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By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch
12/19/2004
Arizona's Josh McCown fumbles the ball after a sack by Anthony Hargrove of the Rams (on the ground behind McCown). Leonard Little (91) recovered and returned the fumble for a touchdown.
(Rick Hossman/AP)
TEMPE, Ariz. - Even before the opening kickoff, the Rams knew the scores, understood the playoff picture, realized the opportunity that was at hand.
"We knew Carolina lost," defensive end Leonard Little said. "We knew Seattle lost. We knew Philly won, but one of their major players (Terrell Owens) got hurt. We were aware of everything. Was that an incentive for us to go out there and win? Yes."
So with just three hours of hard labor Sunday at Sun Devil Stadium, the Rams could move up from the No. 7 seed in the NFC - and out of the playoff picture - to the No. 4 seed and in.
And with just two weeks remaining in the regular season. Many NFL players live for the opportunity to be in such a situation. But with so much at stake, the Rams responded with one of their worst efforts since the move to St. Louis in 1995.
Playing against a 4-9 Arizona team that had lost four in a row, the Rams got outscored 31-7 and outgained 402 yards to 185. How in the world did that happen?
"I don't know," offensive guard Adam Timmerman said.
"There's no easy explanation," wide receiver Isaac Bruce said.
"I wish I had a clue," defensive lineman Tyoka Jackson said.
Well, coach Mike Martz had some thoughts on the subject, and those thoughts started and ended with stinging criticism of starting quarterback Chris Chandler.
"I think everybody realized what was at stake," Martz said. "I'm sure that's why it hurts so much. Not just losing, but to lose it so decisively. It goes back to the inability to function at one position. You hold the whole team hostage."
Martz was talking about the quarterback position. More specifically, Chandler at the quarterback position.
"He made some bad decisions," Martz said. "You'd call plays, and the ball's going to the wrong guy completely. I have no idea what he was doing. He had to come out of there."
Not even in the dark ages of Rams football, when the team went 22-42 from 1995 to 1998, had the team been as pathetic in an opening quarter as it was Sunday.
Arizona outgained the Rams 108 yards to minus-20, and outscored them 10-0 in the opening quarter. And if you thought Chandler was shaky last week against Carolina, well, he took it to another level against the Big Red.
In three series against the Cardinals, Chandler was one for six for 1 measly yard. He threw an interception on an out pattern in which Torry Holt slipped making his cut. And he was sacked twice, hanging on to the ball too long instead of just throwing it away.
There were behind-the-scenes indications at Rams Park last week that Martz would have a short leash on Chandler - and that proved to be the case Sunday. After those three miserable series by Chandler, out trotted Jamie Martin.
Martin had been out of football for more than 13 months before signing with the Rams Dec. 7. It was a drastic move, but a move Martz felt had to be made given Chandler's play.
"It's tragic for this football team that that (quarterback) position could hold this whole football team hostage," Martz said.
Martz was so upset with Chandler, he couldn't - or wouldn't - mention him by name.
"You can't complete a screen to a wide receiver?" Martz said. "You throw it to the wrong guy. We're supposed to throw a hitch and we throw it to the wrong guy. We were just doing bizarre stuff."
Martz felt that Chandler was free-lancing on offense, ignoring the progression of the reads that are an integral part of the system. But did the Rams give Chandler enough help in play- calling? After all, six of the seven plays Chandler participated in before getting yanked were pass plays - against the league's 30th-ranked run defense.
But one of Chandler's passes was supposed to be a run, Martz said.
"Some of the decisions, just weren't ... the play was very poor at that position," Martz said.
After last week's debacle in Carolina, Chandler faced the music in terms of answering questions from the media. Not this time. He was out the door of the locker room before reporters entered - a fact that did not go unnoticed by some of his Rams teammates.
When asked if Chandler seemed confused in the huddle or on the field, running back Marshall Faulk said: "I have no idea. You guys have to ask Chris that. Did you guys talk to Chris?"
Faulk's locker stall at Sun Devil Stadium was just a few feet from Chandler's, so he knew Chandler made an early exit to the team bus.
The Rams didn't get their initial first down of the game until Martin's first play - a 10-yard pass to Brandon Manumaleuna with 12:24 to go in the first half. All things considered, Martin wasn't bad, completing 16 of 31 passes for 188 yards.
But Martin couldn't get the Rams into the end zone, marking the first time since Dec. 1, 2002 - when Kurt Warner was playing with what turned out to be a broken hand against Philadelphia - that the Rams offense didn't score a touchdown.
In a telling indication of the Rams' buzzard's luck, Holt fumbled on the Arizona 1-yard line trying to get into the end zone late in the third quarter after a 22-yard catch from Martin. Arizona recovered in the end zone for a touchback.
"I saw it; I couldn't believe it," Little said.
Little accounted for the Rams' lone touchdown when he scooped up a fumble by Arizona quarterback Josh McCown and raced 61 yards to the end zone with 7 seconds remaining in the first half. Rookie Anthony Hargrove forced the fumble with his first NFL sack.
"I thought it was going to be a spark to get us going, but it never did happen," Little said.
Nothing much happened for the Rams on Sunday. At least, nothing good.
Now 6-8, the Rams are assured of their second non-winning season in three years. And it might only get worse, what with Philadelphia (13-1) and the New York Jets (10-4) next up.
