By Bill Coats 12/30/2007 10:23 pm
GLENDALE, Ariz. - In what almost surely was his last game in a Rams uniform, 37-year-old center Andy McCollum was one of the team’s four captains for the pregame toss. McCollum made the right call – heads – and the Rams received to start against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Rams got a 37-yard Jeff Wilkins field goal and a 3-0 lead on that first series. But the Cardinals evened it on their opening drive, and the Rams never led again in a 48-19 loss in Bill Bidwill’s barrel-cactus-shaped stadium in the desert.
At 3-13, the Rams finished with their worst record since moving in 1995 to St. Louis – from where Bidwill had vacated in 1988. Times might be rough for the Rams right now, but consider this: Sunday’s win gave the Big Red an 8-8 record and only its third non-losing mark in 20 seasons here.
Afterward, wideout
Torry Holt wondered whether in addition to McCollum, he might’ve seen the last of fellow wideout Isaac Bruce and perhaps even kicker Jeff Wilkins as teammates.
“That’s an interesting question. Obviously there’s been some speculation about quite a few of the guys who have been around for a while,” Holt said. “The organization is going to have some decisions to make. It’ll be interesting to see how it goes.”
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Notes & quotes:
>>Rookie Derek Stanley, who has been returning kicks lately, got in his first snaps at WR. He didn’t have a ball thrown his way, but he picked up 5 yards on an end-around carry.
>>The visiting media “contingent” consisted of three Post-Dispatch writers. Channel 4’s Steve Savard, who does the Rams’ play-by-lay on radio, was the lone TV reporter in the building; no representative from a St. Louis radio station was on site.
>>Did you see T
Alex Barron’s tackle “try” on Antrel Rolle’s 47-yard interception for a TD in the second quarter? Any matador would’ve been proud.
>>FS Oshiomogho Atogwe nabbed his eight interception (and returned it 52 yards for his first career TD). It marks the most Rams picks in a season since CB Dexter McCleon had eight in 2000.
All for now. . .