunched him, leaving it for Greene to fall on it again.
Three plays later, the Rams razzle-dazzled the 49ers' defense, with McGee taking an inside handoff on third-and-short, plunging into the line, then as he was falling, flipping the ball sideways to Gary, who trailed him to the sideline. All Gary had to do was haul the lateral-pass in and blow by the confused secondary for a 22-yard scoring reception.
"My job is just to fake the run and get it to Cleveland," said McGee, who earned a game ball for his efforts.
After more messy play--a Montana interception, a bunch of sacks and three punts--a fumble by Jerry Rice right into the hands of linebacker Mike Wilcher gave the Ram offense the ball on the 49er 29-yard line early in the second quarter.
Three plays later, Gary hurdled over the middle of the 49er line and skipped into the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown run and a 14-0 lead.
The 49ers' offense and Montana continued to struggle into the second quarter, but snapped out of it with a nine-play, 39-yard touchdown drive after the defense had pinned the Rams inside their five-yard line.
Montana hit receiver John Taylor with a lob over Darryl Henley for the five-yard score to cut the deficit to 14-7.
But on the next series, Everett hooked up with Anderson two times for a combined 71 yards on their way to a six-play, 80-yard scoring drive finished by a six-yard McGee touchdown run.
The 49ers opened the second half with the wind and drove down to the Ram two-yard line, but stalled out after three tries at the end zone, then couldn't even put the 20-yard field goal through when the snap came in too high.
"I don't think they ever had a rhythm," Robinson said. "I've always believed that when Joe Montana gets into a rhythm, you might as well pack your bags and go home."
Rice and Taylor, two guys who have killed the Rams in the past, combined for 12 catches for only 106 yards and one touchdown.
But on their next possession, Montana completed three passes for 62 yards, including a 23-yard scoring toss to running Harry Sydney. That made it 21-14 with 6:05 left in the third.
After another Ram punt, San Francisco closed the Ram lead to four points by going 31 yards on eight plays, finishing it on a 42-yard Mike Cofer field goal.
The 49ers threatened on their next possession, but Montana lofted one to Rice downfield too softly, allowing Newsome to slide in for the interception at the Ram 10.
That's when the drive began and the Rams' 1990 nightmare ended--at least for a week.
