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  • #1

    Bulger shoulders the pain

    By Jim Thomas
    Of the Post-Dispatch
    Wednesday, Dec. 08 2004

    It looks like Chris Chandler will be the Rams' starting quarterback for the
    Carolina AND Arizona games.

    In his first comments to reporters since suffering a bruised shoulder Sunday
    against San Francisco, Marc Bulger said his target date for a return is Dec. 27
    against Philadelphia.

    "I think we're shooting for Philly now," Bulger said. "Best case, hopefully, I
    can be back for next week. You hate to guess right now. You don't know after I
    can finally throw if it's going to flare back up. So I'm going to rest it a
    week and then see."

    The Rams play at Carolina on Sunday; and then travel to Arizona for a game Dec.
    19.

    Bulger said the shoulder has improved since Sunday's game. So he might try some
    light throwing Monday or Tuesday, "just to see how it reacts."

    For the most part, Bulger said the discomfort in the shoulder isn't too bad.

    "But throwing a football is obviously different," he said. "If it was my left
    shoulder, I think I could play. But being the right shoulder, throwing the ball
    is just about impossible right now.

    "I obviously can't sleep on it. Can't put any pressure on it. Anything going
    across my body hurts a lot worse than anything going away from my body. The
    throwing motion kind of goes across, and that's where I run into problems."

    Bulger said he has been sleeping on his back since the injury, which apparently
    has led to some noisy nights. "I think I snore a little bit on my back," he
    said.

    Bulger has yet to receive any miracle shoulder cures from fans.

    "I got some cookies from a neighbor, that's about it," Bulger said.

    Bulger suffered a bone bruise in his throwing shoulder at the top of the
    collarbone against San Francisco. The shoulder was X-rayed at the Edward Jones
    Dome. But Bulger then left with team doctor Matt Matava for an MRI exam at
    Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital.

    "We were driving out there listening to the game on the radio," Bulger said.
    "It was definitely a weird feeling."

    The Rams wanted to get an MRI as soon as possible because of concerns over a
    possible shoulder separation in the AC joint.

    "I felt it click when I went down," Bulger said. "Immediately that's what I
    thought - the AC."

    But Bulger and the Rams were relieved to learn that it was just a bone bruise.
    A separation in the AC joint probably would have sidelined him for the rest of
    the season. And such injuries also can affect a quarterback's throwing well
    into the future.

    "I mean, there's a little bit of fluid in the AC (joint), but I think that was
    probably old stuff," Bulger said.

    Against San Francisco, Bulger was injured with about 1 1/2 minutes to play in
    the opening quarter, when ***** defensive tackle Bryant Young eluded Rams
    offensive tackle Grant Williams and sacked Bulger for a 10-yard loss. Bulger
    said he couldn't be mad at Williams, who has been struggling with shoulder and
    elbow ailments of his own.

    "I honestly don't know who gets beat when I get hit during a game," Bulger
    said. "It's not like they're not trying. Hopefully, Torry (Holt) wasn't mad at
    me when I set him up a couple weeks ago. It goes both ways, and it's just
    football."

    Holt suffered a concussion Nov. 14 against Seattle on a late and high throw
    from Bulger.

    Bulger said he was just getting full strength back in his shoulder from a
    similar injury Oct. 24 in Miami before Sunday's injury.

    "I wasn't able to bench press for two, three weeks after Miami," Bulger said.
    "It was finally getting back to the weight I was (lifting) before."

    Until now. Against San Francisco, Bulger made his 28th consecutive start, the
    second-longest streak for a Rams quarterback since the move to St. Louis in
    1995.

    Tony Banks started 43 straight games from early in the 1996 season until late
    in the '98 campaign. Kurt Warner had separate streaks of 26 starts (1999-'00)
    and 27 contests ('00-'02) which were ended by finger and hand injuries.

    If anything, the time off might freshen up Bulger's arm, although he'd
    obviously rather be playing.

    "Especially since we're in first place now," he said. "And from the game last
    year, it would've been nice to get to play Carolina. But fortunately, it's not
    season ending and we're still in the thick of things."

