Thursday, September 11. 1997
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 5
The Associated Press
QB's behavior unfit, Rams say
ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Rams want Tony Banks to suit getting mad and start growing up.
The second-year quarterback reverted to rookie form with three fumbles in last week's loss to the San Francisco 49ers. That did not bother coach Dick Vermeil as much as Banks sulking on the sidelines and throwing his helmet a time or two.
"He's got to show that tenacity," he said.
"I don't think a quarterback can show his offensive team his disappointment," Vermell said. "You've got to look them right in the eye and hit them right in the mouth."
Banks, who fumbled an NFL-record 21 times as a rookie, suggested his reactions to adversity have been misunderstood.
"I don't usually get down in games," Banks said. "I get upset with myself over a play or something, and maybe that's being misconstrued as me being down on the team or something."
inches on a fourth-down quarterback sneak near the end of the game.
Banks had numerous reasons to be down on himself. He fumbled away a scoring chance at the 49er 1-yard line, was 9-of-24 for 123 yards and failed to get six
"I've had some bad games I've bounced back from, but I don't think I've ever felt solely responsible for the loss, and that's how I felt on Sunday." Banks said.
On the whole, Vermei has been patient with Banks, a second-round draft pick in 1996. Vermei had a statistical analysis of NFL quarterbacks and said Banks was as good as anybody. Vermei said it never crossed his mind to replace Banks with veteran Mark Rypien for the final drive.
Vermeil said Banks was careless on only one of his three fumbles.
"Sometimes the worst thing you can do to a young quarterback is give them the feeling of. 'Oh gosh, if I get in trouble, Coach is going to take me out of here.' I expect him to work through the problems." Vermell said.
"I'm more concerned with the other little mistakes he made in the passing game than losing the ball under pressure," Vermell said.
Green Bay fumbles with Super Bowl status
The Associated Press
GREEN BAY, Wis. — He tried to warn them.
While LeRoy Butler was spouting off about Green Bay going undefeated, coach Mike Holmgren was saying how unaccustomed the Packers were to their new role as defending Super Bowl champions.
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"We talked about it and talked about it and talked about it," said Holmgren, who warned his players that being the prey is different than being the predator.
He cautioned them that staying on top was harder that getting there and that everybody would measure their season on how they played the Packers.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
A close call against Chicago in the opener followed by an upset at Philadelphia was proof enough.
The Packers knew all the cliches,
but they had to see for themselves.
"If anyone had any doubts or wasn't listening, then all of a sudden they are aware of what I'm talking about," Holmgren said.
Well aware.
"No doubt, no doubt," flanker Robert Brooks said. "Everybody's going to play us like that. Every game that we play is going to be like a playoff. Because we're the Super Bowl champions, everybody has something to get up for and whoop and holler about when they play the
Packers.
Packers.
"And we have to be ready for that."
Running back Dorsey Levens said the
problem was slow starts.
Against the Bears, the Packers mustered just one first down and one field goal in the first quarter. At Philadelphia, it was even worse.
— zero points, zero first downs,
four three-and-outs.
"Teams are coming at us real hard, especially early in the game." Levens said. "The intensity level right off the bat is real high. And I think what we haven't done is match their intensity. We seem to be catching up late.
"But we haven't gotten that done."
The loss of tight end Mark Chmura and halfback Edgar Bennett to knee injuries could explain some of this.
Also, center Frank Winters (foot) and right tackle Earl Dotson (turf toe) are listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Miami.
"If we come out and jump on a team early, come out and put some points on the board, that's the easiest way to knock down all that hurrah and all that intensity.
But the Packers are not using injuries as an excuse.
"You can say, 'He's hurt. He's not
feeling well. And he's out," said receiver Antonio Freeman, who dropped five passes last week. "But you've got to find some kind of way to get back on track."
Free safety Eugene Robinson agreed that a quicker start could be the tonic.
"We still have 14 games left," Favre said. "I didn't think we'd go 19-0. Some other people did, but I didn't."
"Our biggest thing in Buffalo was, when we go on the road, let's get them down early, let's beat them down in the first quarter and keep them down." Beebe said. "I think that was big for us, and we were able to have a pretty good record on the road. I think this team will learn from that."
Quarterback Brett Favre agreed that there were lessons learned Sunday, but he insisted the Packers have put the loss behind them and will not let it ruin their season.
"Every team's going to play their best game against us. Every team's going to be ready and psyched up," he said. "That means we have to come out and dominate from the start."
Wide receiver Don Beebe, who played on four AFC champions in Buffalo, said that was especially true away from home.
"I just didn't think we'd lose to Philadelphia."
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