Rams News

St. Louis Rams
Team Report posted September 24, 1998
by tsn correspondent JIM THOMAS - St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Just when it looked like Isaac Bruce was back, and back with a vengeance, the pesky hamstring thing has popped up again. After missing the Buffalo game with what was described as a tight hamstring, Bruce sat out practice Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

He plans to test it Friday, but it probably will come down to a gameday decision on whether he plays Sunday against Arizona. Bruce, who still leads the NFL in reception yards (323) after two weeks, says he feels no sharp pain with the injury, just tightness. But he's afraid to go full speed for fear of tearing a hamstring and missing four or five games, like he did at the start of last season.

"I can't even fathom being out five games again, I just can't do that," Bruce said.

Interestingly, the hamstring in question this time is in his right leg. The pulled hamstring that basically kept him out of five games last season (except for a few ill-fated plays against Denver in Game 3) was in his left leg.

"I'm just trying to get it loosened," Bruce said. "And it's loosening up pretty good. For the most part, I'm feeling pretty good. I feel a lot better than I did Sunday."

Bruce was listed as questionable on the Rams' official injury report. . . .

As a result of Greg Hill's broken leg against Buffalo, rookie Robert Holcombe from the University of Illinois becomes the Rams' third starting running back in four games. Holcombe was drafted early in the second round, No. 37 overall last spring.

He was the fifth running back taken in the draft behind Curtis Enis, Fred Taylor, Robert Edwards and John Avery. Those four players have seen plenty of playing time already this season.

Amazingly, Holcombe had been on the Rams' pregame inactive list the first three games of this season. Vermeil has tried to explain this decision many times, but he never made much sense. Remember, this is a head coach who decided to sit both Holcombe and Hill for the season opener, starting Jerald Moore instead. Moore fumbled three times, one of which was returned for a TD in that 24-17 loss to New Orleans, and has carried only twice since.

Now that Hill is injured, Vermeil had no choice but to start Holcombe this Sunday against Arizona.

"It's something I've been looking forward to, trying to be really patient about," Holcombe said. "I'm finally going to get an opportunity."

When he takes the field Sunday at the Trans World Dome, Holcombe will have fresh legs and three weeks worth of frustration to take out against the Cardinals. He's eager to get going, and Vermeil is eager to see how he does.

"I know one thing: He's going to give everything he's got on every snap," Vermeil said. "You won't question that. He'll take the ball upfield if you can give him the place to go." . . .

After Hill's injury, Vermeil briefly contemplated re-signing former Ram Lawrence Phillips. But the idea was quickly shot down by team management, and didn't exactly result in a standing ovation when Vermeil presented it to his coaching staff for consideration.

"I really don't feel it's a possibility at this time," Vermeil said Wednesday.

POSITIONAL ANALYSIS

QUARTERBACKS: Tony Banks made his first career start against Arizona in 1996, throwing three touchdown passes, which he has matched on two other occasions but remains his career high. Banks missed practice time again this week with a sore throwing shoulder, so he bears watching on Sunday.

Will the Rams be more conservative on offense because of the injury? Continuing to throw can't do any more damage to the shoulder, so the Rams are hoping he can gut it out through the Arizona game and then have the bye week to heal up.

OFFENSIVE LINE: This unit appears to be coming into its own. It dominated a good Buffalo defensive front last week but faces another stiff challenge this week in the Cardinals' front four.

Left tackle Orlando Pace is familiar with Arizona right defensive end Simeon Rice. They squared off against each other in college, when Pace was at Ohio State and Rice was at Illinois.

Right guard Zach Wiegert and center John Flannery have a big challenge ahead of them in Cardinals left tackle Eric Swann. Swann has explosiveness to go with his size (6-5, 313). The Cardinals' other DT, Mark Smith, is underrated.

RUNNING BACKS: Robert Holcombe makes his eagerly awaited debut. Eric Swann aside, the Arizona defensive front is built more toward rushing the passer than stopping the run, so the Rams figure they should be able to pound the ball some.

Holcombe will get plenty of work, because Dick Vermeil's "M.O." has been to ride one horse in the backfield. Holcombe lacks the speed of injured Greg Hill, but he will attack the hole and is probably a better inside runner. With the way the offensive line has blocked the last two weeks, he should have some running room.

