RAMS 31, COLTS 17 : One and One Adds Up Perfectly for Ellard

It was a pregame pleasantry more than a plea, but Ram wide receiver Henry Ellard didn’t seem to care. Asked by former teammate Eric Dickerson to “please don’t kill us,” Ellard did everything Sunday but place a toe tag on the Indianapolis Colts and their now-dazed and dazzled secondary.

Actually, the Colts contributed to their own demise with a defensive game plan that inexplicably matched Ellard against a single cornerback time and time again. “And let’s face it,” said Ram H-back Pete Holohan, “there’s not many men in this league who can cover Henry one on one.”

Colt cornerback Chris Goode couldn’t. Nor could John Baylor, who replaced a benched Goode in the second half. Nor could Eugene Daniel, who was considered the best of the bunch. Nobody could keep up with Ellard, which explains his 12 receptions, his remarkable 230 yards and his three touchdowns--all career highs. In fact, the yardage total was third best in Ram history.

“That’s the best performance I’ve ever seen, bar none,” said Holohan, who witnessed his share of the incredible while a member of the pass-happy San Diego Chargers. “You don’t see numbers like that. What’d he have, 230? Oh my gawd.”

Unbelievable and fantastic are the words Ram Coach John Robinson used.

“I just applauded,” said Ram free safety Vince Newsome.

It’s a tossup what Colt coaches were muttering as Ellard crisscrossed the Anaheim Stadium turf at will. Expletives or superlatives? Shrills or thrills?

Whatever it was, the Colts had it coming, what with a scheme that practically invited Ram quarterback Jim Everett to throw to Ellard. Every time the Colts blitzed, which was often, Ellard found himself roaming free in the secondary.

Oddly enough, as Ellard’s totals increased, the Colts refused to alter their tactics.

“They never changed anything,” Ellard said. “They didn’t really take away what we were doing. It was just a matter of me and Jim Everett playing catch from there on out.”

Ellard said the Rams knew early last week how they wanted to attack the Colt secondary. It was simple, really: wait for the blitz, look for the single coverage.

True to form, the Colts unveiled the same coverages they used last week against the San Francisco 49ers. And like last week, they lost.

“It was a chance they were willing to take,” Ellard said.

By Goode’s estimates, the Colts used one-on-one coverage “about 80%,” which about equals Everett’s completion rate. And while the blitz might have been a great idea at game’s beginning, the strategy was doomed by the end of the first quarter. That’s when Ellard said he felt he could do anything against the Colts.

Actually, he likened the whole experience to being a kid in an empty candy shop. “You walk in and you have your choice of everything and nobody’s stopping you and you keep on going,” he said. “That’s kind of how it was.”

Even the Colts were in awe of the performance. Indianapolis wide receiver Clarence Verdin, who caught an 82-yard touchdown pass of his own Sunday, rushed up to Ellard at game’s end.

“You’re the greatest, you’re the best,” he said, pumping Ellard’s hand.

Later, Verdin explained his reasons for the compliments.

“Ellard, he runs routes,” he said. “Jerry Rice (of the San Francisco 49ers), well, the passing offense is built around him. He basically does what he wants. With those two, I’ve got to give Ellard the upper hand.”

The assessment will be seconded by the Colt defensive backs. Goode, who returned to the lineup just three weeks ago after a lengthy holdout, was the most frequent target before being sent to the bench. Baylor fared no better. And Daniel, the other cornerback, was victimized, too.

“That was a first ever for me,” Goode said. “It was just one of those days. I’m sure I could have done better than I did today, but I was a step off and I could feel it.”

A step? Colt Coach Ron Meyer was less charitable.

“For the second game in a row, we made a receiver an All-Pro,” he said.

Ellard did his part. Best estimates had Ellard missing just two of the 14 passes thrown his way. And it wasn’t as if his 12 receptions were 10-yard down-and-out patterns. Ellard averaged more than 19 yards a catch.

And so much for the ties that bind. Dickerson’s friendly pregame chat, the one that begged for mercy, fell on deaf ears.

“He did it anyway,” Dickerson said.

Against a Colt defense that gambled often, Ellard didn’t have any choice.