Rams Take It Indoors Saturday Night

The Rams practiced at Rams Park under the lights of their indoor facility Saturday night, a change of schedule made by Mike Martz to prepare for Monday night’s pre-season home opener against arch-rival Tampa Bay.

Rams Take It Indoors Saturday Night
By Rams Nation's Barry Waller

This time, the fourth Monday night meeting between the two teams in the last four years, it is the Bucs who come to town as the defending champions, and the Rams squad who will be trying to show they are the equal of the Super Bowl winner on national television.

The Rams face a tough task in their second pre-season match, trying to break a summer losing streak that is now at five games since last August. The Bucs have won three straight against the team that broke their hearts in the 1999-2000 NFC Championship game, and the Rams won’t be playing Marshall Faulk at all, with most of the other starters no more than one half. Faulk was back at practice Saturday, and seemed to be moving around just fine, which should alleviate some of the hand wringing caused by his precautionary visit to noted orthopedic surgeon Frank Jobe in California last week to get his knee checked out.

The biggest news coming from Saturday’s practice was the announcement by Martz that cornerback/free safety Aeneas Williams would not be practicing again until after the last exhibition contest, and would not be playing anymore during the three remaining pre-season games.

According to Martz, it has nothing to do with either his conditioning after rehabilitating his serious leg injury from last year, as Martz assured the media after practice that, “Aeneas is in great shape.” Actually it’s a chronic toe problem that is going to keep Williams on the sidelines, something Martz indicated Aeneas, “Isn’t happy about it, but it’s my decision.”

If anything, Martz’ philosophy on trying to protect his star players in August has gotten even more resolute, after the news hit the head coach that Atlanta Falcon quarterback Michael Vick will be lost for at least five weeks with a broken leg suffered today. I doubt Rams fans will see Marshall Faulk much if at all until the real games start.

In the practice Saturday evening, the best show came from the drills pitting the offensive linemen against their defensive counterparts. There was just one scuffle, between guard Travis Scott, back in practice but still nursing an ankle injury as he struggles to make the team, and veteran defensive tackle Tyoka Jackson, but the competition went on hot and heavy on every repetition.

Much of the line drill work was of the two on two variety, with the defensive linemen trying various stunts and the two blockers working to pick up the right man. The offensive big guys had all they could handle with the young and very talented defensive group, and a couple times, the rusher came through clean on the “quarterback”, played by one of the other linemen.

The so called “skill” players work on their timing as the season approaches, but the trench warriors appeared to be preparing a whole different kind of game skill in practice. It’s obvious that the line is really turning the intensity up now that two a days in searing heat are a thing of the past for 2003. Look for more of the same against the Bucs, who are also talented on both sides of the line.

During the 11 on 11 drills, the two young wide receivers, Kevin Curtis and Shaun McDonald , continued to impress, each catching long passes from the Rams quarterbacks. Troy Edwards, who is getting less time with the first unit, mostly because Mike Martz wants to see the two young 2003 draft picks go against the first team, also caught several balls during the full squad session.

Faulk had a light workload, so the backups got plenty of action, and Lamar Gordon looked very impressive working with the first unit. The two young free agent rookie backs, Arlen Harris and Joffrey Reynolds, also had their moments Saturday night, with MNF performers John Madden and Lisa Guererro in attendance. All eyes seemed to be on the pair, and a few may have looked at Madden too (place rim shot here). Needless to say, it was Ms. Guererro that got most noticed by those watching practice.

The Rams tight ends looked very good in practice too, as Cam Cleeland, Brandon Manumaleuna, and 2003 seventh round pick Richard Angulo continue to be very sharp. If Cleeland stays healthy, he could be a real key to the offensive success, as his success could allow Manumaleuna to move into the backfield when a big lead blocker is necessary for a team with no fullback capable of moving a big defender out of a hole. Angulo appears to me making the team more and more surely with every practice, as the huge small college athlete who was very raw at the start has really improved steadily.

The Rams will work out again Sunday evening, with that probably more of a walk through than a true hard hitting practice session, as they save their legs for what they hope is a very inhospitable welcome for the Bucs.