Of the Post-Dispatch
12/19/2004
Arizona's Josh McCown fumbles the ball after a sack by Anthony Hargrove of the Rams (on the ground behind McCown). Leonard Little (91) recovered and returned the fumble for a touchdown.
(Rick Hossman/AP)
TEMPE, Ariz. - Even before the opening kickoff, the Rams knew the scores, understood the playoff picture, realized the opportunity that was at hand.
"We knew Carolina lost," defensive end Leonard Little said. "We knew Seattle lost. We knew Philly won, but one of their major players (Terrell Owens) got hurt. We were aware of everything. Was that an incentive for us to go out there and win? Yes."
So with just three hours of hard labor Sunday at Sun Devil Stadium, the Rams could move up from the No. 7 seed in the NFC - and out of the playoff picture - to the No. 4 seed and in.
And with just two weeks remaining in the regular season. Many NFL players live for the opportunity to be in such a situation. But with so much at stake, the Rams responded with one of their worst efforts since the move to St. Louis in 1995.
Playing against a 4-9 Arizona team that had lost four in a row, the Rams got outscored 31-7 and outgained 402 yards to 185. How in the world did that happen?
"I don't know," offensive guard Adam Timmerman said.
"There's no easy explanation," wide receiver Isaac Bruce said.
"I wish I had a clue," defensive lineman Tyoka Jackson said.
Well, coach Mike Martz had some thoughts on the subject, and those thoughts started and ended with stinging criticism of starting quarterback Chris Chandler.
"I think everybody realized what was at stake," Martz said. "I'm sure that's why it hurts so much. Not just losing, but to lose it so decisively. It goes back to the inability to function at one position. You hold the whole team hostage."
Martz was talking about the quarterback position. More specifically, Chandler at the quarterback position.
"He made some bad decisions," Martz said. "You'd call plays, and the ball's going to the wrong guy completely. I have no idea what he was doing. He had to come out of there."
Not even in the dark ages of Rams football, when the team went 22-42 from 1995 to 1998, had the team been as pathetic in an opening quarter as it was Sunday.
Arizona outgained the Rams 108 yards to minus-20, and outscored them 10-0 in the opening quarter. And if you thought Chandler was shaky last week against Carolina, well, he took it to another level against the Big Red.
In three series against the Cardinals, Chandler was one for six for 1 measly yard. He threw an interception on an out pattern in which Torry Holt slipped making his cut. And he was sacked twice, hanging on to the ball too long instead of just throwing it away.
There were behind-the-scenes indications at Rams Park last week that Martz would have a short leash on Chandler - and that proved to be the case Sunday. After those three miserable series by Chandler, out trotted Jamie Martin.
Martin had been out of football for more than 13 months before signing with the Rams Dec. 7. It was a drastic move, but a move Martz felt had to be made given Chandler's play.
"It's tragic for this football team that that (quarterback) position could hold this whole football team hostage," Martz said.
Martz was so upset with Chandler, he couldn't - or wouldn't - mention him by name.
"You can't complete a screen to a wide receiver?" Martz said. "You throw it to the wrong guy. We're supposed to throw a hitch and we throw it to the wrong guy. We were just doing bizarre stuff."
Martz felt that Chandler was free-lancing on offense, ignoring the progression of the reads that are an integral part of the system. But did the Rams give Chandler enough help in play- calling? After all, six of the seven plays Chandler participated in before getting yanked were pass plays - against the league's 30th-ranked run defense.
But one of Chandler's passes was supposed to be a run, Martz said.
"Some of the decisions, just weren't ... the play was very poor at that position," Martz said.
After last week's debacle in Carolina, Chandler faced the music in terms of answering questions from the media. Not this time. He was out the door of the locker room before reporters entered - a fact that did not go unnoticed by some of his Rams teammates.
When asked if Chandler seemed confused in the huddle or on the field, running back Marshall Faulk said: "I have no idea. You guys have to ask Chris that. Did you guys talk to Chris?"
Faulk's locker stall at Sun Devil Stadium was just a few feet from Chandler's, so he knew Chandler made an early exit to the team bus.
The Rams didn't get their initial first down of the game until Martin's first play - a 10-yard pass to Brandon Manumaleuna with 12:24 to go in the first half. All things considered, Martin wasn't bad, completing 16 of 31 passes for 188 yards.
But Martin couldn't get the Rams into the end zone, marking the first time since Dec. 1, 2002 - when Kurt Warner was playing with what turned out to be a broken hand against Philadelphia - that the Rams offense didn't score a touchdown.
In a telling indication of the Rams' buzzard's luck, Holt fumbled on the Arizona 1-yard line trying to get into the end zone late in the third quarter after a 22-yard catch from Martin. Arizona recovered in the end zone for a touchback.
"I saw it; I couldn't believe it," Little said.
Little accounted for the Rams' lone touchdown when he scooped up a fumble by Arizona quarterback Josh McCown and raced 61 yards to the end zone with 7 seconds remaining in the first half. Rookie Anthony Hargrove forced the fumble with his first NFL sack.
"I thought it was going to be a spark to get us going, but it never did happen," Little said.
Nothing much happened for the Rams on Sunday. At least, nothing good.
Now 6-8, the Rams are assured of their second non-winning season in three years. And it might only get worse, what with Philadelphia (13-1) and the New York Jets (10-4) next up.
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