Rams' victory looked more like a non-loss

[Nick]

Rams' victory looked more like a non-loss
BY JEFF GORDON
Post-Dispatch Online Sports Columnist
Sunday, Dec. 05 2004

Rams coach Mike Martz tried to ooze confidence and enthusiasm after the Rams’
16-6 victory over the San Francisco ***** on Sunday afternoon.

“I’m just excited about where this team is going,” Martz gushed. “What it does
is get you excited about the rest of the season.”

Well, we’re glad one person is excited about the 6-6 Rams heading into the
final month of the season. This reporter cannot join that club.

The Rams should have destroyed the horrendous ***** inside The Ed. Instead,
they lost quarterback Marc Bulger to a sprained shoulder and had to scuffle for
their modest 10-point victory.

Their pass blocking was lousy, as Bulger can attest, and the offense needed a
couple of 52-yard Jeff Wilkins field goals to beat a shorthanded, overmatched
defense.

Bulger suffered his shoulder separation when Bryant Young sacked him late in
the first quarter. (The fact that hapless Rams tackle Grant Williams fell onto
the pile, too, probably didn’t help.)

Martz said Bulger’s injury is similar to one he suffered against Miami, only
somewhat worse.

“He’ll be back,” Mad Mike assured us. “Whether it’s this week or not, I don’t
know. But he should be back relatively soon.”

Well, Bulger better jet back soon -– because back-up Chris Chandler nearly
suffered a four-turnover game filling in for him. He threw an interception,
lost a fumble and nearly had two other passes picked off.

“I thought he was outstanding,” Martz said of the 900-year-old Chandler. “To go
in there and have the awareness of where everybody is and make the plays . . .”

Yeah, well, Chandler threw one terrific touchdown pass to Torry Holt -– but
only after Holt came back to snatch a badly under-thrown bomb moments before.
Otherwise, Chandler wasn’t as dazzling as he was during the preseason.

Let’s face it, the Rams needed to thrash the *****. They needed to punctuate
their inevitable victory with an exclamation point.

The Rams have been teetering for a month and a half. They had lost four of
their previous five games before facing the 1-10 *****.

The list of struggling Rams seemed to grow by the week: Grant Williams, Damione
Lewis, Sean Landeta, Tommy Polley, Adam Archuleta, Robert Thomas, Ryan Pickett,
Tom Nutten . . . players were buckling left and right.

Some of these key individuals had folded completely, making you wonder if they
had already scoped out new careers.

In addition, team leaders Marshall Faulk (battered knee) and Aeneas Williams
(neck/shoulder stinger) had been shells of their All-Pro selves while trying to
play through injuries.

The momentum of this season was headed downhill at an ever-increasing speed. An
uninspiring victory over a battered, overmatched, under-coached loser cannot
reverse that trend.

There were plusses, for sure. Rookie running back Steven Jackson gave an
encouraging performance in relief of Faulk, rushing for 119 yards on 26
carries. He ran with power. He flashed his speed. Best of all, he read all his
blocks.

He hesitated when he needed to. He put his head down and plowed when he had to
plow. He cut back when he had to cut back. Jackson was outstanding, which came
as no surprise to all the media types calling for him to gain a larger piece of
the offense.

The Rams' defensive front seven made a month’s worth of notable plays against
the helpless *****. Lewis, Thomas and Polley actually asserted themselves for a
change.

“We want to pressure like that,” Martz said, “not pressure because we have to,
because we’re behind.”

The Rams put a terrible licking on ***** quarterback Tim Rattay, so Martz was
able to rave about his beleaguered defensive coordinator.

“I’m very happy for Larry Marmie, who’s the best,” he said.

Easy, Mike, easy.

Jerametrius Butler had a fine interception, but Martz’s talk about a “Pro Bowl”
season seemed pretty ridiculous.

Leonard Little played like a Pro Bowl defensive end, but why doesn’t he play
like that all the time? Wilkins played like a Pro Bowl place-kicker, but why
can’t the Rams get into the red zone and convert with touchdowns?

“You just come into this building and you expect to win,” Martz said.

I’ll agree with that –- which is why I have a hard time agreeing with all the
other praise Martz was handing out afterward. This game was a non-loss and
nothing more.

[RamWraith]

now this was a funny read!

[AvengerRam]

So, let me make sure I'm clear...

When the Rams win, we shouldn't be too happy...

When they lose, we shouldn't be too upset...

So, I guess we shouldn't care at all...

Hey, PD writers - do you realize that if we don't care, you'll be out of a job?

[Fargo Ram Fan]

The Rams put a terrible licking on ***** quarterback Tim Rattay, so Martz was
able to rave about his beleaguered defensive coordinator.

“I’m very happy for Larry Marmie, who’s the best,” he said.

ROFLMMFAO!!!!!!!! WOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!! Who knew Mike secretly strives to be a COMEDIAN??

A 10 point win over the NFLs WORST TEAM...and suddenly he's 'THE BEST'....too funny. I wonder what he will be after the PHILLY game?? Lets hope its a BAD MEMORY.

[daredevil25]

So, let me make sure I'm clear...

When the Rams win, we shouldn't be too happy...

When they lose, we shouldn't be too upset...

So, I guess we shouldn't care at all...

Hey, PD writers - do you realize that if we don't care, you'll be out of a job?

Well in Atlanta if you win you didn't win by enough and if you lose you should start playing for the first overall pick

[HUbison]

“I’m very happy for Larry Marmie, who’s the best,” he said.

The best what, Mike? The best polka dancer? The best horseshoe pitcher? The best Boy George impersonator? Any of these I would believe, as long as you don't mean best Defensive Coordinator...because, Mike, that would be the most ridiculous thing to ever come out of your piehole. We won the game, Mike. Don't ruin it by saying something completely asinine.

We've got a hot Panther team next week in Carolina. Get to work.