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Bruised ego?

Rams' big-play receiver will take wins over numbers

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Though Isaac Bruce's numbers declined in December, he remains a big-play threat through the air. Elsa Hasch/Allsport

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The St. Louis Rams' wild-card playoff game against the New Orleans Saints shapes up as another dull afternoon for Isaac Bruce.

Bruce loves the big play, and just completed his fourth 1,000-yard receiving season. But he didn't get many openings in last week's 26-21 victory against the Saints, catching only two passes for 43 yards.

He doesn't expect room to roam on Saturday, either, when the teams meet in New Orleans for the second consecutive week, with the Saints usually using in a two-deep zone.

"They stayed patient with the Cover 2," Bruce said. "They said we had to beat them with the run and that's basically what we did.

"But as long as we keep running the ball well, I'm very happy with it if the team is progressing."

Marshall Faulk carried the load last week, rushing for a career-best 220 yards on 32 carries for three touchdowns. That continued a late-season charge by Faulk, selected Wednesday as the NFL's MVP.

Wiggin: Rams-Saints Paul Wiggin, the Minnesota Vikings' director of pro personnel, will have a keen eye on this weekend's playoff games. Wiggin, who has spent more than 40 years in the NFL, is responsible for league-wide player evaluation and advance scouting of opponents. Wiggin breaks down the wild-card matchups for CNNSI.com: The Rams will beat the Saints if ... the Saints allow it to be a track meet. The Rams have the best track team in the game, and that's why the Saints lost last week. Just look at the total yardage (474-269). No one in the NFL is playing better right now than Marshall Faulk. He's the most complete weapon. He can do everything. Kurt Warner struggled a little in his first game back from injury, against Carolina, but since the Vikings game, he has been the special player that he has been for two years now. The Saints will beat the Rams if ... they get a miracle. No, that's not right. It's interesting because I think the Saints have enough defense and can challenge a team enough with schemes to have a chance to win. But they're going to have to do it with their defense. They've got to stop the Rams' track stars. They have to reduce the game to their terms and let their offense work. Aaron Brooks has to make a few plays in that kind of get-rich-quick offense that they have, and he didn't make many last week.

Faulk's run coincides with a concentration to stop the long pass play that Bruce said began in early December. Bruce hasn't put up big numbers the last month, catching 18 passes for 227 yards and no touchdowns.

"We did a great job running the football, but I'm not sure they would want us throwing the ball up and down the field all day," he said. "It'll be up to them to choose."

Bruce led the team with 87 receptions for 1,471 yards, a 16.9-yard average, and nine touchdowns this season en route to his second Pro Bowl berth in a row. He was second in the NFC in yards behind teammate Torry Holt, and had four 100-yard games.

But after the game, Rams coaches were complimenting his blocking. Bruce's downfield block helped spring Faulk on one of his touchdowns.

"Isaac probably did the best job of his career in terms of blocking downfield," head coach Mike Martz said.

Bruce said he was just trying to make himself useful.

"If we're not catching the football, that's kind of our job," he said. "We've got to get in front of people.

"The cornerbacks are the guys who are supposed to force the run and we've got to take them out of the game."

More than leaning on their Super Bowl experience from last year, Bruce believes the biggest thing for the Rams is that they've played so many close games. St. Louis will have to win three games on the road to make it back to the Super Bowl.

"It's hard to win on the road, but we've done it before," Bruce said. "So I believe we can do it again."

 

Related information
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CNNSI.com's Kirwan: Rams-Saints Breakdown Paul Wiggin breaks down the wild-card games CNNSI.com's Pat Kirwan: Saturday Wild-card Previews
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