USA Today: Rams Team Report

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On a short week, Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo will have another decision to make regarding quarterback Sam Bradford and whether he will play in Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

It's getting to the point where it is questionable whether Bradford gives the team the best chance to win. Not only because his ankle injury limits what he can do on the field and how it is affecting his mechanics, but also because he rarely practices, and that can't be a good thing when he has had little time to work with his receivers, especially wide receiver Brandon Lloyd.

"It's tough at the quarterback position because their position is hard enough when you're fully healthy," coach Steve Spagnuolo said this week. "I think it's a struggle. It's another challenge to overcome."

After Monday night's game, Bradford said, "I felt like I was able to move good enough to play tonight. Could I move as well as I did at the beginning of the year? Probably not. I think that the ankle was good enough to go tonight."

Yes, it was good enough to go. But it clearly didn't appear good enough to do well. His throws were off consistently. He completed just 10-of-29 passes. He just didn't look right.

Even Bradford conceded when asked about the toughest challenge playing with the injury, "It's not easy coming through some of the throws. I'm putting torque on the front ankle. I think that is the biggest thing. Running and things like that are tough as well."

What more evidence is needed? Of course, the Rams currently don't have many options. One look at A.J. Feeley's thumb Friday made it seem unlikely he will be healthy enough to play Sunday against Cincinnati.

Last week, in preparation for the Seahawks, he didn't practice for three days, and then took less than half the snaps in a Saturday practice.

For the game Monday night, Kellen Clemens was Bradford's backup and Tom Brandstater was inactive. Clemens had just two practices last week after being claimed on waivers from Houston. However, he showed a quick enough grasp of the offense that he was active.

The dilemma will be whether it is worth giving Clemens a chance against the Bengals.

Wednesday, Bradford didn't practice, and said, "Obviously after the game it was pretty sore. It's still pretty sore today. It feels worse obviously because I played this week, whereas last week where I was coming off seven or eight days rest. Yesterday, it definitely didn't feel good."

The short week is definitely a factor. Said Bradford, "That doesn't help. I think last week even though I didn't play the previous week, playing on Monday night was a bonus, gave it an extra day, an extra day to heal, more time to recover. Whereas this week we only have six days, so that's definitely not something that's in our favor right now."

Most distressing is that Bradford said the overall healing has gone backward. He said, "It is becoming more and more frustrating to go out there and play, and then after the game feel like I've been set back. When I came back the first time I was able to make it through those first three or four games without going backwards. It got better each week. It wasn't sore after the game, whereas now the past two games I've gone out there, I feel like we've gone backwards. That is a bit frustrating, but in my opinion as long as it's good to go, as soon as it feels right, I want to be out there with my team trying to help them win."

When asked how having a bad ankle might affect arm strength, he said, "It just changes your throwing mechanics. It's hard on my front leg. It's not easy to come through and fully torque, and get everything I have into it where it kind of puts more stress on the arm. I'm not sure if it reduces arm strength, it just kind of limits your ability to put your entire body into throws at times."

Most notably, it's clearly possible Bradford won't practice at all this week. Asked about getting some time in Friday, he said, "I think if it feels good enough Friday to get out there and test it out, then I'm sure we will, just to see where we're at. If it doesn't, I don't think we're going to push it and set it back again by trying to go out and practice through it."

SERIES HISTORY: 12th regular-season meeting. Bengals lead series, 6-5. The teams have played twice in St. Louis with the Rams winning both games in 1996 and 2003.

NOTES, QUOTES

—Rookie CB Chris Smith had a rough indoctrination to the NFL when he was confused on a first-quarter punt against the Seahawks. Playing his first game in the NFL, Smith was the gunner to the left and had Doug Baldwin lined up in front of him.

Baldwin moved all the way down the line of scrimmage and lined up as an outside rusher. Smith moved too far inside, and Baldwin blew by him, blocked the punt, and Michael Robinson picked it up and ran in for a touchdown.

