Who wants to play? Martz accuses some Rams players of quitting

ST. LOUIS -- Mike Martz accused some St. Louis Rams of quitting. And he wouldn't back down.

"I want to know who wants to compete," the coach said Monday.

His team won't be heading to a third Super Bowl in four years. Not even close. The defending NFC champions are 5-8 and won't make the playoffs.

The official elimination from postseason contention came in a 49-10 drubbing at Kansas City on Sunday -- the franchise's biggest loss since 1963. After the game, Martz said there was a "core of players" he could count on.

"There's some people out there who declared (otherwise). We'll keep that in mind," he said Sunday.

On Monday, the coach said too many players were demoralized by the Chiefs' three returns for touchdowns -- on a punt, a kickoff and a fumble -- in the first half.

Past Rams teams were mentally tougher and more able to overcome errors, Martz said.

"At the end of the game, I felt like defensively we had a tremendous letdown," he said Monday. "In some respects, it's hard when you've given up points like that, but you still need to battle. We're certainly going to address that with the team."

It's clear that roster spots are in jeopardy as St. Louis plays out the string.

"We just have to appeal to these guys, about their character and the fight that's in them," Martz said. "We're all paid, not to play, but to win."

The immediate fallout from Sunday focused on special teams coach Bobby April and kicker Jeff Wilkins.

April's unit has struggled all year, and Martz said Monday that changes will be made for this week's game against the Cardinals. He wasn't specific.

"We've taken strides immediately this morning with the kickoff team," Martz said. "Those are things that are in-house that I'd just as soon not discuss. We're not going to live through that again. I've had enough of that."

Martz saved his harshest criticism for Wilkins, who's tried kicking with his shoe off and on this year, going 14-for-20 overall. Wilkins scuffed the ground on a 42-yard field-goal attempt -- Martz called it a "chip shot" -- that never really took flight in the second quarter Sunday. He also flubbed high pooch kicks.

"I've lost a lot of confidence in Jeff," Martz said. "He's had a lot of those 'I've kicked the ground' routines.

"People wonder why we go for it on the 30 and well, I'll be very frank with you. From the beginning of the year I did not have much confidence in Jeff's ability to make those kicks."

There are plenty of other problems, too.

During the Rams' recent run at the top of the NFL -- including the 2000 Super Bowl title and an appearance in the 2002 Super Bowl -- Martz was hailed as the offensive genius behind the Greatest Show on Turf.

This season, though, big plays are scarce. With two-time NFL MVP Kurt Warner and 2000 MVP Marshall Faulk in and out of the lineup with injuries, the team is averaging just 18.8 points a game -- down about two touchdowns from last season's 31.4.

In the past, St. Louis grew accustomed to overcoming mistakes by piling on points.

Now they are just making the mistakes, tied for worst in the league with 36 turnovers, 12 of which turned into touchdowns.