ESPN’s Mike Sando, who covers the NFC West for ESPN, joined St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz on his radio show this afternoon and shared several thoughts on the St. Louis Rams’ lease negotiations.

Here is a quick breakdown of the interview with Sando:

- Sando said the NFL coming back to Los Angeles is absolutely “no slam dunk.”

“They, the Rams, are going to have a hard enough time getting this done in their own backyard in St. Louis, let alone somewhere else. And who knows what will happen in the next two years when the Rams, if they do get to that ledge to leave in 2015, the landscape can only be different again.”

- On Kroenke moving the Rams back to LA: They are conveniently thrown out there, “but they’ve had a few chances now haven’t they?”

- Fans have to be aware of the process. The CVC low-balled their offer for what they can do and the Rams came back with a higher end offer for what they want. The arbitrator will come back with an offer in the middle, and the burden then shifts to the city because if they accept the arbitrator’s changes, than the lease becomes binding and continues through 2025.

- If a deal is not reached, then the Rams go to a year-to-year lease in 2015. That doesn’t necessarily mean discussions will begin about the Rams leaving town. It could become about a new stadium in St. Louis. “This is part of a process, not an end result,” Sando said.

- Milklasz pointed out that St. Louis and the Rams are at a starting point that has began much sooner and earlier than it usually does. Most of the time, it comes down to the last minute and everyone has to rush to throw ideas together. They are ahead of the curve, not at the end, and both sides have left themselves tons of time to find a resolution.

- Fans in St. Louis would be reassured if owner Stan Kroenke would give a statement saying he wants to stay in St. Louis, but that’s not his style. It could also be because of a leverage play. Kroenke’s plans are expensive, but fans shouldn’t come away necessarily think that he definitely wants to leave town. Miklasz further expressed that Kroenke isn’t asking for the “sun, moon and stars” so he can run away, but he’s laying out a vision for the team and the city.

- The test is the financing of the proposal. In Kansas City five years ago, the Hunt Family had an initiative for a new stadium near $375 million, and they paid $125 million of it. When the Seahawks built their stadium 10 years ago, their owners paid more than $100 million of the $300 million. The team has some leverage, but it’s reasonable to expect ownership to invest something.

- Miklasz said the city needs to stop having the attitude of “no” from the start because it could make the dialogue to get Kroenke and the NFL to chip something in that much more difficult.

It would probably shock you to learn that the St. Louis Rams had the seventh-ranked pass defense in the NFL last season. Despite losing both starting corners, and both of their backups, and then some of their backups (yes, it got that bad), the Rams held teams to only 206 yards per game through the air last year.

Of course, statistics can be deceiving.

First of all, the Rams played in a very weak QB division. The Cardinals’ starting QB, Kevin Kolb, underwhelmed last year, and because of injuries, he didn’t even stay on the field for all 16 games. The Rams actually squared off with John Skelton, Kolb’s backup.

The Seahawks had Tavaris Jackson and Charlie Whitehurst. Jackson is a career backup, and Whitehurst is still an unproven player. That’s probably why the Seahawks spent this offseason bringing in two new QB’s, Matt Flynn (free agent) and Russel Wilson (third-round draft pick).

The best team in the division, the San Francisco 49ers, had Alex Smith under center. Smith had a terrific season, but the Niners were an old-school, throwback, “run first, throw when you have to” football team.

In addition to playing in the NFC West, the Rams were getting killed most Sunday afternoons. That means that there was a whole lot of running the football for opposing offenses in the fourth quarter, which also helped the Rams’ passing statistics.

My point is, while the Rams’ passing D from a year ago looks good on paper, those of us who actually watched the games know better.

The Rams couldn’t stop anybody.

However, the Rams had some talented players at that position. The problem was, they were injured. Can they overcome those injuries and play up to their talent? If they can, then this Rams’ secondary could be scary good.

Bradley Fletcher was the No. 66 overall draft pick in 2009. He is a big corner (6’0″, 200 pounds), and he can run. This kid was a good player before he got hurt and missed the entire 2011 season. In 2010, he appeared in all 16 games, totaling 11 pass breakups and four interceptions.

