RAM NOTEBOOK / T.J. SIMERS : ‘Special’ Defensive Scheme Works to Perfection

NEW ORLEANS — The defensive call was made by Ram secondary coach Rod Perry on Wednesday evening in anticipation of just such a game-deciding situation.

It was something special, and in preparation for its use, the Rams worked on it four or five times in practice. On Saturday night, the coaches told players they would hold back on employing such a defense until the very late stages of Sunday’s game.

The time came Sunday with 1:26 remaining and the Rams leading, 23-20. The Saints had the ball at the Rams’ 43-yard line and were confronted with fourth and four.

“It was his defense, his design and he saved the best for last,” said Joe Vitt, Ram assistant head coach. “We hadn’t shown that defense all day long.”

The Rams had three linemen rush quarterback Wade Wilson and then had their two safeties move forward and cover the Saints’ inside receivers. Wilson failed to recognize the change, and attempted unsuccessfully to force a ball to wide receiver Eric Martin.

“Wade Wilson never saw Deral Boykin and Boykin was able to knock the ball down,” Vitt said. “It was a great call.”

Perry, who has had to work overtime to train the team’s replacements for Darryl Henley (legal problems), Robert Bailey (knee) and Todd Lyght (knee), credited Boykin with making a great break on Wilson’s intended pass for Martin.

“You can design the defense,” Perry said, “but the name of the game is how well those people you deploy out there end up playing it. And in that situation the player made the play.”

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Reason for success: The 49ers and the Cardinals spent the past two weeks fattening their stats and walking off with easy victories after taking advantage of an overmatched Wymon Henderson.

Henderson was slated to start again for the Rams at left corner, but he injured a groin muscle on special teams duty and was immediately replaced by Courtney Griffin. With Henderson forced to the sideline and unable to play, the Saints had nowhere to go when pressed to secure a first down.

The result: A Ram victory.

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Injury update: Keith Loneker, who has replaced Tom Newberry (knee), is expected to undergo an MRI today to determine the significance of a knee injury suffered against the Saints.

The Saints, who ranked No. 21 in the league in stopping the run, lost standout linebacker Renaldo Turnbull in the second quarter with a leg injury.

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Tough duty: Linebacker Roman Phifer, who leads the Rams in tackles this season, was asked to line up outside as a defensive back on the Saints’ best receiver, Eric Martin.

Despite such a different assignment, Phifer still emerged as the Rams’ leading tackler Sunday with nine unassisted hits.

“It was a challenge playing out there on Martin,” Phifer said. “But the idea was to make things difficult for him, and it worked.”

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Strange call: The Rams trailed, 7-0, in the first quarter, but had the ball at the Saints’ two-yard line on second and goal. Bettis had run five times on the drive for 41 yards, and New Orleans appeared in no mood to try to stop the bruising back.

But instead of running Bettis, the Rams had Rubley roll out to the right. At the same time they failed to have a receiver running right in the end zone, which forced Rubley to accept a two-yard loss.

On third down, Rubley was right on the mark to wide receiver Ernie Jones in the end zone, but Jones dropped the ball.

“I dropped it,” Jones said. “T.J. put it right there and I got a little careless. I just have to make that play.”

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Good & bad: Ram tight end Pat Carter had a game to remember and a game to forget.

Carter caught an 11-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to give the Rams their winning score, but two holding calls on Carter cost the Rams four points.

A holding call on Carter after his touchdown catch negated Tony Zendejas’ successful extra-point attempt and forced him to rekick. The Saints then blocked his next try.

In the fourth quarter, Zendejas was successful on a 49-yard field-goal try, but Carter was called for holding and the Rams were forced to punt instead.

“It was one of my better games and one of my worst,” Carter said. “The first (holding) call was all right, but the second one was a really bad call. I was irate and I probably said a few things to the referee I shouldn’t have. I hope he forgives me.”

Running Wild

The Rams’ top individual rushing performances in a regular-season game:

247 Willie Ellison 1971 vs. New Orleans 26 carries 223 Tom Wilson 1956 vs. Green Bay 23 carries 221 Greg Bell 1989 vs. Green Bay 28 carries 215 Eric Dickerson 1984 vs. Houston 27 carries 213 Charles White 1987 vs. St. Louis 34 carries 212 Jerome Bettis 1993 vs. New Orleans 28 carries