Two of five linebackers are hurt
By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch
Sunday, Sep. 12 2004
The Rams entered Sunday's season opener with only five linebackers on their
roster. And those numbers dwindled steadily in the team's 17-10 victory over
Arizona.
Outside linebacker
Pisa Tinoisamoa, the team's leading tackler last season as
rookie, suffered a dislocated right shoulder in the first half making a jarring
hit on Arizona wide receiver Bryant Johnson.
He was temporarily replaced by Tommy Polley, but returned before halftime.
Nonetheless, coach Mike Martz indicated that Tinoisamoa might be sidelined for
a while.
"He played the rest of the game in a harness strap, whatever you call it,"
Martz said. "I would imagine we won't have him for a little while. They're
going to MRI him and see if there's any damage in there."
In addition, backup middle linebacker Trev Faulk suffered a torn hamstring. He
could be sidelined for the next several weeks.
Rookie defensive end Anthony Hargrove suffered a blow to the head on the
opening kickoff but was able to return to the game.
Cornerback Aeneas Williams limped off the field after a lineman fell on the
back of his calf, but returned. Cornerback Jerametrius Butler dislocated two
fingers but kept playing. Quarterback
Marc Bulger jammed the knuckle of his
left index finger during his 36-yard pass play to
Torry Holt, but kept playing.
Holding? What holding?
Holding calls against defensive linemen are rare, but
such a penalty against Tyoka Jackson wiped out an interception by DeJuan Groce,
and led to Arizona's only touchdown of the game.
Replays were inconclusive. Jackson pleaded innocent.
"I have no recollection of holding anybody," he said. "That was horrible,
horrible timing on the call, because we got an interception, we had some
momentum. I feel really bad about it, but I don't remember holding any body."
The penalty gave Arizona a first down on the St. Louis 11, and Emmitt Smith
scored on the next play late in the third quarter.
Surprise start for Groce
After missing a good chunk of the preseason with a knee injury, Groce found
himself in the starting lineup Sunday at cornerback. Groce said he wasn't
informed until Saturday that he was starting instead of Kevin Garrett in place
of the injured Travis Fisher.
"I was more surprised than anything," Groce said. "Because coming off a knee
injury, I didn't think I was going to be able to go. I thought I was going to
be used on an as-needed basis."
Groce, a second-year pro from Nebraska, said he wasn't nervous.
"I've been thrown into the game before," he said, referring to his 2003 start
at Pittsburgh. "That experience last year helped me out so much going into the
game (Sunday)."
Groce said his knee isn't 100 percent healthy, but "it's getting there."
Milestones for Faulk, Wilkins
Some of Marshall Faulk's teammates call him "Rush," and on Sunday, he rushed
past two of the league's greatest runners.
With 128 yards rushing, Faulk moved past O.J. Simpson into 12th place on the
NFL career rushing list with 11,341 yards. With his 145 total yards Sunday, he
moved past Marcus Allen on the career total yards list with 17,668.
"Pretty cool," Faulk said. "Those are guys that I looked up to growing up."
Meanwhile, place-kicker Jeff Wilkins became the Rams' all-time scoring leader
with the first of his three field goals Sunday. He entered the game tied with
former Rams kicker Mike Lansford with 789 points.
Wilkins received a game ball from Martz.
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