Jamie Martin, MVP? Why Not?!?

When Trent Green went down in the '99 pre-season, an unknown quarterback named Kurt Warner barnstormed the NFL. Upon first glance, this was disaster for the Rams. Their freshly-signed, highly-touted, starting quarterback was done for the year. Around the league, the question was "Now what?" and the answer was Kurt Warner.

Jamie Martin, MVP? Why Not?!?
By Rams Nation's Don Ackerman

We all know that this disaster turned out better than expected. In one year, Kurt went from stocking shelves to stocking his trophy case. Obviously, Kurt persevered and had enough talent to become an NFL phenomenon. But you also have to admit that Kurt fit perfectly into Martz' offensive system. The big question is - Can Martin?

Fast forward to 2002, week 5 in the NFL. The weekend before, the winless Rams are struggling against a young and dangerous Dallas Cowboys team. As if losing their first three games wasn't enough, their highly-touted, NFL MVP quarterback breaks a finger and is lost for multiple games. For the Rams, upon first glance, this is disaster! All is lost! Well, maybe not...

As Kurt Warner's broken pinky takes him out of the picture, in comes Jamie Martin. Martin jumped into a game with a struggling offense and repeatedly led the Rams down the field. He threaded the needle often in the loss and looked really good considering he stepped in with almost zero practice time with the first team. If Jeff Wilkins makes a 48-yard field goal with less than 2 minutes in the game, Martin may have led the Saint Louis Rams to their first victory.

Instead, Wilikins' kick hits the goalpost and the Rams fall to 0 and 4. Though the Rams lost, Martin looked good and 2002 may not be lost. Maybe this is not the disaster we feared as Warner's hand is wrapped in ice.

This week, Jamie Martin has gotten all the reps and should be extremely familiar with the first team offense. This week will showcase Martin in the potentially high-powered Rams offense. Maybe Martin can return the Rams to their high-powered, scoring ways. This Sunday will be a great opportunity for the '99 magic to happen again.

If that's not enough, the Rams will be fueled by "49er week." What that means is that the Rams should be extra motivated to get their first win. Should be a great game! Don't miss it.

Ram on,
Don