Thomas: Bradford Has Setback With Ankle

[r8rh8rmike]

Bradford has setback with ankle

BY JIM THOMAS
Thursday, December 15, 2011

The walking boot was back on Sam Bradford's left ankle Wednesday, and the frustration was back on his face.

His nagging ankle injury just won't go away. The ankle was sore following the Rams' 30-13 Monday night loss in Seattle, and it remained sore Wednesday when Bradford was held out of practice at Rams Park.

Bradford said there wasn't a specific play against the Seahawks that led to the soreness, but rather just the general wear and tear of four quarters of football.

As he said last week, Bradford still isn't considering cutting his season short and going on the injured reserve list. But ...

"I will say that it is becoming more and more frustrating to go out there and play, and then after the game feel like I've been set back," Bradford said. "When I came back the first time (after the original injury) I was able to make it through those first three or four games without going backwards. It got better each week. It wasn't sore after the game."

That hasn't been the case in his past two starts — Monday in Seattle and Nov. 27 against Arizona.

"The past two games I've gone out there, I feel like we've gone backwards," Bradford said. "That is a bit frustrating, but in my opinion as long as it's good to go, as soon as it feels right, I want to be out there with my team trying to help them win."

Trouble is, Bradford has one less day to let the ankle settle down. It's a short work week because of the Monday night contest.

"Yeah, that doesn't help," Bradford said. "I think last week playing on Monday night was a bonus, gave it an extra day to heal, more time to recover. Whereas this week we only have six days (between games), so that's definitely not something that's in our favor right now."

As he talked to reporters early Wednesday evening, Bradford said his ankle didn't feel good enough to play.

"I mean if we had to play today, no, probably not," he said. "But we've still got four more days and a lot can happen in that time. So hopefully we can use as much time as possible to let it heal and hopefully it'll be ready to go by Sunday."

It looks like the Rams are following the same approach as they have for several of the other practice weeks since the original injury occurred Oct. 16 in Green Bay. Namely, Bradford is staying off the ankle as much as possible and waiting until the end of the practice week to test the ankle.

Without full strength in the ankle, Bradford said the injury has affected his throwing mechanics.

"It's hard on my front leg," Bradford said. "It not easy to come through and fully torque and get everything I have into it, where it kind of puts more stress on the arm. I'm not sure if it reduces arm strength; it just kind of limits your ability to put your entire body into throws at times."

So at midweek, it appears to be better than 50-50 that Kellen Clemens will be the starting quarterback Sunday against Cincinnati in a noon kickoff at the Edward Jones Dome. Yes, the same Kellen Clemens who was claimed off waivers from Houston just last week and has all of three Rams practices under his belt.

"You get more and more comfortable with each practice, with each rep, even every meeting," Clemens said. "It's been a challenge. Most of the things I'm hearing, I'm hearing for the first time.

"I've spent a lot of time here. I'm getting here before light and leaving well after it's dark and putting a lot of time in. Coach (Josh) McDaniels has been really good explaining everything. And it really helps. A.J. Feeley, who has been unable to play and practice, has been right there any time I need any questions answered or to bounce something off him. If Josh isn't available, A.J. has been very good."

Feeley didn't practice Wednesday because of a fractured thumb on his throwing hand and is expected to miss his second straight game.

As the No. 2 quarterback Monday against Seattle, Clemens had a wristband with plays on it ready to go in case he was called into action. After Bradford absorbed a hard hit early in the game, for a moment it looked like Clemens might be close to coming in. He was throwing on the sidelines but said Wednesday he was doing so merely to stay loose.

Clemens may have to get another wristband ready for this week.

"A big part of that was just because of the crowd noise — obviously, Seattle's very loud," Clemens said. "Sometimes you can't hear the play call coming in, so if they can just give us a number we can figure it out (on the wristband). But fortunately Sam was OK to go."

That may not be the case for Bradford this week.

[BrokenWing]

Oh yeah, Sam was ok to go, that's why he couldn't put enough energy and accuracy into his throws and looked like he was in constant pain.

[r8rh8rmike]

Oh yeah, Sam was ok to go, that's why he couldn't put enough energy and accuracy into his throws and looked like he was in constant pain.

I'll bet Sam will have a different way of looking at things the rest of the season, as will the coaches.

[Nick]

What? Sam had a setback with his ankle by playing Monday night? I was under the impression that was impossible...

[mh-i]

Shut him down already.

[mh-i]

Oh yeah, Sam was ok to go, that's why he couldn't put enough energy and accuracy into his throws and looked like he was in constant pain.

You didn't know that already? You needed a writer to tell you?

[RamFan_Til_I_Die]

What? Sam had a setback with his ankle by playing Monday night? I was under the impression that was impossible...

But it's not a setback that will affect next season. That's the point people were trying to make.

[sosa39rams]

Looks like we got a career ending injury on our hands...whos gonna be our next QB?

[BrokenWing]

You didn't know that already? You needed a writer to tell you?

I was using sarcasm to suggest he wasn't ready at all.

[Nick]

But it's not a setback that will affect next season. That's the point people were trying to make.

We have no idea if it will or not. The fact that it's getting worse rather than healing certainly pushes back the timetable for his recovery, and for what? There were some before this game that were concerned that playing on this ankle was an unwise decision, and Sam's comments have proven those concerns correct.

Now, the Rams have two options: (1) shut Sam down and allow him to begin the healing process now, or (2) continue to let him play on a 2-win team on an ankle he says himself is going backwards, delaying the healing process further.

To me, the choice is even more obvious now than it was last week. And I thought it was pretty obvious then, if we're being honest. It was clear within two drives that Sam was not healthy enough to play effectively, and as some predicted, it's worse now. I really don't understand why anyone thinks we should keep marching him out there in this condition.

[macrammer]

We have no idea if it will or not. The fact that it's getting worse rather than healing certainly pushes back the timetable for his recovery, and for what? There were some before this game that were concerned that playing on this ankle was an unwise decision, and Sam's comments have proven those concerns correct.

Now, the Rams have two options: (1) shut Sam down and allow him to begin the healing process now, or (2) continue to let him play on a 2-win team on an ankle he says himself is going backwards, delaying the healing
process further.

To me, the choice is even more obvious now than it was last week. And I thought it was pretty obvious then, if we're being honest. It was clear within two drives that Sam was not healthy enough to play effectively, and as some predicted, it's worse now. I really don't understand why anyone thinks we should keep marching him out there in this condition.

I agree, see no real purpose having him out there until he is healthy. If that is next year, sobeit. 2-14 either way ........

[r8rh8rmike]

Bradford gave it a shot, and it didn't work out. Now everybody has a reasonably clear idea where he's at. The good news is, he's sore, not on crutches. We'll see what happens the next few weeks, but I don't think anyone is advocating playing him if he isn't able to execute.

[THOLTFAN81]

Please just SIT him already. Its done.

[UK Ramfan 83]

"I will say that it is becoming more and more frustrating to go out there and play, and then after the game feel like I've been set back"


Surely the biggest juxtaposition in one sentence that I have heard all year.

[Nick]

From Bryan Burwell's latest article...

Two weeks ago in San Francisco, he wasn't remotely ready to play but still tried up until the morning of the game to convince coach Steve Spagnuolo he could go.

"But 'Spags' told him no without hesitation," general manager Billy Devaney said before that game. "Sam tried to convince him, but 'Spags' refused to let him do it because he knew the danger was there that he risked re-injuring it to the point where it could not only end his season, but maybe require surgery and risk damaging him long term. But trust me, there's no doubt Sam wanted to play."

I don't understand how some can stay in denial over the risks of Sam continuing to play.