Jerome Murphy was the No. 65 overall pick in 2010. He is another big corner (6’0″, 200 pounds), and as a rookie in 2010, he appeared in 14 games, registering four pass deflections and one interception. Murphy also missed all of 2011, but if he returns to form, he could be an outstanding player for the Rams.

If either Murphy or Fletcher were your nickle back, then you’d have a terrific secondary. The problem for Murphy and Fletcher is the Rams brought in more talent at that position.

Cortland Finnegan was signed as a free agent, and he will immediately transform the Rams’ defense. He isn’t as big as the other Rams corners (5’10″, 188 pounds), but he is perhaps the most physical corner in the NFL. He had 75 tackles in 2011, which is a lot for a corner, but he had 100 tackles in 2010! Finnegan is also good in coverage, with 14 interceptions in his six seasons. Teams quit throwing at Finnegan two years ago, but he did have five interceptions in each of the 2008 and 2009 seasons.

Bottom line, Finnegan gives the Rams a true “No. 1 corner” to shut down big-play receivers.

With the No. 39 overall pick in the 2012 draft, the Rams took Janoris Jenkins. Many draft analysts had Jenkins rated as a top 10-15 talent, but character issues caused him to fall in the draft. If Jenkins (5’10″, 193 pounds) can play up to his potential, the Rams will have one of the best sets of corners in the NFL with Finnegan and Jenkins.

With the No. 65 overall pick in the 2012 draft, the Rams took Trumaine Johnson. He is the biggest corner on the roster (6’2″, 204 pounds), and he is an athletic, physical player. He recorded 15 career interceptions in college, and he has the speed to line up with NFL receivers.

I also think Johnson is a kind of “secret weapon” for the Rams’ coaching staff, because he has the size/length to match up to some of the hybrid tight ends that are dominating today’s NFL. When you play in a division with Vernon Davis, it’s a good idea to have a guy like Trumaine Johnson on your roster. I think the Rams will use Johnson to cover the faster tight ends, but I also think they will use him as a true corner. Either way, expect to see him on the field a lot.

Add it all up, and the Rams have five outstanding corners on their roster. When you think about the pressure that Rams defensive ends Chris Long and Robert Quinn can put on by themselves, it’s scary to think about the potential of this Rams secondary.

A great pass rush means there isn’t much time to throw, which means the receivers need to get open right away. That is going to be really hard to do against these Rams defensive backs.

In just one year, it looks like the Rams’ secondary went from “worst to first.”

By Ryan Van Bibber

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Dec 16, 2011 – St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford is officially listed as doubtful for his team’s Week 15 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Bradford watched the Rams practice on Friday while wearing a walking boot on his sprained left ankle. According to the team, Bradford has not officially been ruled out, but head coach Steve Spagnuolo acknowledged that it would be a stretch for Bradford to play this week. 

Bradford suffered a high ankle sprain in October, which caused him to miss two games that month, including a Week 8 upset over the New Orleans Saints. The nagging injury refuses to go away, thanks in part to a Rams’ offensive line decimated with injuries and disappointing play. 

The Rams decided to play Bradford last week, even after he missed all but one practice leading up to the game. The second-year quarterback re-aggravated the injury in a Monday night thrashing by the Seahawks in Week 14. With just three games left to play, there is already talk about whether or not the Rams should shut Bradford down for the season. 

Kellen Clemens worked with the first team again in Friday’s practice, and will make the start this week in Bradford’s place. The Rams acquired Clemens prior to their Week 14 game on Monday. Clemens was released by the Houston Texans prior to joining the Rams. Clemens has not started a regular season game since 2009. 

For more on Bradford and the Rams, check out Turf Show Times. 

Read More: Kellen Clemens (QB – STL), Sam Bradford (QB – STL), Houston Texans, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams

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The Seahawks patchwork O-line vs. the Rams front seven

Seattle has been without its starting right guard and right tackle three games, yet has still managed to run the ball well and, for the most part, protect quarterback Tarvaris Jackson. Now, the Seahawks have to go forward missing another big piece of their offense with Russell Okung out for the season.

