Rams’ Spagnuolo sticking with QB Bulger
November 5, 2009
ST. LOUIS (AP)—Marc Bulger(notes) has thrown just three touchdown passes and has apasser rating of 68.2 for the scuffling St. Louis Rams.
Don’t expect coach Steve Spagnuolo to change quarterbacks. He has beengenerally pleased with the 32-year-old Bulger.
“I think Marc has done everything we needed him to do,” Spagnuolo said.“I’ve said this before; it’s not one position on the side of the ball, it’severybody.
“He has been a leader, he manages the game, gets the ball to 39 (runningback Steven Jackson), and there are pieces that he is working through, too.”
The Rams (1-7) have a bye this weekend before hosting undefeated New Orleans(7-0) on Nov. 15. The win against the Lions last weekend snapped a 17-gamelosing streak.
Bulger hasn’t had much help from his inexperienced crew of receivers.Laurent Robinson(notes) began the season as a favorite target but he’s out for the restof 2009 with an injury. Donnie Avery(notes) is now the go-to guy, but he’s been hurt aswell.
Bulger, who replaced Kurt Warner(notes) as the starter in 2002, signed a six-year,$65 million contract extension before the 2007 season. That followed his secondPro Bowl appearance.
Things have gone downhill since then. The Rams are 6-34 since 2007 andBulger spent most of the previous two seasons taking a beating behind makeshiftoffensive lines, getting sacked a combined 75 times.
Spagnuolo arrived this season and brought in a West Coast offense focused ongetting the ball more to Jackson.
The running back has done his part—Jackson is tied with Minnesota’s AdrianPeterson for the NFC rushing lead with 784 yards, and his 970 yards fromscrimmage are just 3 yards behind Peterson’s NFL-leading total.
Yet despite improved play of the line—Bulger has been sacked just ninetimes—the Rams continue to struggle offensively. St. Louis has scored aleague-low 77 points.
It doesn’t help that Bulger has been hurt. He broke the pinkie finger of histhrowing hand on Aug. 17 during the preseason, and missed a regular-season gamewith a bruised rotator cuff.
Still, Bulger has seen some improvement in the Rams, who have undergone amakeover since last season to go from one of the league’s oldest teams to one ofthe youngest.
“I think we’ve improved in certain areas every week,” Bulger said.“There’s been times we had relapses. Hopefully, we can come back after the byeweek and be more consistent, win some more ball games and come back fresh.”
Bulger said he is “trying to play consistent. Trying to manage games. Justtrying to put us in the right situations right now.” But he’s not ready forself-evaluation.
“During the season, I don’t evaluate that. We have to win games,” Bulgersaid. “I think it would be selfish to evaluate my own situation and put that onthe team. We’re all in this together and were going to try and win as many as wecan.”