St. Louis turns bye week into bye-bye

The Rams took the entire week off before turning their attention to the Patriots.

By R.B. Fallstrom ~ The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Rams would have liked being the team to end the New England Patriots NFL record 21-game winning streak, considering their last trip to the Super Bowl was a loss to New England after the 2001 season.

Instead, the Steelers beat them to the punch. The Patriots (6-1) play at St. Louis (4-3) on Sunday.

"Of course you would have liked to have gotten a crack at it," tight end Cam Cleeland said Monday. "But they're still Super Bowl champions, so they're going to be just as good as they were before that loss.

"I guarantee you they're going to be hyped and want to come in and prove they are the best."

Watching the Patriots lose 34-20 to Pittsburgh was among the bye week activities for most Rams players, including coach Mike Martz. He watched the game again on tape before the team returned to practice in full pads on Monday.

"They lost that game the way they'd been winning games," Martz said. "They gave the ball up early."

But to Martz, it doesn't make any difference that the Patriots are no longer unbeaten. To him, it's always been about the Rams' performance.

"We're struggling to stay on top of the division any way we can," Martz said "Obviously the history we have with them is kind of special, but we're just so concerned right now about getting better."

The Rams have plenty to prove. In the last game before their midseason break, they became the first team to lose to the lowly Dolphins.

"We don't like the way we left that thing before the bye," defensive tackle Tyoka Jackson said. "We've got an extra day of practice just to focus on who we are and what we did, and try to eliminate the mistakes and play like the Rams."

Under Martz, they're more likely to be themselves after some time off. He's 4-0 after the bye, perhaps because he's willing to treat the week as a break.

Players showed up three times for lifting and running but otherwise had time to heal from aches and pains. Cornerback Travis Fisher, shaky in his first game back from a broken forearm sustained in the preseason, will have more time to reacclimate himself with the defense.

Offensive guard Chris Dishman is closer to health from a knee injury; tackle Grant Williams has gotten over a stringer; defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy could play for the first time since breaking a foot early in training camp, and Jackson expects to be back at close to full strength after missing two games with a pulled left hamstring.

"We're by and large healthy," Martz said.

It was a difficult call for Martz when he first decided to put "bye-bye" into the bye week because most teams keep practicing. He also said it helps that the Rams have been getting their bye near the middle of the season, a perk for the NFL's best teams.

"We've gone into the bye with some pretty good records but they still need to give that body a chance to catch up," Martz said. "When they come out of the bye they usually feel pretty good, and it's worked."

Plus, Monday's practice was an extra workout this week. Along with extra preparation time it allowed players to work themselves back into the flow of things.

"That first practice back, it seems like it's getting a little rust off," Williams said. "But it's still well worth it."

Martz said Trev Faulk, who signed as an undrafted free agent, will be the third player to start at middle linebacker this season. Faulk stepped in after Brandon Chillar pulled a hamstring in the first quarter in the Miami loss and had six tackles.

Robert Thomas, a former first-round pick, has been the starter but has missed the last two games with a sprained ankle.