Bulger doesn't worry about job security

ST. LOUIS -- The last two weeks, St. Louis Rams coach Mike Martz has considered yanking Marc Bulger. It's a potential controversy that is lost on his young quarterback.

Bulger isn't wasting time worrying when or if two-time NFL MVP Kurt Warner, who led the Rams to Super Bowls in 1999 and 2001, will be warming up on the sideline.

"It's going to happen," Bulger said. "I've been pulled in games before so it's not something new. If I'm sitting there worrying about someone else coming in, obviously I'm not worried about what I'm doing on the field, and bad things happen when you do that."

Bulger was 11-for-21 for only 101 yards in the first half and with the Rams trailing the Bears 14-3, Martz strongly considered going with Warner. Warner factored into the equation by telling the coach he should not make a change, that it wouldn't be fair to Bulger, and he finished 29-for-46 for 240 yards and two touchdowns in a 23-21 victory at Chicago.

A week earlier the Rams leaned heavily on a defense that produced seven turnovers in a 33-22 victory over the Ravens.

"It's not going to affect me if I throw an interception, and I'm not going to worry about the first half," Bulger said. "More often than not I think it's good just to come back out and forget about the last play rather than sit around and worry about it."

Bulger's numbers were especially feeble in the second quarter at Chicago when he was sacked on three straight plays in one series and went 3-for-8 for only 4 yards.

"I was concerned because of all the mistakes in the second quarter and you get to the point where you have to start weighing whether you need to pull him or not," Martz said. "Fortunately we went with him and kept him in there."

Martz said he won't have a hair trigger Sunday in Arizona (3-7) if Bulger struggles again. Because he knows Bulger can recover.

"There's a toughness and confidence that's built up with him, he's fought his way through it," Martz said. "When you have a bad quarter or a bad half and still come back and win, it says a lot."

Players remain in Bulger's corner. Wide receiver Torry Holt, the NFL's leading receiver and Bulger's favorite target, said it's a learning experience.

"I'm not making a big deal about it," Holt said. "This is a growing period for him and we're going to be here to support him, try to make things easy for him, step up and make plays and try to calm him down."

Teams have tried to rattle Bulger with frequent blitzes and the Cardinals figure to try that strategy this week. But coach Dave McGinnis believes Martz, a longtime friend, is doing the right thing by sticking with Bulger.

"I don't see a quarterback that's really struggling, I just see some people that have been able to get to him a little bit," McGinnis said. "But they're still winning games because they're a very talented team."

Bulger insists his recent play has not shaken his confidence. He has 14 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions on the year and is 11th in the NFC with an 83.1 passer rating, plus he's an impressive 13-3 record as the starter.

"I'm going to go through tough times, bad games, and certainly it won't be the last time it happens in my career," Bulger said. "I don't have time to sit here and mope about it, I've got to get better and move on to this week."

Bulger doesn't think defenses have solved the Rams' complex offense, which despite its troubles is third overall in the NFL.

"If I just go through my reads like I'm supposed to, you don't want to say there's nothing they can do but somebody's going to be open," Bulger said. "I don't think it's a matter of they figured us out or figured me out."