RECEIVERS: If Isaac Bruce can't play, it will be up to Ricky Proehl and Eddie Kennison once again to pick up the slack, with J.T. Thomas elevated to third receiver status.

Proehl spent his first five seasons with the Cardinals, so he should be highly motivated. Once you get by Pro Bowl left corner Aeneas Williams, the rest of the Arizona secondary is merely average.

Look for the Rams to try to get tight end Ernie Conwell more involved this week. He played with a painful rib injury last week but is healthier this week.

DEFENSIVE LINE: Kevin Carter has missed practice time this week with a calf injury that sidelined him for the second half of the Buffalo game. But he is playing well, and rest assured, he will try to find a way to get on the field against Cardinals right tackle James Dexter, who is the weak link of the Arizona offensive line.

Similarly, D'Marco Farr should be able to exploit Arizona left guard Lester Holmes. Farr already has four sacks -- he had just three last year and 4 1/2 in 1996. The Cardinals have given up 12 sacks.

LINEBACKERS: Broken hand and all, Eric Hill has his best game of the season against Buffalo, with nine tackles, one sack, and a tackle for loss. He will be extremely motivated Sunday, since he spent his first nine NFL seasons with the Cardinals.

The challenge for Mike A. Jones and Roman Phifer -- who should return from a hamstring injury -- will be keeping the lid on Arizona running back Larry Centers. Centers caught a career-high 13 passes against St. Louis when the teams met in 1996.

DEFENSIVE BACKS: The challenge should be less daunting, with Arizona ace Rob Moore probably missing the game with a hamstring injury. But Eric Metcalf and Frank Sanders can't be taken lightly.

The Rams have been getting very good play from their corners so far this season, with second-year man Dexter McCleon continuing to hold off Ryan McNeil for the starting right corner job. The weak spot continues to be coverage of tight ends by the strong safety, be it Toby Wright or Billy Jenkins, and the Cardinals will have a couple of plays in their game plan for TE Johnny McWilliams.

SPECIAL TEAMS: Thanks to Eddie Kennison, the Rams are fourth in the NFL in punt returns with a 19.4 average. But the Cardinals have been good on punt coverage this year, yielding a modest 7.9 yards per punt.

The Cardinals have been weakest on kickoff coverage, yielding 29.5 yards per return. So this is another chance for the Rams feeble kickoff return unit to get untracked. The Rams' longest kickoff return of the year is 24 yards. Cardinals return man Eric Metcalf remains dangerous but has yet to get untracked on either punts or kickoffs.

INJURY ANALYSIS

The Rams came out of the Buffalo game with their longest injury list of the season.

Greg Hill, who underwent surgery Monday for a fractured fibula and torn ankle ligaments, will be out a minimum of eight to 10 weeks. The Rams are trying to decide whether to place him on the injured reserve list, which would sideline him for the rest of the season. They have a bye week after the Arizona game, so they don't have to rush into a decision. They did work out former Pittsburgh running back George Jones on Tuesday.

Eight other players missed practice Wednesday, including six players who have started at least one game this season: Isaac Bruce (hamstring); defensive end Kevin Carter (calf); linebacker Lorenzo Styles (groin); quarterback Tony Banks (shoulder); cornerback Todd Lyght (thigh); strong safety Toby Wright (knee).

Among that group, the most questionable for the Arizona game probably are Bruce and Styles. But if Styles sits Sunday, the Rams won't miss him much because the player he replaced for three weeks in the starting lineup at outside linebacker, Roman Phifer, is scheduled to make his '98 debut after being sidelined with a hamstring injury.

Also ready to go after missing the team's first three games is rookie wide receiver Az-Zahir Hakim. Hakim is back from a broken hand, and could see action if Bruce can't play.

OUT ON A LIMB

Eddie Kennison had one of the best games of his career the last time the Rams played the Cardinals. Look for more of the same on Sunday.

As a rookie in 1996, Kennison returned a punt 66 yards for his first NFL touchdown in the first quarter. In the second quarter, he caught his first NFL TD pass on a 34-yard reception from Tony Banks.

Kennison has confidence against the Cardinals and has regained his confidence as a punt returner, although he's not quite back to his rookie form as a wide receiver.

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