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The St. Louis Rams' coaching staff is getting flustered by the team's first-quarter futility.

The Rams have failed to score in the first quarter in 15 of their 22 games, including all six preseason games under coach Dick Vermeil.

They have managed only one first down in the first quarter of each of their two preseason games this year.

Because of the ineffectiveness of the first-string offense in the first quarter, the Rams have altered their quarterback rotation for their preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday.

Will Furrer was scheduled to start, but Tony Banks will start instead.

The Rams wanted to get a better idea of whether Furrer is capable of being a starting quarterback in the NFL, but Banks, the incumbent starter, hasn't gotten enough work.

Banks has completed 10 of 18 passes for 61 yards in three quarters of playing time so far this preseason. He took only eight snaps against the Chargers.

"It's tough when you get eight reps," Banks said. "I think there is a concern any time you're not moving the football the way you should."

Even an eternal optimist such as Vermeil couldn't find a silver lining in the 41-27 loss to the Chargers.

"I'm just disappointed," said Vermeil, whose team dropped to 0-2 in the preseason. "I expected us to be further along right now."

The Rams' breakdowns were widespread.

The offense had only 21 offensive plays in the first half against the Chargers.

The defense allowed the Chargers' offense to rack up 412 total yards.

The special teams had a missed snap on a punt that led to a San Diego touchdown, a missed extra point and their return men failed to field a kickoff cleanly four times.

"The kids muffed four kickoff returns," Vermeil said. "Geez, that's tough to do."

There were a few bright spots. Backup quarterback Steve Bono and running backs Jerald Moore and Robert Holcombe all played well in their preseason debuts.

Two fluke plays cost the Rams two touchdowns.

The first snafu came when a slightly high snap by Jeff Robinson sailed through the grasp of punter Rick Tuten.

A swarm of Chargers dragged down Tuten at the Rams' 20-yard line.

"He has to field that ball," Vermeil said. "I don't know if that distracted him the rest of the game or what, but he didn't punt well."

Tuten averaged only 37.6 yards on his five punts after the blunder. He had several line-drive punts.

In the fourth quarter, linebacker Michael Hamilton intercepted a Furrer pass and returned it 75 yards for a touchdown. The replay showed the ball deflected off umpire Neil Gereb and into Hamilton's hands.

CAMP CALENDAR: The Rams broke training camp at Western Illinois University on Wednesday (Aug. 19). They'll continue two-a-day practices right up to their final preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Aug. 28.

The Rams' offensive line has lifted their media boycott.

The boycott was ended after offensive tackle Orlando Pace broke the code of silence by doing an interview with Anthony Munoz from ESPN on Wednesday (Aug. 12) morning.

Later in the day, offensive tackle Wayne Gandy, who organized the media boycott as a show of solidarity, visited the media work room at Western Illinois University to apologize to the reporters from the St. Louis area covering the team.

"We didn't mean any disrespect to the local media," Gandy said. "We were trying to find something other than going out every week and getting pizza to bring us together. We wanted something a little more that, where you had to give up something -- no media attention."

According to Gandy, the boycott was supposed to last through training camp, not the entire season.

Gandy said the boycott wasn't spurred by the heavy criticism of the offensive line the past couple of seasons. The Rams' offensive line has given up 101 sacks over the past two seasons.

"It had nothing to do with what anybody wrote. It had nothing to do with the media, period," Gandy said.

Gandy said the other offensive linemen aren't upset with Pace.

"As a line, we're not holding it against him," Gandy said.

Pace won't be fined by his fellow offensive linemen, as mandated by the boycott.

"It wasn't even a big fine," Gandy said. "We'd just go out to eat at McDonald's before a road trip or something."

Vermeil said Pace agreed to do the interview with Munoz before the boycott and then felt guilty about reneging on his promise.

Gandy said he was asked to do an interview with Munoz on Monday, but turned down the request.

