Linehan benches injured Bulger

~ Gus Frerotte will get the start at quarterback Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.

ST. LOUIS -- One day after insisting he'd stick with Marc Bulger, St. Louis Rams coach Scott Linehan benched his banged-up quarterback.

The winless Rams will go with backup Gus Frerotte on Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals, Linehan said Wednesday. Frerotte and Bulger, who has been ineffective while playing with two broken ribs, both got the news Tuesday from the coach and the news was made public before practice Wednesday.

Linehan also will return to play-calling in an effort to wake up a dormant offense that has scored only two touchdowns, yanking duties from offensive coordinator Greg Olson. Olson was Linehan's first hire when he got the job last year, and will move to the booth where he'll assist the head coach.

Linehan said sitting Bulger was his call after reviewing the last three games, and not a decision made under pressure from superiors.

"Any theories or anthing said out there are absolutely not true," Linehan said. "I look forward to a healthy Marc Bulger getting back in the lineup as soon as possible.

"It's obvious to me there is something genuinely wrong, and I knew there was."

Bulger, a two-time Pro Bowl player, signed a six-year, $65 million contract extension in training camp. He has thrown four interceptions the last two weeks and was 11-of-24 for 114 yards and an interception in Sunday's 35-7 loss to the Cowboys, the first sub-50 percent passing game of his career.

All season, Bulger has insisted he was healthy enough to play. It's unclear how much time Bulger will need to heal after injuring the ribs while being sacked six times in the second week of the season against the Panthers.

"I was never going to pull myself out, I know that much," Bulger said. "It's real easy to play hurt when you're winning, but it's just not in me to pull myself out when we're 0-4.

"It was going to have to be the coaches pulling me out, and that's what happened."