S Eddie Brown (whom George Allen had brough with him from DC) blew the coverage. Rod was supposed to have had help deep.
I met Rod Perry this week.
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Bud Carson's defense for the Rams was a variation of Cover 2. Safeties should've been covering each middle half. Brown ran up to cover the TE or someone else which left Perry 1 on 1. Yeah I hated seeing that bomb completed I couldn't believe it because we were stuffing their O and Swann was knocked out of the game.
Not saying it was his fault or he could have done anything, just picture that play whenever he's referenced. That ball hung in the air forever.
Rod Perry and Pat Thomas were A GREAT CB TANDEM!!! I haven't seen the Rams with a better pair.
Jerry Gray, Garry Green, & Leroy Irvin were a great threesome as well in 1985, even though it was Gray's rookie year.
Expected Gray to play Safety in the NFl (his college position). Figured to replace Cromwell or Johnson at S, as both were right around thirty. Green (4X Pro Bowler) and Irvin were a top-tier CB-tandem.
Then Green suffered a season-ending injury in 1986, and never played again. Gray stepped-in and was terrific going to four straight Pro Bowls himself before an injury curtailed and, eventually, ended his career.
I went back to check the 1985 roster; and was surprised how few Defensive Backs played for the Rams.
A total of just eight; and two of them played less than half the season. By comparison, 15 different DBs played for the Rams last season.
Gray got injured in a nationally televised preseason game at RFK when the REDSKINS QB had forever and a day to throw because Kevin Greene was holding out because, once again, the RAMS under John Shaw, were penny wise and pound foolish.
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Cromwell's rookie year was 1977, Johnson was drafted and replaced the retired Dave Elmendorf in 1980.
Yes, and they were a very good tandem, but Gray was projected to play safety when he was drafted.
Cromwell was a Pro Bowler 4X but 1983 was his last Pro Bowl. He played one more full season after 1985. Then he finished his career after the Fugazi 1987 season.
Johnson's best ball was also behind him. He was breaking-down, and had few starts in 1986 and 1987 before finishing-up (with the Rams) with sixteen starts in 1988.
I seem to recall reading something a while back, on the www, that Johnson told the RAMS he was not going to continue playing SS (possibly due to, as you alluded to, his body breaking down) and he and Cromwell flip-flopped positions at that point.
AAAnd I check profootballreference.com and it shows them swapping safety spots in 1983, with Nolan going back to FS in 1987, apparently after JJ got injured as he had seven starts and Cromwell had eight at FS.
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If not for the coverage bust there's no way to know what could have been. Maybe Bradshaw doesn't go there, who knows...
I remember reading the Sports Illustrated account of the game and Bradshaw saying they hadn't been able to complete that pass in practice the entire week.
I remember they lost like 6 starters in that preseason game. The first game I watched with my future wife at her parents house.... The beginning of the jinx.
That might have been the best collection of secondary talent that the Rams ever had. It would rival the late 70's group as well.