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By Bill Coats
Of the Post-Dispatch
08/16/2004
MACOMB, Ill. - The Rams' afternoon practice came to a sudden and eerily quiet halt Monday when quarterback Marc Bulger was bumped during two-minute-offense drills and wheeled away, grabbing his right arm.
Defensive end Leonard Little charged in from the left side and shoved right tackle Greg Randall into Bulger, who doubled over and appeared to be in considerable pain as trainers hustled to his side. It turned out to be little more than a scare: A Rams official reported that Bulger suffered a mild bruise.
"I'm fine," Bulger said later.
Still, coach Mike Martz wasn't pleased by the close call. When asked by reporters about Bulger's status, Martz snapped: "I don't know. Hell, I'm not a doctor. It just happened 30 seconds ago. ...
"Defensively, you've got to stop; this is our No. 1 quarterback. (Little) knocked (Randall) back into the quarterback. And the right tackle's got to do a better job of blocking. He just thinks it's a walk-through, I guess."
Polley is told to prove himself
Never mind that he's started 36 games in three seasons since the Rams drafted him in the second round in 2001: Linebacker Tommy Polley has been dropped to the No. 2 unit and, Martz said, will stay there until he proves that he deserves to move back up.
"This isn't just something from a practice or a situation; this is over time," Martz said. "We've discussed this with Tommy.
"He knows the situation, what he needs to do."
The move was made after the Rams' 13-10 exhibition-opening loss to Chicago on Thursday. Polley, who declined an interview request Monday, was credited with two tackles. Tony Newson, who has replaced him with the first team, had three.
Martz suggested that the switch not be over-emphasized.
"This happens all the time in camp," he said. "We're trying combinations to see what the best combination is. We haven't settled on our final three yet, by any stretch of the imagination."
Running back update
Running back Marshall Faulk, recovering from offseason knee surgery, has participated in three consecutive practices for the first time since camp opened.
Martz, who said before Thursday's game that Faulk was "not ready to play physically yet," is pleased with his progress.
"He's taking every snap with the 1's (first unit), which is what we thought we'd do this week and see how he feels," Martz said. "Provided that there's no backward movement, he should be fine.
"When I say that, I mean swelling or soreness, those kinds of things. We'll keep this really close to the vest and make sure that if there are any indications of that, we'll rest him."
Faulk protege Steven Jackson, who also had knee surgery earlier this year, participated in Monday morning's full-pads workout but skipped the afternoon practice. Martz said Jackson's knee is "just not all the way rehabbed. He doesn't quite have the strength he has in the other leg. It's just natural after what he's had done to the knee that it's going to swell like that."
Jackson, the team's top draft choice, has gotten a lot of work in camp, and he had a team-high 15 carries for 73 yards vs. the Bears.
"He's taken so many reps ... so many reps ... that it's going to happen," Martz said. "So, we've just got to back him off."
Of the Post-Dispatch
08/16/2004
MACOMB, Ill. - The Rams' afternoon practice came to a sudden and eerily quiet halt Monday when quarterback Marc Bulger was bumped during two-minute-offense drills and wheeled away, grabbing his right arm.
Defensive end Leonard Little charged in from the left side and shoved right tackle Greg Randall into Bulger, who doubled over and appeared to be in considerable pain as trainers hustled to his side. It turned out to be little more than a scare: A Rams official reported that Bulger suffered a mild bruise.
"I'm fine," Bulger said later.
Still, coach Mike Martz wasn't pleased by the close call. When asked by reporters about Bulger's status, Martz snapped: "I don't know. Hell, I'm not a doctor. It just happened 30 seconds ago. ...
"Defensively, you've got to stop; this is our No. 1 quarterback. (Little) knocked (Randall) back into the quarterback. And the right tackle's got to do a better job of blocking. He just thinks it's a walk-through, I guess."
Polley is told to prove himself
Never mind that he's started 36 games in three seasons since the Rams drafted him in the second round in 2001: Linebacker Tommy Polley has been dropped to the No. 2 unit and, Martz said, will stay there until he proves that he deserves to move back up.
"This isn't just something from a practice or a situation; this is over time," Martz said. "We've discussed this with Tommy.
"He knows the situation, what he needs to do."
The move was made after the Rams' 13-10 exhibition-opening loss to Chicago on Thursday. Polley, who declined an interview request Monday, was credited with two tackles. Tony Newson, who has replaced him with the first team, had three.
Martz suggested that the switch not be over-emphasized.
"This happens all the time in camp," he said. "We're trying combinations to see what the best combination is. We haven't settled on our final three yet, by any stretch of the imagination."
Running back update
Running back Marshall Faulk, recovering from offseason knee surgery, has participated in three consecutive practices for the first time since camp opened.
Martz, who said before Thursday's game that Faulk was "not ready to play physically yet," is pleased with his progress.
"He's taking every snap with the 1's (first unit), which is what we thought we'd do this week and see how he feels," Martz said. "Provided that there's no backward movement, he should be fine.
"When I say that, I mean swelling or soreness, those kinds of things. We'll keep this really close to the vest and make sure that if there are any indications of that, we'll rest him."
Faulk protege Steven Jackson, who also had knee surgery earlier this year, participated in Monday morning's full-pads workout but skipped the afternoon practice. Martz said Jackson's knee is "just not all the way rehabbed. He doesn't quite have the strength he has in the other leg. It's just natural after what he's had done to the knee that it's going to swell like that."
Jackson, the team's top draft choice, has gotten a lot of work in camp, and he had a team-high 15 carries for 73 yards vs. the Bears.
"He's taken so many reps ... so many reps ... that it's going to happen," Martz said. "So, we've just got to back him off."
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