    Carolina knocked out the Rams 29-23 last season in double overtime in an NFC
    playoff semifinal.
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Bulger shoulders the pain

    You know, I hate to see Bulger hurt, and this was bound to happen since the O line isn't providing protection for him, but I am still irritated that Bulger was still in the Green Bay game, late in the game, when they had no chance of winning. Second and third sting players should be out there at the end of game if the game is out of reach. Bulger took a snap with one second left in the game when they were down by what.... 30 points. What was the point of that?

    Bulger, hope you get better soon and eat some more cookies. Cookies are good.
    sigpic

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    • #3
      Re: Bulger shoulders the pain

      Agreed 100%, Utter. After Davenport scored on that 40-yard touchdown run, he and some others should have been out of there.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Bulger shoulders the pain

        Originally posted by NickSeiler
        Agreed 100%, Utter. After Davenport scored on that 40-yard touchdown run, he and some others should have been out of there.
        I actually missed most the game because the dogs are retards and I was at the emergency vet's office getting their stomachs pumped. Sometimes life is too interesting for me.

        I did come home to see the remainder of the fourth quarter and I couldn't believe the starters were still in and playing at the end. The hit on Bruce looked really painful. I am not surprised that he didn't do so well this last game. Bodies are not that flexible.
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        • RamWraith
          Bulger has begun throwing, but return is questionable
          by RamWraith
          By Jim Thomas
          ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
          12/13/2005
          Rams Bulger
          Rams quarterback Marc Bulger (right) is weighing whether it makes sense for him to return this season and risk aggravating his shoulder injury.
          (Chris Lee/P-D)

          A part of Marc Bulger wants to get back in the lineup ASAP, even if his injured right shoulder isn't fully healed.

          "You don't want to sit here and say, 'I'm going to be smart and just sit it out and get better,'" Bulger said Tuesday. "You think about that a little bit. But that's not my decision. That's not my job. I get paid to play regardless of our record and regardless of how things are going. Right now, I want to be in there."

          But a part of him says: Don't rush it this time. Bulger has injured his right shoulder four times over the 2004 and 2005 seasons:

          * At Miami on Oct. 24, 2004.

          * Against San Francisco on Dec. 5, 2004.

          * At Indianapolis on Oct. 17 this season.

          * And most recently, against Arizona on Nov. 20.

          Each time, Bulger has rushed back into the lineup before the shoulder felt totally right, and he injured it again. The San Francisco injury last season lingered into the offseason - affecting his offseason training - even though he nursed it through the final two regular-season games and two playoff contests.

          "It really didn't feel normal again until April or so," Bulger said. "I was a couple months behind last year. So that goes back to would it be smart to come back or not this year."

          For now, those considerations are a mere mental exercise, because at the moment, Bulger's shoulder still isn't right.

          For the first time since suffering the latest shoulder injury, Bulger threw Tuesday at Rams Park. He still experienced discomfort in the shoulder, and that was throwing at a distance of only 15 yards.

          "I couldn't get much velocity," Bulger said. "I wouldn't be able to go in and throw deep outs and deep balls."

          Or anything close to that. So that means Bulger will miss this Sunday's home game against Philadelphia, leaving only the game against San Francisco on Dec. 24 and the season finale Jan. 1 at Dallas.

          Bulger will try to throw again early next week. But if he can't throw 15 yards without discomfort this week, will his shoulder improve dramatically in seven days?

          "I don't anticipate it getting much better that quick," he said. "But I'm just trying to prepare myself if it is."

          If he isn't ready by San Francisco next week, it seems almost silly to attempt to play in the final game. Why risk taking a shot on the shoulder against Dallas, which could mean another late start in his offseason conditioning program? Because every time Bulger injures his shoulder, he can't lift...
          -12-14-2005, 05:10 AM
        • r8rh8rmike
          Bulger Not Ready To Discuss Future
          by r8rh8rmike
          Bulger not ready to discuss future
          BY JIM THOMAS
          ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
          11/28/2009

          "Sure," Marc Bulger said, when asked if he'd like to be back with the Rams next season.