“Somebody mentioned a tipping point,” Pete Carroll said. “We’re just about there. Hopefully we can hang together and finish out with these guys playing.”

Okung’s absence means Paul McQuistan, who had been filling in at right guard, will move to left tackle, a position he has not played since he did so sparingly in 2008. Lemuel Jeanpierre slides in at right guard to make his first start at that position while Breno Giacomini remains the right tackle.

The good news for Seattle is that the Rams rank last in the league in run defense, meaning the Seahawks have a good chance a continuing their success in that area. The not-so-good news is that the Rams, led by defensive end Chris Long, have 33 sacks this season. St. Louis’ pass rush ability will put more pressure on the Seahawks to run the ball, and it also means Seattle will be using tight ends and backs to help McQuistan in obvious passing situations.

“Paul’s going to do a great job,” offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell said. “He’s been out there before, but we know what we need to do to help him.

“I don’t think we want to just put him out there for 60 plays and leave him on an island all by himself. So we’ll have to change it up. Obviously, the run game is a huge part of that. That really helps us to wear guys out, leaning on them. There are going to be times when he’s going to have to protect and we have to be smart about what we’re asking him to do.”

KEY NUMBER

5–Consecutive games in which the Seahawks have rushed for more than 100 yards, something they haven’t done since 2005.

BREAK IT DOWN

The Seahawks will win if they:

Keep playing takeaway. The Seahawks have forced 12 turnovers in their last four games while giving the ball up just three times. That plus-nine turnover ratio is the biggest reason that the Seahawks are 3-1 in that stretch.

Keep feeding Marshawn Lynch. As mentioned above, Seattle has been running the ball well, and Lynch has been phenomenal, eclipsing the 100-yard barrier in four of the least five games. Last week Tarvaris Jackson only had to attempt 16 passes because of that successful run game, which is exactly the formula the Seahawks want to replicate, particularly with Russell Okung out for the season.

Stay Golden. Second-year receiver Golden Tate has touchdowns in each of the last two games, a very encouraging sign for a player who struggled to get on the field last year, and for a team that needs playmakers to step up in Sidney Rice’s absence.

The Rams will win if they:

Get Steven Jackson going. The big back has never rushed for 100 yards against Seattle, and if that keeps up, that will spell trouble for a team that could be starting its No. 3 quarterback.

Jump ahead early. A big reason why the Seahawks have forced so many turnovers of late is that they have frequently been playing with a lead. If St. Louis can get something going early, not only will it take the crowd out of the game, but it will also allow the offense to remain balanced and less vulnerable to turnovers.

Get after the quarterback. For all of their struggles this season, the Rams have been a good pass rushing team, registering 33 sacks, which ranks fifth in the league. With Seattle starting two backup tackles, the Rams have chances to get to Tarvaris Jackson.

IMPORTANT INJURIES

Seahawks — LB David Hawthorne (knee) practice Saturday after sitting out the rest of the week, and should be able to play, Pete Carroll said. He is officially listed as questionable, as is DE Raheem Brock (calf). QB Tarvaris Jackson (pectoral) practiced fully all week, a first for him since suffering the injury two months ago.

Rams — Quarterback Sam Bradford is questionable with an ankle injury and only was able to do limited work Saturday. If he can’t go, the Rams are down to their third QB, because backup A.J. Feeley has been ruled out with a broken thumb. DE Chris Long, the team’s leader in sacks, is questionable with an ankle injury, as are DT Fred Robbins (back) and FB Brit Miller (knee). T Mark LeVoir (chest) and DE Eugene Sims (ankle) are probable.

SERIES HISTORY

The Seahawks lead the all-time series 16-10, and have won six straight at home. Last month’s victory over the Rams was Seattle’s 12th in the past 13 meetings.

PICK

Seahawks 23, Rams 9

The Seahawks are heading in the right direction while the Rams look like a mess, and considering how easily Seattle handled the Rams in St. Louis, there is no reason to expect anything but another convincing Seahawks win.

