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  • #1

    BULGER TO HAVE MRI!---

    JIM SALTER

    Associated Press


    ST. LOUIS - St. Louis Rams coach Mike Martz said Tuesday he still doesn't know when - or if - offensive tackle Orlando Pace will end his holdout.

    That's because Martz hasn't heard from the five-time Pro Bowler since the end of last season.

    "I don't know what kind of shape he's in, what he's been doing," Martz said. "He has not returned any calls to our players or our coaches."

    "I think that's the business aspect through his agent; that's the hard part of it."

    The Rams certainly appear to need the help on the offensive line. The Kansas City Chiefs registered five sacks in a 24-7 preseason victory Monday night over St. Louis, and they pressured Rams quarterbacks all night.

    The line has been torn apart by injuries.

    Right tackle Kyle Turley remains out with a back injury, and his return is uncertain. Backup tackle Grant Williams played Monday despite an ankle injury and may not play Friday when the Rams, 0-2 in preseason, host the Washington Redskins. And St. Louis cut center Dave Wohlabaugh because of a hip injury.

    Things appear so dire that two veteran offensive lineman - Chris Dishman and Tom Nutten - have been lured out of retirement, and Martz said both were rounding into shape.

    He expects the line to be solid - with or without Pace - for the Sept. 12 opener at home against the Arizona Cardinals.

    "We'll put out there a first unit that can compete and play well," Martz said.

    Monday's loss was costly to more than the Rams' psyche. Cornerback Travis Fisher broke his right forearm and will have surgery Wednesday. Martz declined to guess when Fisher may return, but initial reports project that the player will miss most of the season.

    Quarterback Marc Bulger will have an MRI on a knee that was hit in the first quarter against the Chiefs, though Martz said he does not believe the injury is serious.

    Linebacker Tommy Polley suffered an arm injury and may miss up to a week of practice, Martz said.

    Notes:@ The Rams said Tuesday they have released DT Richard Harris, WR Derek McCoy, LB Jason McWilliams, P Jesse Nicassio, TE Ryan Prince, LB Justin Smtih and WR Brian Sump.
    Last edited by RamWraith; -08-24-2004, 03:34 PM.
    Tags: None
    • #2
      Re: BULGER TO HAVE MRI!---

      "We'll put out there a first unit that can compete and play well," Martz said.
      I sure hope this isn't a variation of his stock "we can fix that" answer. He better have a plan or more reports of...
      Quarterback Marc Bulger will have an MRI on a knee that was hit in the first quarter against the Chiefs, though Martz said he does not believe the injury is serious.
      ...will start popping up.
      Linebacker Tommy Polley suffered an arm injury and may miss up to a week of practice, Martz said.
      As if he needs to miss a week of practice...couldn't happen at a worse time for Polley.
      The Rams said Tuesday they have released ... WR Brian Sump.
      That's a shame. I was hoping this kid would catch on with us.
      The more things change, the more they stay the same.

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        • #3
          Re: BULGER TO HAVE MRI!---

          Originally posted by RamWraith(JIM SALTER)
          Quarterback Marc Bulger will have an MRI on a knee that was hit in the first quarter against the Chiefs, though Martz said he does not believe the injury is serious.
          Does anyone on the Rams know the signal for an injury TO? Put the season on hold for a bit for crying out loud. MRIs are not ice packs. No one is going to recognize this team by opening day at this rate ... oh well, the consolation prize is that I can't blame sMartz for this state of affairs ... or can I?

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            • RamWraith
              Offensive line is in rough shape
              by RamWraith
              By Jim Thomas
              Of the Post-Dispatch
              08/24/2004
              The problems on the Rams offensive line aren't going to go away in a day or two. Coach Mike Martz conceded as much Tuesday, sifting through the ashes of the previous night's 24-7 meltdown in Kansas City.

              The real question is: Can they be sorted out in 18 days, when the Rams open the regular season against Arizona?

              "Provided that we can keep what we have healthy, with the addition of Orlando (Pace), absolutely," Martz said. "And even if Orlando's not here, we'll put out a first unit that will compete and play well."

              But at the moment:

              Left tackle Grant Williams has a sprained ankle that Martz said probably needs about a week to properly heal, although Williams may keep playing through it.

              "We're so thin at this point," Martz said. "I told him, do what you can do. If he can't (play), this is his decision and I respect him. ... There's great character in that man. He wanted to be there (against Kansas City), and I appreciate that. I'm very grateful for that."