          But that's as far as he cared to discuss that topic Friday, in his first comments since suffering a fractured shin bone in his left leg against Arizona.

          "I don't even want to talk about that," Bulger said. "We're going to have plenty of time in the offseason to make those decisions around here. But we've got a quarter — or a third — of the season to go, and I don't want to be a distraction in any way that way."

          The original prognosis was that Bulger would be sidelined for three to six weeks with the injury, which will not require surgery. With only six games to play, including Sunday's contest with Seattle at the Edward Jones Dome, there's no guarantee that Bulger will be healthy enough to play again in 2009. And that in turn prompted speculation that he may have taken his last snap at quarterback as a St. Louis Ram.
          "There's been a lot of numbers thrown out there on how long it's going to be (before the injury heals)," Bulger said. "It's been five days, I think, since I've done it. Only time will tell how long it's going to be."

          Bulger said it might be another week or so before he has a better idea if he'll be able to play in '09.

          "I'm just going to keep rehabbing — getting bone stem (treatment) and ice," Bulger said. "There's really not much you can do for it. But I'd love to come back and play a couple games."

          Bulger hobbled into the locker room on one crutch Friday afternoon to meet with reporters. He hasn't been out on the practice field all week because the Rams' medical staff wants him off his feet for a while.

          "I think the doctor said the first 10 days is important to keep any weight off of it, since it is a weight-bearing bone, to help the healing process," Bulger said.

          But Bulger made every meeting this week and will continue to do so throughout the rehab and healing process.

          "I'll still be in all the meetings, doing whatever I can to help Kyle (Boller)," Bulger said. "But he's been there, done that, so it's more I think to help Keith (Null) along. Hopefully, we don't have to use (Null), but I'll try to get him a little bit more ready."

          Bulger may have originally suffered the injury two Sundays ago against New Orleans. He remembers coming out of that game with some soreness in the left knee area, but no real swelling.

          "It wasn't anything visible," Bulger said. "We checked it out. You have sore knees every week, and I think when you check knees that's all you're looking for is ligaments. I never even thought in a million years that it could possibly...
          -11-28-2009, 01:43 PM
        • RamWraith
          Bulger swaggers in pocket
          by RamWraith
          By Jim Thomas
          Of the Post-Dispatch
          Wednesday, Sep. 07 2005

          When last seen against San Francisco, Rams quarterback Marc Bulger was being
          helped off the field of the Edward Jones Dome after getting crumpled by *****
          defensive tackle Bryant Young.

          With 1 1/2 minutes remaining in the opening quarter that day, Young eluded Rams
          offensive tackle Grant Williams, sacking Bulger for a 10-yard loss.

          "Bryant Young just had my hand, held it to my side, and I landed on my right
          shoulder," Bulger recalled Wednesday. "It was in an awkward position (for) the
          AC joint. ... I couldn't really brace my shoulder for the fall, and it just
          kind of slid out, or whatever those joints do."

          Bulger knew right away that his throwing shoulder was messed up.

          "With the shoulder, those ligaments get stretched and it's just nearly
          impossible (to throw)," he said. "You can fight through the pain, but you're
          still flinching, and you won't put the ball where you want."

          Strange as it sounds, that game proved to be a watershed moment in Bulger's
          career. Although Chris Chandler got the Rams through the rest of that Dec. 5
          contest for a 16-6 victory, he was a disaster in losses the following weeks at
          Carolina and Arizona.

          Bulger's importance to the team was painfully underscored in those defeats.
          Just as eye-catching was how he played once he returned. In the Rams' final two
          regular-season games of the 2004, plus their two playoff contests, Bulger
          completed 67.6 percent of his passes for 1,287 yards, with eight touchdowns,
          four interceptions and a stellar passer rating of 106.3.

          According to wide receiver Isaac Bruce, that has led to a greater air of
          confidence in Bulger this training camp and preseason.

