Receiver Holt frustrated by recent lack of big games

ST. LOUIS -- "Big Game" Torry Holt has not been living up to his nickname recently for the St. Louis Rams.

Arguably the best receiver in the NFL, Holt has gone five games without passing the 100-yard mark or scoring a touchdown.

"I've been frustrated several times but at the same time, I've got to refocus on what's important and that's to help our football team win and let that frustration pass," Holt said Friday after the Rams practiced indoors at Rams Park.

His last big game came Oct. 15 against the Seattle Seahawks, when Holt hauled in eight passes from Marc Bulger for 154 yards and three touchdowns.

Since then, opponents have stymied Holt and the Rams deep passing game. Defensive schemes have thwarted Holt by playing their safeties back in a zone to take away big plays.

"I think we're seeing almost 95 percent zone coverage, which is allowing people to play either the two-deep look, or a deep coverage player and a guy underneath," Rams coach Scott Linehan said. "We're getting a lot of that."

Bulger agreed.

"No one in here is really that selfish of a player. I know that he knows that he can definitely make more plays and we want to find ways to get him the ball, but I think that's part of him being as good as he is; he's going to get doubled a lot," Bulger said about Holt. "It's a copycat league and everyone sees on film that one team was able to contain him by doubling him and playing over the top."

The five-time Pro Bowler admitted he is frustrated.

"I just continue to play, man," Holt said. "I try to stay within the scheme of the offense and what we're trying to get done offensively."

There is no cause for concern with Holt being frustrated, Linehan said.

"I'd be disappointed if he didn't get frustrated because it would show a lack of competitiveness," Linehan said. "It's not because he wants big numbers, it's because he wants to win."

It all may change Sunday for Holt when the Arizona Cardinals come visiting for a noon game. In Week 3 at Arizona, Holt had a big day against the Cardinals with eight catches for 120 yards and a touchdown.

"The more they can use me, the more I feel like we can have success as a football team," Holt said. "I want to help us win these ballgames as we go down the stretch and we try to make our push for the playoffs."

The North Carolina State product has 656 receptions for 10,013 yards with 61 touchdowns in 116 games. He has caught a pass in every game he has played in since being selected as a first-round draft pick in 1999.

With an 11-yard catch in the third quarter against San Francisco in a 20-17 victory last Sunday, Holt overtook Jerry Rice as the NFL player with the most receiving yards in over his first eight seasons in the league.

This season, Holt is tied for third in the NFC (tied for seventh in the NFL) with 63 receptions and eighth in the NFC (15th in the NFL) with 795 yards.

"Any competitor wants to help the team win," Linehan said. "It's not that Torry just wants the ball, he wants to help the team win, and he knows he does that by making catches and scoring touchdowns.

"Eventually things will always come back to you."