SEATTLE (AP) — Tarvaris Jackson threw a 29-yard touchdown pass to Doug Baldwin with 6 seconds left in the third quarter to give the Seattle Seahawks a 20-6 lead over the St. Louis Rams on Monday night.

After a 23-yard field goal by Steven Hauschka extended Seattle’s lead to 13-3 midway through the period, the Rams mounted their best offensive drive of the game.

Sam Bradford caught Seattle in a blitz and tossed a screen pass to Steven Jackson that went for 50 yards to put the Rams in the red zone for the first time. Richard Sherman was called for pass interference on the next play, giving St. Louis first-and-goal from the 1. But the Rams sputtered again — Bradford was called for intentional grounding, pushing them backward and forcing a 29-yard field goal by Josh Brown.

The Seahawks finally managed to get in the end zone on the ensuing drive. A big kick return from Leon Washington gave Seattle good field position and Tarvaris Jackson hit Baldwin on consecutive plays. The first pass went for 22 yards and the next one gave Seattle a 20-6 cushion.

Michael Robinson returned a blocked punt 17 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter to get the Seahawks on the board.

Baldwin made three big plays on special teams for the Seahawks. He returned the opening kickoff 37 yards, downed the team’s first punt at the Rams 6-yard line and blocked the St. Louis punt.

Seattle later went on a 14-play drive that stalled deep in Rams territory before Hauschka made a 42-yard field goal to give the Seahawks a 10-0 lead.

After recommitting to the ground game around midseason, the Seahawks were working on five straight games with at least 100 yards rushing. Marshawn Lynch topped 100 yards himself in four of those five games, with the one time he was held under the century mark coming against the Rams, when he finished with 88 yards.

Lynch had 128 carries over the previous five games after getting 74 carries in the first six. Yet he had just 28 yards on nine carries in the first half Monday night.

Bradford started for the Rams despite a high ankle sprain that forced him to miss last week’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. Bradford was 6 of 18 for 50 yards through three quarters.

With Bradford struggling, Steven Jackson started to carry the Rams’ offense early in the second quarter. He broke three runs of 10-plus yards as St. Louis drove into Seattle territory. K.J. Wright came up with a sack of Bradford that stalled the drive and forced the Rams to settle for a 46-yard field goal by Brown.

Tarvaris Jackson led the Seahawks back into St. Louis territory, but a fumbled exchange between him and Lynch gave the ball back to the Rams and kept Seattle from adding to its lead.

Jackson was 17 of 27 for 174 yards and a touchdown through three quarters.

For the Rams, Steven Jackson had 56 yards on 15 carries to lead the way for a sputtering offense. Despite 14 career games against the division-rival Seahawks, he had never rushed for 100 yards against Seattle.

After a Seattle drive lost yardage and set up the Rams with good field position, St. Louis decided to go for a fourth-and-1 at the Seahawks 36. Instead of riding Steven Jackson, the Rams went to play-action and Bradford’s pass for Danario Alexander was broken up by Richard Sherman to force a turnover on downs.

Seattle was looking for its fourth win in five games and was trying to keep its slim playoff hopes alive. The Seahawks would likely need to win out and get to 9-7 for any chance of reaching the postseason for a second straight season.

SEATTLE (AP) — Michael Robinson returned a blocked punt 17 yards for a touchdown to help the Seattle Seahawks take a 10-3 lead over the St. Louis Rams at halftime Monday night.

Doug Baldwin made three big plays on special teams for the Seahawks. He returned the opening kickoff 37 yards, downed the team’s first punt at the Rams 6-yard line and blocked the St. Louis punt.

Seattle later went on a 14-play drive that stalled deep in Rams territory before Steven Hauschka made a 42-yard field goal to give the Seahawks a 10-0 lead.

After recommitting to the ground game around midseason, the Seahawks were working on five straight games with at least 100 yards rushing. Marshawn Lynch topped 100 yards himself in four of those five games, with the one time he was held under the century mark coming against the Rams, when he finished with 88 yards.

Lynch had 128 carries over the previous five games after getting 74 carries in the first six. Yet he had just 28 yards on nine carries in the first half Monday night.

