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Offensive adjustments

Ex-Ram Ron Smith Key Man for Chargers SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego went do or die on third down and 10, having five possible receivers, and the 50-yard scoring pass from quarterback Dan Fouts went to perhaps the most unlikely of the group. Ron Smith, a former member of the Los Angeles Rams who had caught only four passes during the regular season for the Chargers and missed two in Saturday's playoff game against Buffalo, broke loose to take the throw at the Bills' 24-yard line and run. in for the touchdown that brought San Diego its 20-14 victory. The play occurred with 2:08 remaining in the game, and, at that stage, left in the Chargers' National Football League season as they trailed 14-13 at the time. "When I saw the defensive man rotate a little toward Charlie Joiner and John Jefferson, I knew I was clear and I knew Fouts would read it right away," said Smith, who was traded from the Rams to the Chargers last September in exchange for a draft choice. Despite the fact that he was used sparingly this season, the third-year pro from San Diego State has made big catches before. In last year's NFC semifinal playoff contest, Smith latched on to a 43-yard scoring strike from Vince Ferragamo just before halftime of the Rams' 21-19 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. Then, in the Super Bowl, he caught a 24-yard touchdown throw from Los Angeles running back Lawrence McCutcheon. Minutes before his scoring catch, Smith had deflected a pass that Buffalo's Bill Simpson intercepted at the Bills' 7-yard line. "He intercepted that pass because I dropped the ball," Smith said. "I had to come back and make up for it." Actually, the third down scoring play was the first of the series in which Smith had appeared. "I came in late and I don't think they old wide receiver said. i "I don't think were able to adjust to the 24-year- they knew where I was going to line up. Fouts said, "I try to look at the defense and how it moves and go to the receiver with the least coverage. Actually, it was the same coverage when Simpson picked the pass off. I guess they figured it was a safe defense to go with." Coach Don Coryell said the loss of tight end Gregg McCrary on the Chargers' first offensive series forced the club into switching its offense. "McCrary had been the tight end up in the line and Kellen Winslow often was in motion to other positions," said Coryell. "It took a lot of our offense away from us." The Chargers went to using two running backs, a more conventional offense than they normally use. McCrary has three broken vertebrae and San Diego also lost defensive end Charles DeJurnett, who suffered a broken leg early in the game. "I don't even know if we can get replacements for them before next week's game," said Coryell, whose team will host the winner of Sunday's Oakland-Cleveland game on Jan. 11 in the AFC's championship game. Fouts also mentioned the loss of McCrary and said, "We had to go to our alternate game plan right then." Turnovers Thwarted Viking Aspirations PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The Minnesota Vikings went into Saturday's playoff game with Philadelphia intent on erasing the rap that they somehow didn't belong on the same field with the National Football League's finest. And even though a final score of 31- 16 loomed large in the eyes of a national television audience, Vikings' players insisted the Eagles were handed advancement to the NFC championship game on a silver platter.
Article from 04 Jan 1981Hartford Courant(Hartford, CT)
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