By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch
Monday, Sep. 20 2004
In terms of run defense, the Rams' 34-17 loss to Atlanta was one of the worst
clunkers for the team since the move to St. Louis.
The Rams yielded 242 rushing yards on 38 carries to the Falcons. In nine-plus
seasons in St. Louis, the Rams have fared worse on only one occasion. On Nov.
3, 1996, the Rams yielded 248 yards rushing to Pittsburgh on 41 carries in a
42-6 loss to the Steelers.
That game marked the revenge of the Bus. Traded by the Rams to Pittsburgh less
than seven months earlier, Jerome Bettis rushed for 129 yards on 19 carries
that day at Three Rivers Stadium.
There was no revenge motive at work Sunday at the Georgia Dome. But the Rams
did get Vick-timized by Atlanta quarterback Michael Vick. Vick led Falcons
rushers with 109 yards on 12 carries, and he made Rams defenders look silly.
"It was one of those days where you probably needed a net," one Rams official
said.
But Vick had help. T.J. Duckett pounded away for 52 yards on nine carries, with
all but one of those carries coming in the fourth quarter after Warrick Dunn
left with a sprained left knee. Before his injury, Dunn added 43 yards (and two
touchdowns) on 14 carries.
Particularly frustrating for the Rams was a 26-yard gain on an end-around by
Falcons wide receiver Dez White. White seemingly was trapped for a big loss
before reversing field and outrunning Rams defenders like ... well, like Vick.
"Obviously, they did a nice job of changing up what they do, and getting (Vick)
out on the perimeter, and challenging us out there," Rams coach Mike Martz
said. "And that reverse, we had that hemmed in, and just could not finish the
play."
Atlanta's rushing total wasn't the only bad number for the Rams.
St. Louis' team rushing total of 30 yards tied for the fifth-worst for the Rams
since the move to the Midwest.
Also, the Rams had no takeaways for the second game in a row. Until now, the
Rams hadn't gone back-to-back games without forcing a turnover since games 10
and 11 of the 2002 season - against Chicago and Kansas City. This season, St.
Louis is the only team in the NFL without a takeaway.
"It's a concern," Martz said. "When you have a guy like Vick running around
back there, it's hard just to tackle him, let alone take the ball away from
him."
So yes, it was bad Sunday in Georgia. But it's no time to panic. At times like
these, Martz counts on his veterans to settle the younger players and stabilize
the situation.
"There's no question about it," Martz said. "I said to the team (Monday)
morning: We've been through so many of these games in the last six years. Or
five years. Our veterans, Isaac (Bruce), Torry (Holt) and Marshall (Faulk), and
some of these guys. They know how to respond. Tyoka (Jackson). Aeneas
(Williams)."
But the roster also includes 19 players who had one year or less of NFL
experience entering this season. That's more than one-third of the roster.
"Guys like myself, and guys who have been around and have been in situations
like this, we've got to take the younger guys and not let them get down on
themselves," Faulk said. "They've got to understand that sometimes this happens
in the league. Things can happen going into a hostile environment.
"You catch a team that's excited, and young, and they've made some changes. ...
You don't come out playing your best and you lose. It doesn't mean that you're
not a good team, or you're not going to be good. It's early in the season; it
happens."
Quarterback
Marc Bulger echoed those sentiments.
"We're in the second week of the season," Bulger said. "It would've been huge
to come in here and beat a good football team. But we just have to work harder
now and come back and win at home. It's not the end of the world. We have faith
in each other in here, and that's all that matters."
For a lot of young players, it's simply a matter of maintaining poise and focus
in a hostile environment when things aren't going your way. Teams that develop
that kind of mental toughness are the teams that consistently win the close
ones. See: the New England Patriots.
With a re-tooled offensive line because of injuries, a very young defense, and
a new defensive coordinator, Martz figured there would be a few bumps in the
road early on.
"We're going to have problems here at the beginning of the year," Martz said.
"We just are. We've got to clean some things up, and that stuff just doesn't
happen overnight. But we're going to end up being a real good team. ... There's
no question about it."
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