--Ted Plumb, a long-time NFL assistant coach, has been hired by the Rams as a pro scout.

Plumb enters his 26th season in the NFL. He has served primarily as a tight ends and receivers coach. He has been with the Chicago Bears (1996-97, 1980-85), the Arizona Cardinals (1990-95), the Philadelphia Eagles (1986-89), the Atlanta Falcons (1977-79) and the New York Giants (1974-76).

"I'm very pleased that Ted was available," Vermeil said. "We wanted a man that had experience as a National Football League coach and had been evaluating players a long time. We plan to extend the job just beyond player personnel. We plan to use him for research and for outside evaluation of what we do."

Plumb, who was a standout receiver at Baylor, played with the Buffalo Bills in 1962 before becoming a high school coach in 1963.

--Fullback Craig "Ironhead" Heyward had been fined $125,000 ($5,000 a day for 25 days) as of Wednesday for not reporting.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'm sure they are a little bit tired. They better be. I don't know of an NFL player in training camp who isn't. That's not an excuse. If they played well, you wouldn't even consider that." -- Rams coach Dick Vermeil, rebutting the notion that fatigue could be a factor in his team's poor preseason play.

The Green Bay Packers have shipped tight end Aaron Laing back to the Rams as damaged goods.

Laing, 27, who was traded to the Packers for a conditional seventh-round draft choice on Wednesday, failed his physical with the Packers due to a shoulder problem on Thursday.

The Packers' doctors found a pinched nerve in his neck and shoulder area. A re-examination by the Rams' doctors found no problem.

The Rams were unable to work out a trade with another team, so Laing will be waived.

The Rams still have three tight ends -- Mitch Jacoby, Tyji Armstrong and rookie Roland Williams -- battling for the two roster spots behind starter Ernie Conwell.

Vermeil said he would consider keeping four tight ends on the roster if one of them also could play H-back.

Laing played in 27 games and caught 18 passes in his two seasons with the Rams.

BATTLE OF THE WEEK: Jerald Moore vs. Greg Hill vs. Robert Holcombe vs. David Thompson for starting feature back.

All four have different strengths and weakness.

Moore is a powerful, straight-ahead runner who has a history of injury problems. Hill has great outside speed, but doesn't run as well between the tackles. Holcombe is a shifty, north-south runner who has never been asked to block much. Thompson has great quickness, but he's the smallest of the four backs.

The job is Moore's to lose, and he might lose it if he goes down with another injury before the start of the regular season.

OTHER BATTLE FRONTS: Dexter McCleon vs. holdout Ryan McNeil for starting RCB.

McNeil's bargaining position got a little stronger after McCleon was beaten deep a couple of times by the Chargers.

If the Rams can't get McNeil in the fold soon, he might not be ready to start in the club's season opener against the New Orleans Saints.

McNeil will be docked $188,000 if he misses the club's preseason game against Dallas.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: DE Corey Sears. The second-year player got to play with the first-string defense against the Chargers because Kevin Carter had the flu and Bryan Robinson was sidelined with a knee injury. Sears had five tackles, including a pad-popping hit on Chargers running back Kenny Bynum for a five-yard loss.

ROOKIE REPORT: RB Robert Holcombe saw his first action of the preseason. He rushed six times for 18 yards, including a two-yard gain on a fourth-and-1 play at the San Diego 10.

INJURY REPORT: An MRI on linebacker Darryl Bush's knee turned up an abnormality. It could be something left over from an operation in college. The Rams are waiting for an MRI from Florida State to decide on a course of action.

DE Grant Wistrom should be able to play against the Cowboys after missing a week due to a stinger.

S Toby Wright, who is coming back from reconstructive knee surgery, played a couple of defensive series in the second quarter against the Chargers. Vermeil said he thought Wright was on schedule to start in the season opener against New Orleans.

DE Kevin Carter will take it easy this week after bruising some ribs. The injury is not considered serious.

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