St. Louis Rams coach Jim Haslett defends quarterback Marc Bulger
With jeering Jackson and bashing Bulger apparently vying for the No. 1 activity among disgruntled fans these days, we thought we’d give Jim Haslett the floor and let him explain why Marc Bulger, despite his subpar showing this year, is his choice at quarterback:
“I see what he does on the practice field. I’ve seen what he’s done in the past,” Haslett said. “The guy is 2 yards from being the fifth-fastest quarterback ever to 20,000 yards. That’s pretty good company he’s holding. He’s going to throw a pass this week and be the fifth-fastest ever. There’s a lot of great quarterbacks that have played the game, and he’s going to be top five. He has numbers that reflect that.
“We just have to surround him with playmakers, and I think we have a bunch of young kids that can do that. We have to protect him and do some things that make him feel comfortable.
“I think every quarterback goes through a phase in their career where it’s not going (well). When he came in, he stepped in with great personnel around him, playmakers galore -– three or four receivers, a running back, a great line that had been together for a long time. He’s not in that situation right now. It’s a little bit different. Obviously, we’ll try to get back to that some day, but right now it’s not that situation.”
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Notes & quotes:
*It’ll be interesting to see whether Antonio Pittman responds to Haslett’s challenge to produce more in his role as Steven Jackson’s replacement as the starting RB. Said Pittman: “I’m aware of what (Jackson) means to this team, and I’m going to try to go out there and give it my all. That’s all I can do, leave it all out there on the field and play as well as I can.”
*Jackson’s frustration is mounting. He is to have a specialist examine his ailing right thigh muscle. With the bad wheel, Jackson has no burst. “We saw against Arizona, if I’m not 100-percent, then I’m like a wounded duck out there,” he said.
*Perhaps anticipating an array of painful questions about Isaac Bruce and Mike Martz, WR Torry Holt bolted from the locker room without talking with reporters. Friday is normally the only day that Holt speaks with the media.
All for now . . . more Sunday from Frisco.
Hey you SJ lovers. We do have a clue! Duh. He’s a wuss and you guys should stop smoking whatever you’re smoking. Its affecting your brains.