Rams Fine Pittman $25, 000

[RamWraith]

Article Tools Sponsored By
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: December 22, 2008

Filed at 6:22 p.m. ET

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- St. Louis Rams running back Steven Jackson got his heaviest workload of the season on Sunday, partly because his backup was being punished.

Coach Jim Haslett said Monday that Antonio Pittman was fined $25,000 after skipping practice Saturday. Pittman, whose 23rd birthday was Friday night, also was inactive for Sunday's 17-16 loss to the San Francisco *****.

Pittman has made five starts while Jackson was sidelined by a thigh injury, and has 283 yards with a 3.7-yard average. Jackson had 108 yards on 32 carries, his first 100-yard game since Game 6, despite spending time on the training table at the end of the first half with a sore hamstring.

Haslett expected Jackson would be fine for the finale Sunday at Atlanta. Jackson's previous high this season was 25 carries for 160 yards in the Dallas game, and he was sidelined for 4 1/2 of the following games with a thigh injury sustained late in that match.

Pittman dressed but did not play the previous week because the Rams wanted to see more of third-stringer Kenneth Darby. Darby had five carries for 15 yards and five receptions for 57 yards on Sunday.

Guard Jacob Bell (hamstring) was scheduled for an MRI exam Monday night, and Haslett said tight end Daniel Fells also had an MRI exam that revealed a bone bruise in his right knee.

Rookie John Greco would start if Bell can't go, although he's coming off a shaky finish. Haslett said Greco gave up a sack and missed a block on a draw play from the ***** 45 in the final minute, leading to a 3-yard loss for Jackson.

Offensive coordinator Al Saunders' call drew much heat after the game. Haslett said it should have worked, and noted the Rams only needed a few more yards to set up Josh Brown for a potential winning field goal.

''If you're going to play young guys you're going to have to live through some of the growing pains,'' Haslett said. ''If he'd have picked up his man it probably would have been a pretty good play.''

[RAMMAN68]

[''if he'd have picked up his man it probably would have been a pretty good play.''

i don't think so; it seemed to me that there were at least 4 ****** around sj in the backfield.

[UtterBlitz]

bad boy Pittman, not coming in after his birthday celebrations......not good for the team, not good for you.

[Mooselini]

Hmm. I don't mind about Pittman. I thought Darby did a good job.

[UtterBlitz]

Hmm. I don't mind about Pittman. I thought Darby did a good job.

Darby had a good day. Maybe it was a good thing for the Rams.

[C-Mob 71]

I liked the call to run at the end of the game. I leaned over and told my friend that if we are smart we will just hand it to S Jax and get Josh ready to win this thing. Unfortunately the players did not execute the draw, and it ended up being the last thing we wanted. As much as I dislike Saunders play calling, I think it was the right decision.

[UtterBlitz]

I did not like that call. Jackson was not breaking anything open in the second half. He was fighting for yards and getting little. Perhaps a screen pass to him would have been better where he could not be caught behind the line and he could have got moving before the defense got him. The screen at the end of the first half to Darby worked really nicely. I think a handoff with so little time left and a need for yards was a bad decision.