Rams look for graceful exit after tough year

ST. LOUIS -- Mike Martz has one wish for the final three weeks of the Rams' lost season.

"I want to see them playing as hard as they can," Martz said. "I want to see things the way they're supposed to be, that's what I want to see."

The Rams (5-8) are preparing for their third of four prime-time appearances this season in tonight's game against the injury-prone Cardinals (5-8), not that they've been deserving of national attention. The defending NFC champions were officially eliminated from playoff consideration in last week's 49-10 embarrassment in Kansas City, and the next two days Martz questioned the team's heart.

He also criticized misfiring kicker Jeff Wilkins and wide receiver Torry Holt, who dropped a touchdown pass. This team, after all, was 14-2 last year and has played in two of the last three Super Bowls.

Players are on alert that jobs are on the line as the season winds down. Martz cleaned house after his first season in 2000, replacing eight starters, three defensive coaches and the special teams coach.

This time, special teams coach Bobby April is the most likely to go given his unit is last overall in the NFL. Other disappointments are linebackers Jamie Duncan and Robert Thomas, the former a free-agent pickup and the latter the team's first-round draft pick, plus offensive tackle John St. Clair.

"Nobody talks about it, but this is the NFL," defensive lineman Tyoka Jackson said. "People are starting to look at it now maybe because somebody has brought it up or alluded to it, but as players that's always on your mind.

"There's no crybabies in here and we understand the deal."

At least the Rams have a chance to finish with their one and only hot hand this season. Marc Bulger, who led the team to a 5-0 record while Kurt Warner was out with a broken pinkie, will be the starter again after missing three games with a sprained right index finger.

Martz normally backs Warner, the NFL's MVP two of the last three years, to a fault. But earlier in the week he suggested for the first time that if Bulger continues to play well, he could compete with Warner next season.

"Oh, absolutely," Martz said. "If Marc continues to grow and get better with the success he's had, you can't ignore that kind of success and we certainly would not."

The Cardinals certainly were impressed with their first look at Bulger on Nov. 2, when he threw two touchdown passes in a 27-14 victory.

"I thought he was very poised and displayed an extreme amount of confidence in what he was doing," coach Dave McGinnis said. "The Rams made us look very, very bad when they came in here and he was a big part of it."

Injuries are just a big a part of the collapse of the Cardinals (5-8), who have lost six of seven and at season's end still will have only one winning record in 15 years since moving to the desert from St. Louis. Arizona has 11 players either on injured reserve or the reserve/non-football injury list, including wide receiver David Boston and center Mike Gruttadauria.

"You handle it as best you can, what has happened to us, and nobody is throwing a pity party," McGinnis said. "I've got a pretty good team sitting on IR, but that being as it is I have to get the healthy guys ready to play. That's just the nature of the beast."

The Cardinals rallied last week, beating the Lions in overtime to snap a six-game losing streak after losing 49-0 to the same Chiefs team that routed the Rams the previous week. They were successful at times using a no-huddle offense, although McGinnis wouldn't say if the Rams would see more of the same.

"It's out there and very real how depleted we are, and as coaches that's where you have to dig down and find ways to jump- start your team," McGinnis said. "There's not any gurus here, we're just guys working hard to try to win on Sundays."

The Rams also had their share of injuries, especially to their stars. Warner will miss his eighth game due to finger and hand injuries and is done for the season. Marshall Faulk hasn't started in a month due to a high ankle sprain and offensive tackle Orlando Pace likely is out for the season with a pulled hamstring.

Martz said he'll be careful with Faulk, who'll likely be a reserve for the third straight game behind rookie Lamar Gordon.