Kicker bails out mouthy lineman

ST. LOUIS -- Richie Incognito's tantrum nearly cost the St. Louis Rams their first victory. It could have cost the hotheaded offensive guard his job, too.

Josh Brown overcame a 15-yard penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct resulting from Incognito's jawing with referees, making a 49-yard game-ending field goal to beat the Redskins 19-17 on Sunday. Had the kick missed and the Rams (1-4) remained winless, coach Jim Haslett said Incognito might have been released.

Incognito said he thanked Brown after the game, and again the next day.

"It's a big-time kick, and I owe a lot to Brownie," Incognito said Wednesday. "That would have been a catastrophe, and I wouldn't have been able to handle it, especially with the work we've put in. I really don't like to think about what would have happened if we miss that field goal."

Haslett blames himself for some of that excess emotion, after a pep talk designed to fire up Incognito and others. Incognito and Haslett had another lengthy discussion Monday, this one designed to prevent future blowups.

"I was trying to get those guys ready to play," Haslett said. "He understands where he's at, the league's not going to tolerate it, and I don't think you'll see it."

Incognito said he was complaining to one referee that Washington players were hindering the Rams from lining up in the waning seconds when he was flagged by a second referee. He admitted to swearing at both the referees and Redskins players during the "heat of battle."

"I didn't know there was a rule for cussing, but I guess there is," Incognito said. "I just got caught up in the heat of the moment and my mouth got running. We were that close to winning that game and it was just shenanigans all around."

The 6-foot-3, 318-pound Incognito has been accused of dirty play in the past, and he knows the officials are watching him.

"I've been marked since I started playing in this league," Incognito said. "The referees every week are, '68 does this, 68 does that.'

"I play my game and these are the first flags I've drawn all year."

The fourth-year player has a long history of losing control.

In 2006, his personal foul after a Steven Jackson touchdown in the fourth quarter put the Seahawks in good position to beat the Rams 24-22 on a last-second field goal by Brown, who was then with Seattle.

Last season, Incognito appointed himself the team sheriff after being an enthusiastic participant in a skirmish that broke out during an intersquad scrimmage.

There's plenty more from his college career at Nebraska. He was suspended for repeated team violations. In 2004, he was found guilty of a misdemeanor assault charge stemming from a fight at a party; he was kicked out of the Nebraska-Penn State game in 2002 for fighting; and in spring 2003 he was suspended for a variety of violations.

Haslett, in his third season with the Rams, believes Incognito has matured.

"I know people have been on him, but I think he has grown up since I've been here," Haslett said. "I think he's smart enough and hopefully he's matured enough that it's not going to happen anymore."