          "I think he realizes what he means to this team, and what he means to this
          offense now," Bruce said. "That was very evident when he went down last year
          vs. the ***** here at home, and we missed him for those two games. Things
          didn't go as well as they should have when he was in there. I believe just
          having him in the offense makes everything a whole lot smoother."

          This preseason, Bulger and the entire starting offense looked scraggly in
          limited duty in the opener against Chicago. But against San Diego and Detroit,
          Bulger was on fire. In those two games, he completed 74.2 percent of his passes
          for 348 yards with three TDs, two interceptions, and a passer rating of 110.1.

          No wonder coach Mike Martz, when asked about Bulger's play this preseason,
          said: "I think he's probably pretty close to where he was when last season
          ended, to be honest with...
          -09-08-2005, 06:11 AM
        • RamWraith
          Bulger has had injured ribs for a few weeks
          by RamWraith
          From Fanball


          11/27 12:57 Rams: Bulger reveals rib injury
          The News
          Rams quarterback Marc Bulger left Sunday's win over the ***** for three plays just before halftime, with the given diagnosis being that he had the wind knocked out of him. Following the game, however, Bulger revealed that it was a bit more serious. "I've had a bruised rib," Bulger told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "And he [***** defensive end Bryant Young] got me right on the spot. So it pretty much knocked the wind out of me, and I couldn't breathe. I couldn't get up."

          Our View
          Bulger added that he has been taking pain-killing shots for "three or four weeks in a row now" in order to play through the rib injury. While we admire his courage, we must also point out that Bulger's production has tailed off dramatically over the past month. Perhaps there's a correlation?
          -11-27-2006, 03:52 PM
        • Nick
          Bulger shoulders the load
          by Nick
          Bulger shoulders the load
          By Jim Thomas
          Of the Post-Dispatch
          Saturday, Jun. 04 2005

          When last seen on a football field, Marc Bulger was being tossed around like a
          pinata on the floor of the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. En route to a 47-17 Rams
          playoff loss to the Falcons, Bulger took a beating. By the end of the game, he
          had an injured left thumb and a sore back.

          "I don't know if (the thumb) was broken or not," Bulger said Saturday. "If it
          was, it was something minor. My back locked up."

          He got over the thumb and back injuries soon enough in the offseason. However,
          problems with his throwing shoulder, the result of an injury that sidelined him
          for two games in December, lingered into early spring.

          "My shoulder actually bothered me for a couple of months, because the cortisone
          started to wear off," Bulger said. "But the middle of March to late March it
          started to come (around)."

          Normally, Bulger doesn't begin throwing until the beginning of April, resting
          his arm for a couple of months after each season. But because of the shoulder
          injury, he waited even longer this offseason.

          "This year, I waited until the beginning of May to start throwing," Bulger said
          after the Rams' Saturday minicamp practice. "It feels fine. I was a little
          worried that it might be sore. It takes a little longer to get warm, but it
          doesn't get sore after. So I'm not worried about it at all."

          Bulger did some extra weight work on his shoulder muscles this offseason. As
          for his frame, Bulger has just about given up trying to get bigger.

          "Every year I try, and every year I get to about 210 (pounds), and I kind of
          stick right around there," he said. "So I'm done."

          On the field, the early minicamp workouts at Rams Park have been a little
          sloppy offensively.

          "It's obviously not the same as the regular season," Bulger said. "That's the
          last time we were all together. But it's to be expected every minicamp. If it
          was the middle of August and we were still playing this way, I'd be a little
          scared. But we're going to have some bumps right now."

          Part of those "bumps" are due to the fact that offensive mainstays such as wide
          receiver Isaac Bruce and guard Adam Timmerman are sitting out this minicamp;
          Bruce because of an abnormal heartbeat on an EKG exam, Timmerman because of
          surgeries in the offseason.

          Bulger likes the offseason moves the team made to bolster the offensive line
          -signing Orlando Pace to a long-term contract, adding veteran Rex Tucker to
          play left guard, and drafting three...
          -06-05-2005, 02:15 AM
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