Warner backs up the starter

ST. LOUIS -- It's gotten to the point where it'll take an injury for Kurt Warner to get back on the field.

Still, the deposed two-time MVP is solidly behind struggling St. Louis Rams quarterback Marc Bulger. Coach Mike Martz solidified his stance on Bulger earlier this week and he'll get no arguments from his high-priced backup because the Rams (8-3) have won three of the four games in which Bulger has faltered.

"I like the fact he's standing behind Marc and pushing through these things," Warner said. "You go through struggles, you go through growing pains, and the fact is we're still winning football games and that's the bottom line."

Bulger has four touchdown passes and 10 interceptions the last four games and the Rams have trailed in the last two to underdogs Chicago and Arizona before rallying late. He said Warner has helped him through the tough times.

"Kurt's been there all year for me, and certainly when times are tough he's going to be there," Bulger said.

Warner lost his job after fumbling six times in the opener while under the effects of a concussion. Martz considered removing Bulger in favor of Warner in the previous two games to jump-start the team, but not last week when Bulger committed five turnovers that led to 20 points in the Rams' 30-27 overtime victory at Arizona.

The previous week, with the Rams trailing 14-3 at the half in Chicago, Martz and Warner discussed a quarterback change. Warner told Martz he should stick with Bulger and let him work out his problems.

Now, although he has no regrets, those words may have helped chain him to the bench.

"It's exactly what I would have wanted somebody else to do for me, and that's the bottom line," Warner said. "If it hurts me, it hurts me."

This year has been more difficult for Warner to take than last year's injury-riddled season "by a long shot," Warner said.

Part of that is he believes he can still play well, given the opportunity.

"I was having the best training camp and preseason I've ever had, and to think for some reason I couldn't transfer that over into the regular season to me is crazy," Warner said. "There's no question I can play at an extremely high level."

Whether it'll happen with the Rams is another story. Martz said several times on Monday that Bulger is his starting quarterback, and that it's difficult for him to make a change.

A trade after the season is problematic because the Rams would take a $4 million salary cap hit.

"You don't know what the situation is going to be, and you don't know what the future has in store," Warner said. "It's not something I'm worried about right now and not something I can worry about.

"To say those thoughts don't cross your mind would be crazy. They do. But it's not anything that dominates my thinking."

Bulger said his trials haven't hurt his confidence. He said the big vote of confidence from Martz didn't affect him, either.

"I don't worry about it anyway," Bulger said. "Whether I had to play well this week or last week to keep my job, it doesn't matter to me.

"I just play the same way I always do."

Since the opener, Warner has been reduced to running the scout team in practice. That's not the same as running the Rams' offense, so if something happened to Bulger it might take Warner some time.

"The longer you sit on the bench, the longer you go without running your offense and working on timing with your receivers and doing all that, I think the more and more difficult it is to come in and play at a high level quickly," Warner said.

Scout team, he said, is good only for keeping the arm fresh.

"You're not running with your receivers, you're not running the same routes, you're told who you have to throw to, you don't really read, you can't really look off," Warner said. "There's a lot of things that are so contrary to the way I play the game that you don't get a whole bunch out of it."