Coach Steve Spagnuolo said Smith rebounded to do well after that.

"That's tough duty now," he said. "I tell you what, special teams-wise and you know he had the one play, but he had a couple tackles. We thought going in that he was a feisty guy that would battle and compete and he did that. You've got to get up to speed quick in this league and that's a little bit of a challenge."

—Bryan Mattison became the ninth offensive lineman to start a game for the Rams when he played right guard against the Seahawks on Monday night. Mattison had just two weeks of practice with the team after being claimed on waivers from Baltimore on Thanksgiving.

Coaches decided to keep Harvey Dahl at right tackle and insert Mattison at guard.

Asked about the decision to play Mattison, coach Steve Spagnuolo said, "We thought Bryan could line up there at guard and give us some efficient plays. We think he did that. There were a couple places where he struggled, but going forward he's just going to get better and better and that's a good thing."

—Coach Steve Spagnuolo hasn't harped on the team's injuries, but when asked about them, he is as direct and honest as possible.

After the loss to Seattle, he said, "It's a steep, steep hill to climb, but I'm sure there's other teams in the league facing similar situations. Ours happen to be at, what I think (are) two critical positions, offensive line and corner. We're finding it very difficult to overcome it, but yet when we go to work tomorrow, we're playing on Sunday, it's not going to change. We're going to have to find a way to do it. I focus on the way to find the solutions or finding solutions rather than why it's the way it is or what it could have been."

When asked if there are any explanations for the injuries other than bad luck, he said, "If I had that explanation I would have solved it a long time ago. Only the good Lord knows why and how and when. None of the guys plan on getting hurt. Everybody's preparing to be healthy. I think people are going to go back and say, 'Is it the lockout? Is it this? Is it that?' I don't know that. There will be studies on it I'm sure. Every team will do it, the whole league will. We've just certainly had our share of them and the hard thing is when they all come at the same position. That's what gets really challenging."

BY THE NUMBERS: 15-62 — Rams' regular-season record since the start of the 2007 season. The records have been 3-13, 2-14, 1-15, 7-9 and now 2-11.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I'm not clumping a whole season on ... no. Sam's a key part of this whole football team. We know that the quarterback position is really important. We know how good he is. He's our quarterback. He gives us the best chance to win. I'm always going to be concerned about his health and do the right thing. For what we've gone through, what he's gone through, what he's battling, I think he's done an admirable job." — Coach Steve Spagnuolo on the notion that QB Sam Bradford has regressed this season.

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

PLAYER NOTES

—CB Nate Ness was re-signed to the active roster Wednesday after being released last week.

—OG Bryan Mattison, who started his first NFL game Monday night, is expected to start again this week. Mattison is playing right guard.

INJURY IMPACT

—FB Brit Miller was placed on injured reserve Wednesday because of a knee injury. It's the same knee that Miller injured last season and led him to starting training camp on the physically unable to perform list. There is no major damage, but Miller is expected to undergo surgery as mainly a cleanup procedure.

—DT Fred Robbins, who missed Monday night's game against Seattle because of a back injury, practiced Wednesday on a limited basis.

—RB Quinn Porter, who missed Monday night's game against Seattle because of an oblique injury, practiced Wednesday on a limited basis.

—S Craig Dahl, who injured his ankle Monday against Seattle, did not practice Wednesday.

—OT Mark LeVoir did not practice Wednesday because of groin injury.

—CB Josh Gordy sustained an oblique injury Monday night and did not practice Wednesday.

GAME PLAN: With questions at quarterback, the Rams' only hope for offensive production is to have RB Steven Jackson have a big game. The Rams have to hope to control the ball with Jackson.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH: Rams DLE Chris Long vs. Bengals RT Andre Smith — Long has been playing on a bad ankle for several weeks, and he will try to use his quickness and high motor to wear Smith down.

Rams pass defense vs. Bengals QB Andy Dalton — The Rams' depleted secondary could have issues with Dalton and his targets that include WRs A.J. Green and Jerome Simpson.