              Williams had been wearing a protective boot around the ankle in practice but scrapped the boot in favor of extra tape against Kansas City. "The boot was causing numbness," Williams said. "The ankle wore down as the night went on. Certain movements, it didn't affect me. But whenever I had to push on it, there wasn't a lot there."

              Chris Dishman is rounding into shape at left guard but still has a way to go.

              "I think Big Dish is going to be fine," Martz said. "He's obviously a few weeks away from being ready physically. He's really out of shape, but he's light years ahead of where he was when he came in. ... He played much better (against Kansas City) than I thought he would at this point."

              The recently unretired Tom Nutten still needs a couple of weeks before he's ready to play.

              Right guard Adam Timmerman is bothered by a nagging shoulder problem, and may not practice or play Friday against Washington.

              Right tackle Scott Tercero is a preseason bright spot, even though the blitz-heavy Chiefs threw a lot at him Monday. "He probably played the best of all the offensive linemen (Monday) night," Martz said.

              The situation would improve dramatically once left tackle Pace, embroiled in a contract dispute, shows up. But when does that take place?

              "When he gets here, he gets here," Martz said. "I don't have any idea how much work he needs because I don't know what kind of shape he's in. I don't know what he's been doing. I don't know anything about him.

              "I have not talked to Orlando since the end of the season. He's not returned any calls to any of the coaches, any of the players, or anything else."
              ...
              -08-25-2004, 05:44 AM
            • RamWraith
              Painful hit on Bulger angers Martz
              by RamWraith
              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."...
              -08-17-2004, 05:40 AM
            • RamWraith
              Inside Slant
              by RamWraith
              Rams coach Mike Martz has been saying it for a while, that quarterback Marc Bulger is among the elite players at his position in the NFL.

              And Martz reiterated that after Bulger's performance Monday night in the Rams' 20-7 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. Bulger was back in the lineup after missing two starts because of a shoulder injury suffered early in the team's Dec. 5 game against San Francisco.

              He missed games against Carolina and Arizona on the road; the Rams lost both and scored just seven offensive points in the two games combined.

              While a strong running game helped Bulger in the win over the Eagles, he did complete 20 of 27 passes for 225 yards and one touchdown.

              "I thought he was terrific," Martz said of Bulger's play. "Lots of zip on the ball, probably as much zip as he's had all year. He recovered very nicely. He didn't have any issues with that shoulder at all. You could see from the strength and the way that ball came out. You can see throughout the year when the shoulder is bothering him, he doesn't have that kind of zip. There were about five games this season, when you look at him, he didn't have the zip he had (Monday) night. He's back, completely.

              "Goodness gracious, he is playing at such a high level right now. He has such confidence. It showed in that game. He has such a command of what's going on on the field. I'm kind of in awe of the guy right now. He is playing at the highest level."

              It was known that Bulger had also injured his shoulder against Miami on Oct. 31, and Martz also revealed he had banged it in the season opener.

              "He just didn't say anything about it," Martz said. "I didn't know it, either, but he 'fessed up to somebody else. He had been playing most of the season at seven-eighths or three-quarters arm strength."

              The Rams' fate will be in Bulger's hands Sunday when the team tries to make the playoffs with a win over the Jets. Even with a win, the Rams still need help to get in, but the fact they even have a chance considering the ups and downs of the season hasn't been lost on Martz.

              "It's thrilling," Martz said. "After all the drama that we've been through this year, being in position to potentially be in the playoffs — how awesome is that? I'm excited. Hopefully we'll be sharp (on Sunday) and lay it all out there."

              SERIES HISTORY: 11th meeting. The Rams lead the series, 8-2 and have won six straight games, the last meeting being a 34-14 win in 2001. The only game played in St. Louis between the teams was a 30-10 Rams victory in 1998.

              NOTES, QUOTES

              —The Rams' offensive line has had its share of struggles this season, but coach Mike Martz gave high praise to the linemen for their performance in the win over the Eagles.

              Said Martz, "In...
              -01-01-2005, 05:35 PM
            • RamDez
              Martz Pleased with First, Second Units
              by RamDez
              Martz Pleased with First, Second Units
              Saturday, August 14, 2004


              By Nick Wagoner
              Staff Writer

              For more than a half of football Thursday night, St. Louis dominated Chicago. The bad news is the Rams ended up losing a 13-10 decision to the Bears. Fortunately for St. Louis, though, the first half was the portion of the game it was in control.

