The second coming of Mike Ditka and Dick Vermeil coincided with the first coming of Lawrence Phillips.
And Phillips the tackle-breaker managed to upstage both coaches as well as Phillips the lawbreaker, leading Vermeil’s St. Louis Rams to a 38-24 victory over Ditka’s New Orleans Saints.
Three touchdown runs and a career-high 125 yards rushing were the numbers Phillips traded for the less heroic numbers that had thus far framed his life. After spending 23 days of his off-season in jail for violation of probation in a domestic-violence case dating from his Nebraska days, Phillips heard nothing but cheers from 64,575 fans and praise from his new coach.
“We’ve shared some unique experiences,” Vermeil said. “I’ve been to jail with him. Many, many closed-door meetings. This is a complex kid but a good kid. I’ve been around some bad ones and he is not.”
“I think the whole team wanted to come out and perform for Coach,” Phillips said. “He let us know he was nervous before the game.”
Out of football for 14 years, the 60-year-old Vermeil makes the 57-year-old Ditka seem like he never left the Chicago sideline only five years ago. But while Vermeil acted with his trademark boyish enthusiasm, jumping into the arms of his players during introductions, Ditka was a meek shadow of his former volatile self.
“I never get upset anymore,” Ditka said. “I’m not unhappy; I’m really not. I haven’t been upset in five years.”
Although he pulled ineffective quarterback Heath Shuler after a dismal third-quarter collapse, Ditka actually wrapped his arm around Shuler to tell him rookie Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel was coming in.
“I think Heath broke his (left) hand, but it wasn’t so much the hand,” Ditka said. “I just didn’t want him to take any more punishment.”
No word yet on the future of Ditka’s two hand-picked quarterbacks, but Wuerffel threw a beautiful touchdown pass and Shuler never got his team into the end zone. Ditka hasn’t changed that much.
“Danny’s a football player; he’s the least of my worries,” Ditka said.
While Ditka did not address his quarterback plans, he said in general: “It’s not going to be business as usual and if people don’t understand that, we’ll have to change the people.”
When fullback Ray Zellars fumbled at the 1-yard line on the third possession, preventing the Saints from taking a 10-0 lead, Ditka was the first to give an encouraging clap, hugging Zellars as he came off.
When rookie Troy Davis fumbled a kickoff during the third-quarter debacle, Ditka greeted him with a tap on the head and a pat on the rear.
“I’m happy as a lark if you can be happy in this situation,” Ditka said.
It would appear Ditka doth protest too little, for he had plenty to make him boil.
Leading 17-14 in the third quarter after a 102-yard kickoff return by Eric Guliford, the Saints imploded during a stretch of nine offensive plays that normally would have sent Ditka into apoplexy. They were a minus-5 delay penalty, minus-5 false start, minus-9 sack, fumbled kickoff, minus-10 holding penalty, minus-10 holding, minus-5 false start, incomplete pass, and an interception after Shuler fell in the end zone and bounced up to throw wildly. Shuler was 0 for 6 in the third quarter.
The 17-14 lead evaporated when Rams quarterback Tony Banks hit tight end Ernie Conwell for a 3-yard pass on third and 22 and Conwell ran 46 yards for a touchdown.
ABC broadcaster Brent Musburger, who used to cover Ditka’s playing days as a Chicago reporter but got permission from him to root for former ABC booth buddy Vermeil, said the run reminded him of Ditka’s classic 1963 effort. Ditka wasn’t that impressed.
“Face it; there was nothing spectacular about anything I saw out there on either side,” Ditka said. “A good run by the tight end, but poor tackling, too.”
Only 24 seconds later, after Davis fumbled the kickoff, Phillips ran 25 yards to make it 28-17. After Shuler’s interception, Phillips scored again, the Rams’ third touchdown in 4 minutes.
“I’m embarrassed the way we played in the second half,” Ditka said. “These guys are better than that. They know what they have to do. We’ll be a good football team before we’re finished.”
The Rams might be, too. They were playing without their best receiver, Isaac Bruce, and star safety Toby Wright, both out with injuries. After a long holdout, No. 1 draft choice Orlando Pace played only one series.
“I expect to win no matter who is playing,” Vermeil said.
“Boy, this guy is pumped,” said defensive tackle D’Marco Farr. “He gave Kevin Carter a head-butt with no helmet.”
But at halftime, Vermeil was cool. Last year under coach Rich Brooks, the Rams finished 0-6 when behind at the break.
“Coach kept us very, very calm,” Farr said. “No tirade. We used the blackboard for diagramming plays instead of punching holes.”
That used to be Ditka’s gig and it worked. But instead of leaving the scene with a broken hand after hitting a locker (Baltimore, 1983), Ditka’s quarterback left with his left hand heavily wrapped.
“Mike said, `Why don’t you just sit down over there and take it easy?’ ” Shuler said.
“The guys on the field are upset,” Ditka said. “The quarterback is upset, but I wasn’t upset.”
