By Jim Thomas
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Friday, Oct. 20 2006
Seattle coach Mike Holmgren can feel
Scott Linehan's pain. But he still thinks
the NFL rule on 10-second runoffs is a good one.
"If I was Scott, I'd be saying the same (things)," Holmgren told reporters
Wednesday. "I'd be upset. But the simple fact is, it's different. The two
things are different. Taking the penalty when you're trying to run a play, as
opposed to when you're trying to stop the clock."
It's the difference between deliberately taking a penalty to stop the clock,
which Holmgren agrees should merit a 10-second runoff. Or being called for a
penalty on a play in which your team is trying to stop the clock with a spike.
That was the case for Seattle in Sunday's 30-28 victory over Linehan's Rams.
"I can understand his emotion," Holmgren said. "Absolutely, I can understand
his emotion. But we talked about that very ruling, and the 10-second runoff,
and all those things for hours and hours on the (competition) committee. And
the simple fact is, the kill-the-clock play is different than when you're
trying to run a play down the field. It is different."
"This type of play might happen once a year, once every two years, and
typically that wasn't enough to change rules. I don't think you want to change
every rule that comes up kind of quirky like that."
Of course, Linehan could argue that "quirky" helped cost his team a victory.
Linehan questioned the integrity of the 10-second runoff, because there are
exceptions to the rule and loopholes that he feels teams could exploit in the
future.
"The example that (Linehan) used, to have two receivers run down there and one
snap the ball like you're on the playground, you can't do it," Holmgren said.
"The official's holding the ball. He's holding the ball. You're not going to
grab the ball from the official ... and nothing can be done till he sets the
ball down."
In the larger scheme, Linehan feels there are too many rules in the NFL that
are situational or subject to interpretation. In other words, rules that seem
to apply in some circumstances, but not in others.
Holmgren expects the competition committee to discuss the 10-second runoff in
the offseason. "I will vote (to) leave it be," he said. "It's an unusual
situation, yes. Painful, yes. But the rule is the rule, and there's a reason."
Tinoisamoa's contract
Linebacker
Pisa Tinoisamoa's five-year contract extension is worth $24.7
million, according to information filed with the NFL Players Association.
Tinoisamoa received a $5 million signing bonus and will receive a $2.5 million
roster bonus before the 2007 season.
Tinoisamoa receives base salaries of $1.92 million this season; $1.5 million in
'07; $3 million in '08; $3.25 million in '09; $3.5 million in '10; and $4
million in '11.
No progress on Little
Monday's meeting between president of football operations Jay Zygmunt and Chad
Speck, the agent for
Leonard Little, did not result in a contract extension for
the Rams' defensive end.
It's looking more and more as if Little will not get a contract extension
before the end of this season. Currently tied for eighth in the NFL with five
sacks, Little is scheduled for unrestricted free agency after this season. The
Rams may use a franchise tag on Little if the parties can't agree on a new
contract.
By the numbers
Quarterback
Marc Bulger has moved up to third in the NFL in passer rating
(99.8). As a team, the Rams have moved up to eighth in total offense and fourth
in passing offense, both season highs.
Running back
Steven Jackson is second in the NFL in rushing (521 yards), second
in first downs gained (34), and leads the league in yards from scrimmage (745).
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