Nickel Defense

Ram Coach John Robinson indicated Tuesday that his team walked into Monday's alley fight with the Raiders with one hand tied behind its back. That way, Robinson seemed to be saying, it could come out swinging against the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs Jan. 4. "We certainly were determined not to do anything new offensively, so we went with what we had had," Robinson said the morning after the 16-6 defeat.

Raider quarterback Rich Gannon turned in an impressive practice Friday, completing all 18 passes he threw in two drills designed to perfect the Raiders' red-zone performance against nickel defenses. "He's like this every week," Coach Bill Callahan said. "He works on his timing and execution through the early part of the week and by the time we get to nickel offense, he's absolutely zeroed in. "He'll need to be this week, because we'll be facing the best nickel defense in the NFL."

The Chargers view the Saints as a true test of whether they have improved. The Saints have struggled on offense, but have played the best defense in the National Football League to forge their 9-1 record. The Saints are holding opponents to a league-best 10-point average, have allowed only 67 yards per game on the ground and have held opponents without a touchdown four times.

The Chargers view the Saints as a true test of whether they have improved. The Saints have struggled on offense, but have played the best defense in the National Football League to forge their 9-1 record. The Saints are holding opponents to a league-best 10-point average, have allowed only 67 yards per game on the ground and have held opponents without a touchdown four times.

It's a new season, but Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda is still hearing the same old question: "Why did you pitch to Jack Clark?" Sure, he's tired of answering it, but he says it just goes to prove that baseball is the greatest of all games. He told Richard Justice of the Washington Post: "You didn't hear anyone saying Don Shula had his cornerbacks in the wrong place after the AFC championship game, did you? No one said he should have played the nickel defense more, did they?

Steve Shafer stopped Jerry Gray in a hallway at Rams Park late Thursday morning. Shafer firmly placed both hands on Gray's shoulders in the manner your father used when you left the tools in the driveway for the fourth time in a week. " . . . and I'm going to keep yelling at you until you get it through your head," Shafer said softly to Gray. Shafer is the Rams' secondary coach. Gray is the starting left cornerback.

Football is a sport that changes rules like a chorus girl changes her hair color. Go away for a year and you can't recognize either one. The offensive line gets down under a punt too fast? OK, make them stay at home. Penalize them for advancing beyond the line of scrimmage. Too few field goals? Move the goal posts to the goal line. Too many field goals? Move them back to the back of the end zone. The pass interference rule too strict?

Raider quarterback Rich Gannon turned in an impressive practice Friday, completing all 18 passes he threw in two drills designed to perfect the Raiders' red-zone performance against nickel defenses. "He's like this every week," Coach Bill Callahan said. "He works on his timing and execution through the early part of the week and by the time we get to nickel offense, he's absolutely zeroed in. "He'll need to be this week, because we'll be facing the best nickel defense in the NFL."

Cornerback Kris Richard practiced on a limited basis Tuesday but no decision has been made about whether he will play Saturday. Facing San Jose State's spread offense, the Trojans might have to shuffle some defensive backs--including Kevin Arbet, Eric Reese, DeShaun Hill--to fill their nickel defense. "There are interchangeable parts," secondary coach Dennis Thurman said. "I have a lot of guys I'm confident in."

John Madden has a high-profile personal spotter working for him in the "NBC Sunday Night Football" booth -- lifelong friend John Robinson, the former USC and Los Angeles Rams coach. Madden and Robinson have been friends since they were fifth graders at Our Lady of Perpetual Help School in Daly City, Calif. Robinson, the Oakland Raiders' backfield coach in 1975 when Madden was the head coach, left the Raiders to become the head coach at USC in 1976. Now they are working together again.

Steve Shafer stopped Jerry Gray in a hallway at Rams Park late Thursday morning. Shafer firmly placed both hands on Gray's shoulders in the manner your father used when you left the tools in the driveway for the fourth time in a week. " . . . and I'm going to keep yelling at you until you get it through your head," Shafer said softly to Gray. Shafer is the Rams' secondary coach. Gray is the starting left cornerback.

It's a new season, but Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda is still hearing the same old question: "Why did you pitch to Jack Clark?" Sure, he's tired of answering it, but he says it just goes to prove that baseball is the greatest of all games. He told Richard Justice of the Washington Post: "You didn't hear anyone saying Don Shula had his cornerbacks in the wrong place after the AFC championship game, did you? No one said he should have played the nickel defense more, did they?

Ram Coach John Robinson indicated Tuesday that his team walked into Monday's alley fight with the Raiders with one hand tied behind its back. That way, Robinson seemed to be saying, it could come out swinging against the Dallas Cowboys in the playoffs Jan. 4. "We certainly were determined not to do anything new offensively, so we went with what we had had," Robinson said the morning after the 16-6 defeat.

Football is a sport that changes rules like a chorus girl changes her hair color. Go away for a year and you can't recognize either one. The offensive line gets down under a punt too fast? OK, make them stay at home. Penalize them for advancing beyond the line of scrimmage. Too few field goals? Move the goal posts to the goal line. Too many field goals? Move them back to the back of the end zone. The pass interference rule too strict?

For the first time since it opened in 1963, the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, has fans among its members. The Hall christened its Visa Hall of Fans exhibit on Tuesday by recognizing 31 of the most die-hard NFL fans in the land--one from each team, even the expansion Browns. There was "Barrel Man," a.k.a. Tim McKernan, who wears an orange cowboy hat, boots and an orange barrel supported by suspenders over his bare chest--and bare bottom--at every Denver Bronco home game.

The XFL, the fledgling spring football league jointly developed by NBC and the World Wrestling Federation, dispatched a scout to the Bruins' practice Wednesday. Steve Malin, one of four national XFL scouts, said he is visiting 105 colleges to look at film, watch practice and assemble a list of prospects for the league. The XFL plans to start play next year, so this year's Bruin seniors could be next year's XFL rookies. Tailback Jermaine Lewis said he would consider playing in the new league.