Martz cuts back Warner's snaps

ST. LOUIS -- While not complaining of arm soreness, St. Louis Rams quarterback Kurt Warner will take fewer snaps in practice the rest of the season to spare the NFL's passing yardage leader any fatigue from excessive throwing, coach Mike Martz said Wednesday.

Martz did not say whether the move was prompted to nagging thumb problems on the quarterback's throwing hand, saying only that it was merely to keep Warner's arm from fatiguing during a long season and playoffs.

Warner has not complained of arm soreness or weakness this season, and "the whole idea here is to keep that from happening," Martz said.

"I'd like him to go out and throw 1,000 balls each day and just work on timing and all that stuff, (but) he's just not gonna hold up," Martz said. "We've got a lot of football ahead of us, and he's pretty well grounded in what we're doing.

"What it is is for my benefit. I think it's important to us."

Martz said "I don't think it's necessary any more" for the former NFL and Super Bowl MVP to take all practice snaps. Warner, the coach said, shouldn't lose any timing with receivers by handling just 75 percent of the practice snaps, with Jamie Martin taking the rest.

Martin "could use some snaps," Martz said.

On Wednesday before heading to the practice field, Warner said the questioned thumb has pared his strength to grip the football but otherwise has not been painful or a burden.

"Whatever combination -- lots of prayers or (the treatments or) whatever it might have been -- it feels great right now," he said. "It'll be great to see how it responds to some action, getting out there and throwing and stuff."

Hasn't been his usual self

Warner over the past two games hasn't been himself, throwing seven interceptions that have caused a bit of concern for the Rams (7-1), prepping for their game Sunday night at New England (5-4).

Warner threw four interceptions in a 34-31 loss to New Orleans two weeks ago, then tossed three more in Sunday's 48-14 blowout victory over Carolina. Afterward, he admitted being bothered by a sprained thumb since the season opener, especially on long throws where the ball appears to hang up.

Martz said earlier this week that team trainers have treated Warner's injury "very aggressively," a departure from previous weeks in which the thumb often was simply taped. On Wednesday, Martz called the treatment "very brief, and he's got the soreness out of that pretty much, the swelling has gone down."

"He's a lot better with that hand, and that's really not much of an issue," Martz said. "It's a sore thumb, that's what it is."

Martz has said Warner, who dropped from second to fourth in NFC passer rating after going 14-for-20 for 144 yards against the Panthers, has more trouble when he has to move around in the pocket.