Rams survive some trying times

ST. LOUIS -- The Rams weren't down for long.

One year after they finished 7-9, seemingly a team on the decline, they're back on top of the NFC West. They're not as dominant as the 1999 and 2001 Super Bowl teams, but they know how to win the close ones.

Players had no doubt they'd be back, even though the roster is littered with inexperienced players. They still had the core of Marshall Faulk, Orlando Pace, Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce and Leonard Little, a group that led the team to a 14-2 record in 2001, and offensive innovator Mike Martz.

"When you're a confident group and you feel good about yourselves, and the head man trickles down confidence and security throughout the organization, you could be in a rainstorm and you wouldn't know it because it would be sunny inside Rams Park," defensive lineman Tyoka Jackson said.

Entering the final two weeks of the regular season, the Rams (11-3) are in a race for the best record in the NFC and home field advantage -- where they've won 13 in a row -- throughout the playoffs.

Another victory Sunday against the Bengals in the home finale clinches a first-round bye.

"We talked to our players today about it, and how important these next two games are," Martz said. "They worked very hard to get to this position all year long and to back off for any reason at this point would be absurd."

The Rams went down to the wire in Sunday's 27-22 victory over the Seahawks, a somewhat typical scenario for this year's team although it was a lot more common for them to struggle on the road. In four of the last five games, they've won by two, three, six and five points.

"The last couple of weeks we've shown we can win ballgames late when they're tight, and I think that's a great sign for this team," wide receiver Torry Holt said. "There's no easy wins in the playoffs so we'll get challenged the rest of the year.

"But with the tough games throughout the year, I think this team is ready for that."

This year's division championship means more to Martz than 2001 and 1999, when he was offensive coordinator on a team that went on to win the Super Bowl, because it has overcome so many obstacles.

The Rams replaced a shaky Kurt Warner with Marc Bulger after the opener. They made do without Marshall Faulk for five games, linebacker Tommy Polley and strong safety Adam Archuleta for two games each, and defense end Leonard Little and defensive tackle Damione Lewis for four games each.

"I think this year has been so much more rewarding because we've lost so many players," Martz said.

Noteworthy

Wide receiver Isaac Bruce suffered a mild high ankle sprain in the first quarter against the Seahawks, but he may play Sunday. Martz said Bruce would be held out of practice until Saturday.