Kicker itching to redeem misfire soon
BY STEVE KORTE
News-Democrat
http://www.belleville.com/mld/bellev...s/16315376.htm
ST. LOUIS - Kicker Jeff Wilkins would have liked an opportunity to redeem himself.
Wilkins, who missed a potential game-winning field goal on the final play of the fourth quarter, never got the chance.
With Wilkins warming up in overtime for another try at a game-winning field goal,
Steven Jackson ran 21 yards for a touchdown as the Rams beat the Washington Redskins 37-31 Sunday.
"Heck yeah," Wilkins said of hoping he'd get a second chance to kick game-winning field goal. "It was embarrassing to miss that first one, so you always want to come back as quick as you can and be ready to erase that memory as much as you can by hitting the next one."
The snap from
Chris Massey looked a little high on Wilkins' miss, but he said he wasn't sure what went wrong.
"I don't know," Wilkins said. "I have to look at it on tape. The snap and hold were great. I just pulled it to the left a little bit. I didn't notice anything drastic. I just pulled it. I felt that right off the get-go. It was left the whole way."
Wilkins said missing a field goal like that is devastating emotionally for him.
"I can't even describe it," Wilkins said. "It's the worst feeling ever. These guys busted their butt and battled back. My job is to go out there and put it through and get out of here with a victory, and I didn't do it. It's tough to swallow right now.
"There's no doubt getting the win is big for these guys, but it's going to be a little rough for me tonight. It is better than getting a loss."
The misfire marked only the second time in the last two seasons that Wilkins hasn't connected from 45 yards or closer.
"I've stood behind him (during pregame warmups) and I don't think I've ever seen him miss from there," Rams coach Scott Linehan said of Wilkins.
Linehan said Rams quarterback
Marc Bulger tool a knee near the left hashmark on the previous play because Wilkins prefers the ball on one of the hashmarks instead of the middle of the field.
Linehan said he was confident that Wilkins wouldn't have missed again if he had been called upon in overtime.
"I knew Jeff was going to knock it through," Linehan said. " I have confidence in him coming right back and winning the game. It certainly makes it a lot easier when you can just run it right in."
First catch goes for touchdown
Rams tight end
Dominique Byrd's first NFL catch was a touchdown catch.
Byrd hauled in a short pass from Bulger near the right sideline, broke a tackle by Redskins free safety Sean Taylor and ran 27 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter.
"I never even dreamed that," Byrd said. "That's how it happened, and (Isaac Bruce) just told me that that's how his first catch happened. If I can have even half the career that (Bruce) has had, I'll be happy."
Bruce's first NFL catch was a 34-yard reception off a pass from Chris Miller on Sept. 11, 1994.
Byrd was so excited that he dropped the football. Rams wide receiver
Torry Holt rescued the momento for him.
"I'm an only child, and mom is going to get it," Byrd said of the football.
Byrd has seen little playing time during a rookie season that has been marked by an off-the-field altercation. He's accused of hitting a man in the face with a glass.
"I'm trying to be ready for my opportunities, and as a get more, I just want to perform," who has been active for only four games this season. "We have some great leaders on this team that have helped me. It just feels to good on the day before Christmas to have such a good present."
Quick hits
The Rams' inactives were cornerback Jerametrius Butler, fullback Paul Smith, running back Rich Alexis, linebacker Jamal Brooks, guard-center Larry Turner, offensive tackle Jeremy Parquet, defensive end Eric Moore and third-string quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick.
Adam Timmerman (cracked ribs), Victor Adeyanju (broken arm) and Jerome Carter (sprained ankle) all were in uniform for the Redskins, but only Adeyanju and Carter saw any playing time.
• Bulger's 29-yard scramble early in the fourth quarter was the longest run of his career. His previous best run was a 28-yard scamper against the Green Bay Packers in 2003.
• The Rams' 539 yards of offense was the eighth highest total in Rams history, and the highest total since they racked up 614 yards in a 57-31 win over the San Diego Chargers on Oct. 1, 2000.
• The Rams had no significant injuries against the Redskins.
• Isaac Bruce moved past Andre Reed and into seventh place on the NFL's all-time receiving list with 13,310 yards.
• The Rams had a punt blocked for the first time since Tampa Bay's Rabih Abdullah blocked John Baker on Nov. 26, 2001.
GO RAMS 
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