              The reason that comes as good news is that was the part where both sides played their first and second teams. The starting St. Louis offense moved the ball well behind quarterback Marc Bulger before a Jeff Wilkins’ 33-yard field goal capped its lone drive.

              The beat went on after the top unit left, as Chris Chandler turned in a nearly perfect performance, going 8-of-9 for 108 yards and a touchdown. The St. Louis offense finished the first half with 190 yards of offense and a 10-3 lead.
              Rams coach Mike Martz said he was happy with the top two units. “All in all, I was very pleased, particularly in the first half with both groups,” Martz said.

              St. Louis entered the preseason game with quite a few concerns that needed addressing. The main concern was along the offensive line, where both starting tackles and the center were missing and one of the starting guards played center. The line held up, though, behind the leadership of veteran guard Adam Timmerman, the lone starter on the unit playing his normal position at kickoff.

              Timmerman missed a pair of practices leading up to the game because of shoulder soreness, but Martz identified Timmerman’s leadership as a main reason for the first-half success. “He can play anywhere,” Martz said. “He can play in the street. It doesn’t make any difference. He’s what you’re looking for as a leader, as an example in every form.”

              Martz took the time Sunday to praise another lineman, only this one doesn’t quite have the pedigree and resume of Timmerman. Tackle Scott Tercero, making his first start in the NFL, overcame some nervousness to have a strong showing. If Tercero continues to perform at a high level, some of St. Louis’ major concerns might be eased.

              Martz, who has said in the past that he likes players to step up their play in the preseason and show themselves, said Tercero did just that. “I think that there’s a toughness with Scott that I didn’t realize was there because he’s such a quiet young man,” Martz said. “There’s a resolve… that you don’t know about these guys until you put them in pressure situations like we had him in. He really responded very well.”

              Tercero’s emergence could prove important in the next few months. Offensive tackle Kyle Turley is out at least four weeks with a bulging disc in his back. “The doctors have said four weeks from now they’ll have an idea about how he feels and what direction we’ll go,” Martz said.

              Center Dave Wohlabaugh could miss up to three months with his hip injury. Pro-Bowl left...
              -08-15-2004, 01:14 AM
            • RamWraith
              Offensive Line Settles In
              by RamWraith
              Tuesday, August 30, 2005

              By Nick Wagoner
              Senior Writer

              After declaring this week’s starting offensive line his starters for the season, barring injury of course, coach Mike Martz was pleased with the way the unit performed in its first appearance together this season.

              The Rams have cycled through a laundry list of combinations along the line that has included everyone from rookies to veterans in new positions to Blaine Saipaia, well, just about everywhere.

              But when St. Louis sent out Orlando Pace (left tackle), Tom Nütten (left guard), Andy McCollum (center), Adam Timmerman (right guard) and Rex Tucker (right tackle) as the starting line, it was the first time this year the group got to play together.

              Of course, this year doesn’t equal forever for a group that has four members that have played and played well together.

              “This is the line that we are going to play the season with and this is the first time together,” Martz said. “That’s why we left them in to get them into playing shape. These guys have been playing together for a lot of years now. This is the first time we have had that group together healthy. I thought they played really well.”

              The numbers bear out Martz’s point. The offense racked up 453 yards, most of which came with the starting unit in there. It wasn’t until late in the third quarter that the starting line went to the bench, but the skill position guys were out a little sooner.

              It didn’t take long for the group to establish dominance in the ground game as Tucker blasted open a seam on the right side for running back Steven Jackson. Jackson scooted 64 yards down the sideline and the 37-13 route was on.

              For Pace, Nütten, McCollum and Timmerman, it seemed like old times again as that group made up four/fifths of the starting line in the 2001 Super Bowl. Even the addition of Tucker doesn’t seem so strange considering how similar he is to brother Ryan Tucker.

              “When you talk to Rex, the similarities are there,” Nütten said. “The way they look, the way they play. The big thing is it doesn’t matter who plays as long as we get the job done.”

              Perhaps no player’s performance against the Lions was more impressive than that of Nütten. His return gives the Rams a solid pass blocker next to Pace and another veteran of which Martz feels comfortable with in the starting lineup.

              “You can’t have guys on your team this many years that play at that level that have been through so many good things and not have some allegiance or get attached to them,” Martz said.

              As long as the group can stay healthy and continue to play at the level it did Monday night, that attachment will be easy.

              FIRST CUTS: The Rams released 13 players Tuesday afternoon in order to meet the league’s criteria of getting to 65 players today.

              Normally,...
              -08-31-2005, 04:22 AM
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