Faulk avoids serious injury but might miss next game

ST. LOUIS -- Marshall Faulk hasn't been ruled out of Sunday's game against the New York Jets despite a bruised right knee.

"He really could possibly play this week," coach Mike Martz said Monday. "We're not going to rule the possibility of him playing completely out.

"At this point, he's listed as out. We'll just see where he is."

Minutes after the Rams' 15-14 victory over the Giants on Sunday, Martz said that Faulk, the NFL's MVP last year, probably would miss 3-to-4 weeks. But that was because the team believed he had strained a ligament in the knee, that has had two surgeries since last November.

An MRI test after the game showed a bruise and no ligament or cartilage damage. Now, Martz said he'll probably have to talk Faulk into sitting this one out.

Perhaps this is gamesmanship to keep the Jets worried about Faulk, but Martz said he worries about that more than anything else surrounding the week of preparation. He said Faulk can't further damage the knee, but that it would be an issue of pain tolerance.

"It's going to be hard to restrain Marshall," Martz said. "It'll be very difficult to hold on to him and try to convince him that he needs to rest this thing a little bit."

Martz said Faulk told him he felt "pretty good" on Monday. Faulk came back two weeks after arthroscopic surgery on the right knee last November.

Faulk had a season-worst 63 yards rushing and receiving and fumbled twice against the Giants. The second fumble set up the Giants' go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter.

Faulk's backup is Trung Canidate, the team's first-round draft pick last year. Canidate caught a key fourth-down pass and drew an interference call in the end zone a play before he scored the winning touchdown on a 1-yard run.

Canidate missed most of his rookie season with various injuries. He has been used sparingly this year with 47 yards on 14 carries, a 3.4-yard average.

"I'm definitely looking forward to trying to get in," Canidate said. "I just want to play and you've got to be ready at any time; that's the job."

The Rams didn't change their offense with Faulk out. Canidate was the primary receiver on the fourth-down catch, which demonstrates the team's confidence in him, and Martz said he could handle the 20 touches per game that go to Faulk.

"Game's on the line, you throw him the corner route and the safety can't catch him, so he grabs him by the back of the jersey and that was a critical call," Martz said. "If he doesn't grab him, the ball's perfectly thrown and he's going to catch it, that's a touchdown."

Martz said offensive tackle Ryan Tucker, burned for four sacks and a forced fumble by the Giants' Michael Strahan on Sunday while playing hurt, will lose his starting spot for at least a week. Tucker has a broken left hand, which is in a cast, and separated right shoulder.

Rod Jones replaced Tucker in the fourth quarter, making his first appearance of the season, and Martz said Jones would start against the Jets.

"It's probably what we should have done last week," Martz said. "We ask a guy to block the premier pass rusher in this league with one arm; that's not good coaching."

Tucker was healthy for the Rams' 38-24 victory at New York last year and Martz said he battled Strahan to a standstill.

"You didn't hear Strahan's name called at all," Martz said. "I feel bad for Ryan that I put him in that situation, and it darn near cost us the game."

Warner, who got hit several times in addition to the sacks, was just a little sore on Monday. Martz said Warner was at Rams Park "bright and early" to look at game tape, just like every week.

"I'm sure I'll be sore for quite a while," Warner said. "But it never hurts quite as bad when you get a victory."