Rams News

Hamstring causes Bruce to sit
09/20 10:58 PM

By Elizabethe Holland
Of the Post-Dispatch Staff

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - One of the best kept secrets in Buffalo on Sunday morning was the state of Isaac Bruce's hamstring.
The Rams star wide receiver arrived at Buffalo's stadium a few hours before kickoff of the game between the Rams and the Bills to determine whether his ailing hamstring was game ready.
"I went out early, about 9:30, and tried to get it going," said Bruce, who began the day as the NFL leader in receptions (21) and reception yards (323 yards). "I couldn't get my fifth and sixth gear, so I decided not to go. . . . I didn't want to push it."
The decision to sit out the game because of a tight hamstring came as a surprise to the Bills and the Rams. Several of Bruce's teammates said they learned he wasn't going to play only an hour before the game.
"I walked in and it was the first thing that hit me in the face," Rams coach Dick Vermeil said. "It was like hitting me with a shovel."
Bruce didn't mean to create that effect, but he did intend to be quiet about his status as long as possible.
"I tried to keep it basically low-key so the guys would keep their confidence up and basically go out and perform like they did today," he said.
Bruce said he first noticed a tightening of his right hamstring during practice Wednesday. After missing nearly all of the Rams' first five games last season because of a hamstring injury in his left leg, he was mindful of the tendon the rest of the week and missed practice Thursday and Friday. Although he traveled to Buffalo with the intention of playing, lingering tightness Sunday morning led to his decision.
"I was confident I was going to play today, but I didn't want to pull my hamstring," said Bruce, who watched the game from the sideline in street clothes. "If it doesn't get warmed up, it stays tight. And the next thing is what happened last year. . . . I can't even fathom being out five games again."
As for next week, when the Rams host the Cardinals, Bruce said he will wait before he determines whether his hamstring is fit to work. "I'm playing it by ear," he said. "I think I'll be fine.

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