A day to remember at Rams Park
By Bill Coats
10/03/2007 5:53 pm
The wags who cover the Rams on a daily basis have a pet saying: Never a dull day at 1 Rams Way (the address for Rams Park). Wednesday was one of the least dull days in recent memory.
Early during practice, coach Scott Linehan marched off the field and over to a group of reporters - an extremely rare occurrence – to deliver the news that he would start Gus Frerotte at quarterback Sunday so that
Marc Bulger can rest his cracked ribs and achy knee.
Just two days earlier, Linehan had staunchly defended Bulger and vowed that he would start again this week. After practice, Linehan elaborated, explaining that after watching tape of the last three games, he concluded that Bulger was too banged-up to perform effectively.
Linehan wasn’t finished: He also disclosed that he would call the plays vs. Arizona, replacing offensive coordinator Greg Olson. The Rams’ offense has produced just two touchdowns during the 0-4 start, and no touchdowns since the first quarter of the second game.
On the field,
Richie Incognito was back at right guard. He’s been out since mid-August with a high-ankle sprain. His return, plus the knee injury suffered Sunday by Adam Goldberg, created even more shuffling on the offensive line: Claude Terrell and Andy McCollum shared reps at left guard, and Milford Brown and Brandon Gorin alternated at right tackle.
On defense, Jerome Carter and Todd Johnson worked at strong safety, with the expectation that
Corey Chavous will be out Sunday with a pectoral injury. Plus, Fakhir Brown was back after serving his four-game ban. He’ll start Sunday; Lenny Walls won’t, as he recovers from burns inflicted by Cowboys wideout Patrick Crayton.
And finally, punter Donnie Jones is now the holder for kicker Jeff Wilkins, with
Dane Looker on crutches because of a severe thigh bruise that will keep him sidelined at least a week.
***
Linehan firmly denied that the determination to sit Bulger was forced on him by higher-ups in the organization. “That decision was made solely, 100 percent by me. The decision to play him (last week) was 100 percent made by myself. Any theories on anything out there that is said is absolutely not true. That’s been my decision.”
***
Meeting with reporters in the locker room, Bulger obviously was disappointed by Linehan’s decision. But he said he understood it.
“I was never going to pull myself out, I know that much,” he said. “It’s real easy to play hurt when you’re winning, but it’s not in me to pull myself when we’re 0-4. So, it was going to have to be the coaches that pulled me out and that’s what happened. . . .
“If (Linehan) feels that this is the best thing for the team . . . I’m behind him a hundred percent. I wish I was playing, but at the same time if he feels this will help us win and maybe help us later in the season . . . we trust him.”
***
In another area of the room, Frerotte was explaining that the QB change wouldn’t affect the way he and Bulger go about their business.
“I think Marc and I handle it professionally, we handle it as men and we take control of it and see it as what it is,” Frerotte said. “We talked about it, we’re still friends and we’re never going to let anything like this change it. It’s a business thing, and we have to let him heal up. I told him, ‘You have to help me like when I help you during the games.’ That’s just how it goes. We’re professionals and you just handle it that way.”
All for now. . .
GO RAMS 
Linear Mode
