Rams prepare to put load on Faulk for one final time

ST. LOUIS -- One more start, and the Rams hope to get back Kurt Warner. Maybe then, they can give Marshall Faulk a bit of a breather.

The Rams (3-5) looking to make it four consecutive victories with former third-stringer Marc Bulger at quarterback -- and with Faulk carrying a heavy load -- today against the San Diego Chargers. Bulger, a success story so lightly regarded that his third-string job was in jeopardy at the start of training camp, knows he couldn't have done it alone.

"Obviously, I don't think we'd be 3-0 without him," Bulger said of Faulk. "We've relied so much on him the last three games. We just keep throwing a lot on him because it seems like he can handle it."

Faulk is only the fourth player in NFL history to rush for 150 yards in three consecutive games after gaining 178 yards in last week's victory at Arizona. Overall, he's gained 519 yards (173 per game) with four touchdowns and a 6.1-yard average.

The going could be tougher against the Chargers (6-2), fourth in the NFL in rushing defense, giving up 89.5 yards per game. Then again, the Raiders were No. 1 when the Rams played them three weeks ago and the Cardinals were first last week.

"That doesn't necessarily mean anything, the way our offensive line is playing right now," coach Mike Martz said.

Martz said All-Pro left tackle Orlando Pace is coming off the best game of his career. Both Pace and left guard Tom Nutten played through minor concussions against the Cardinals.

Two more victories and the Rams will be at .500 after an 0-5 start. They're trying to become the first team to climb out of that hole and make the playoffs.

Warner, the NFL's MVP for the second time in three seasons last year, could return from a broken pinkie for the Nov. 18 game against the Bears.

"We never believed we were out of it," cornerback Dre' Bly said. "Right now I'd hate to be the team on the schedule ahead of us, because we're rolling."

The Chargers definitely are wary of St. Louis, which has been to two of the last three Super Bowls.

"It's never that important who you play or where you play them," coach Marty Schottenheimer said. "The thing that's critical is when you play them.

"I would rather have seen them in the first two or three weeks of the year."

Others on the Rams are more circumspect, knowing there's still no margin for error.

"There's no light at the end of the tunnel right now," defensive end Tyoka Jackson said. "There's nothing to celebrate, there's nothing to be excited about, except for the opportunity to go out and get another win."

The Chargers have their best record at the halfway mark since 1994, when they were 7-1 en route to a Super Bowl appearance. But they're smarting from a 44-13 loss at home to the Jets.

"My basic objective is to make them understand we're at the halfway point and we've got to continue to make plays on a timely basis," Schottenheimer said.

Schottenheimer can relate to the Rams' early-season predicament. Last year his Redskins stumbled out of the gate 0-5. He said it's important to stay the course.

"It starts at the top," Schottenheimer said. "With a guy like Mike, he knows exactly what he's trying to do."