Rams Notebook: Frustration mounts for Tinoisamoa

[RamWraith]

By Bill Coats
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
11/24/2006


On Wednesday, Rams linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa was tempted to try to practice au naturel. That is, without his left arm encased in a heavy, tightly wound wrap from just above his wrist to his biceps.

"But," he said, "I thought I'd better be smart."

As time goes by, Tinoisamoa is becoming increasingly frustrated.

He dislocated his left elbow in the second game of the season, Sept. 17 at San Francisco. Two weeks later vs. Detroit, the elbow popped out again.




"I like to think it's getting better each week," Tinoisamoa said. "But until I finally tackle somebody with that arm cleanly, then it's just all right."

Tinoisamoa stayed in the lineup until a broken left hand, suffered at practice Oct. 25, finally forced him to the sideline for two games — the first he'd missed in his four NFL seasons.

The hand, he reported, "is much better. It's the elbow that's giving me a little trouble."

Enough trouble that Tinoisamoa, the team's leading tackler the past three seasons, often has to compensate by steering ballcarriers toward teammates rather than taking them down by himself. It goes against his grain, but it's the only way he can be effective, he explained.

"I just adjust to how I can do it the best I can," said Tinoisamoa, already a bit undersized at 6 feet 1 and 235 pounds. "I find myself trying to get the ball back to other people because, subconsciously, I know I probably wouldn't be able to do it by myself, me and my one arm."

Said defensive coordinator Jim Haslett: "He's struggling a little bit, but the guy's competing. He's one of our leaders and ... geez, I give the guy credit for just being out there and doing the things he can do."



After averaging 8.3 tackles a game over his first 48 NFL games, Tinoisamoa is getting 4.3 this year. He has 34 tackles in eight games, ninth on the squad.

"I'm not as effective as I want to be, and it's hard to accept," he said. "You're getting pushed around out there, and your balance is kind of off. I want to think I'm the finest out there, but in all actuality, it's not that way."

It gets no easier this week for Tinoisamoa and his fellow defenders. The Rams, who have yielded at least 100 yards to a back in seven of their 10 games and rank 31st in the NFL vs. the run, will confront San Francisco's Frank Gore on Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome. Gore is the league's No. 2 rusher (1,043 yards).

"He's a real good, strong running back," Tinoisamoa said. "It's going to have to be all 11 of us getting to the ball. We're going to have to find a way to get off blocks and get to him. Because if it's just one-on-one with that guy, there's a pretty good chance he's going to win."

Tinoisamoa would like to avoid surgery on the two tendons that are torn near the elbow, but he acknowledged he might not have a choice.

"Hopefully not; I'm not a big advocate of it," he said. "But if it's the best thing to do, then we'll see."

Timmerman is probable

Guard Adam Timmerman, who suffered bruised ribs Sunday at Carolina, returned to practice Thursday. He was upgraded to probable from questionable on the injury report. Fullback Paul Smith (hamstring) remained questionable.

"I'm feeling a little bit better," Timmerman said. "They're pretty sore, but I wanted to move around a little bit and see how it was going to feel."

Timmerman was back at his usual right guard spot, and rookie Mark Setterstrom got most of the first-unit reps at left guard. Alex Barron, who normally plays right tackle, got in some time on the left side, with Todd Steussie working at right tackle.

Still, coach Scott Linehan indicated that Barron probably would start at right tackle and Steussie at left tackle. "We have to have a contingency plan," Linehan said, "but we're pretty much set with the way we're going to go."

Adam Goldberg, who struggled at left tackle vs. the Panthers, worked mostly at guard with the No. 2 unit. Linehan said he planned to use Timmerman, Setterstrom and Goldberg at guard vs. the *****.

Setterstrom, a seventh-round draft pick from Minnesota, suited up Sunday after spending the first nine games among the inactives. He got in for nine plays in the 15-0 defeat.

"It was exciting, something that I've been working for all year," Setterstrom said. "I know there's a lot to the game, but at the same time I was able to just get in a few snaps against a great defensive line. So I'm a little more comfortable now."

Ram-blings

Thursday's practice started at 10 a.m., an hour earlier than normal. Meetings followed, and then the players were sent home to enjoy the rest of the holiday. ... Three of the *****' nine wins in 2005 and '06 have come against the Rams. ... With 22 receiving yards Sunday, Rams receiver Torry Holt would surpass Jerry Rice (10,273) for the most in a player's first eight NFL seasons.
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[MikeB1603]

This makes me wonder if Pisa is a better option then Coakley or Smith right now with his injury keeoing him from being 100%.

[rampete]

yeah, linebacker need both arms to shed blocks and it's obvious from the last two games that pisa is having a hard time doing just that...

[laram0]

I have to say Pisa really impesses me. I dislocated my elbow playing sports and was put in a cast for a week and then had approx. 6 weeks of physical therapy to deal with. Playing football was out of the question...per doctors orders. Pisa is a tough guy for sure.

[RamsFan16]

This makes me wonder if Pisa is a better option then Coakley or Smith right now with his injury keeoing him from being 100%.

How can you say that? Pisa is playing ebtter right now with one arm that Coakley was the entire season. Pisa is a warrior, smith should start at SLB I think wover Chillar. He came in one play forced a fumble and was apart of a sack (Seattle game).

But hey, I'm not going to say what we need to do because I'm not the coach

[thoey]

With 22 receiving yards Sunday, Rams receiver Torry Holt would surpass Jerry Rice (10,273) for the most in a player's first eight NFL seasons.

Wow... Nice. Go Torry! Too bad he won't stay in the league to break some of the All Time records.

[r8rh8rmike]

Enough trouble that Tinoisamoa, the team's leading tackler the past three seasons, often has to compensate by steering ballcarriers toward teammates rather than taking them down by himself. It goes against his grain, but it's the only way he can be effective, he explained.

"I just adjust to how I can do it the best I can," said Tinoisamoa, already a bit undersized at 6 feet 1 and 235 pounds. "I find myself trying to get the ball back to other people because, subconsciously, I know I probably wouldn't be able to do it by myself, me and my one arm."

If he literally can't use his bad arm, I'm not sure he should be playing. You've got to love his heart and toughness, but "steering ballcarriers" is not what we need and I can't believe he'll be very effective in coverage. I wonder what the whiner offense thinks about his situation and if they're planning adjustments to exploit it. Guess we'll see tomorrow.