Sam Bradford started for the Rams despite a high ankle sprain that forced him to miss last week’s game against the San Francisco 49ers. Bradford was 5 of 13 for 59 yards in the first half.

With Bradford struggling, Steven Jackson started to carry the Rams’ offense early in the second quarter. He broke three runs of 10-plus yards as St. Louis drove into Seattle territory. K.J. Wright came up with a sack of Bradford that stalled the drive and forced the Rams to settle for a 46-yard field goal by Josh Brown.

Tarvaris Jackson led the Seahawks back into St. Louis territory, but a fumbled exchange between him and Lynch gave the ball back to the Rams and kept Seattle from adding to its lead.

For the Rams, Steven Jackson had 50 yards on 11 carries to lead the way for a sputtering offense. Despite 14 career games against the division-rival Seahawks, he had never rushed for 100 yards against Seattle.

After a Seattle drive lost yardage and set up the Rams with good field position, St. Louis decided to go for a fourth-and-1 at the Seahawks 36. Instead of riding Steven Jackson, the Rams went to play-action and Bradford’s pass for Danario Alexander was broken up by Richard Sherman to force a turnover on downs.

Seattle was looking for its fourth win in five games and was trying to keep its slim playoff hopes alive. The Seahawks would likely need to win out and get to 9-7 for any chance of reaching the postseason for a second straight season.

SEATTLE (AP) — The Skittles came flying out of the stands, close enough that
Marshawn Lynch
was regretting not catching his favorite candy in midair and taking it back to the sideline.

Too bad. He could have shared his reward with
Doug Baldwin
.

“I could have caught them, that’s how close they got to me,” Lynch said.

Baldwin, an undrafted rookie out of Stanford, showed the rest of the NFL what it missed Monday night. He blocked a first-quarter
punt that was returned by
Michael Robinson
17 yards for a touchdown, then caught a 29-yard TD pass from
Tarvaris Jackson
in the third period as the
Seattle Seahawks
pulled away for a 30-13 win over the staggering St. Louis Rams.

Seattle (6-7) won for the fourth time in five games and kept alive its slim hopes for reaching the postseason. The Seahawks
likely would need to win out to potentially make the playoffs a reality, but they’re at least back in the conversation after
a 2-6 start.

Much of this late-season rally has been on the back of Lynch, who is making a push for a reward beyond sweets this offseason
– a big contract as a free agent.

Lynch topped 100 yards rushing for the fifth time in the last six games, finishing with 115 on 23 carries. He scored a touchdown
in his ninth straight game on a 16-yard run with 2:57 left to put away Seattle’s 13th win in its last 14 games against the
Rams.

Seahawks fans threw bags of Skittles into the end zone as Lynch celebrated his ninth rushing touchdown this season, and he
tied a franchise record with nine consecutive games with a TD.

“I think it’s more of a team accomplishment,” Lynch said. “It’s great to have, but that win was a lot better.”

Baldwin, who is Seattle’s leading receiver and has become the main option for Jackson, finished with seven receptions for
93 yards and his third TD catch of the season.

As a receiver, he disappeared until the third quarter when he snagged a 22-yard reception across the middle to convert a third-and-11
near midfield. On the next play, Baldwin faked going inside and broke to the sideline, losing
Darian Stewart
in coverage.
Tarvaris Jackson
found Baldwin and he got just inside the pylon to give the Seahawks a 14-point lead.

Baldwin had six of his seven catches in the second half.

“We just expect that out of him now,”
Tarvaris Jackson
said. “We expect him to go out and make plays every week.”

His catches seemed secondary to his contribution on special teams.

Baldwin’s influence on the game was evident from the start, when he took a pitch from
Leon Washington
on a kickoff reverse and returned it beyond the 40. Seattle was later forced to punt, but it was Baldwin racing from the outside
to down the punt at the Rams 6.

Then he made the biggest of his three fine special teams plays in the first 5 minutes of the game.

Coming almost entirely unblocked off the right end, Baldwin took a punt off the foot of
Donnie Jones
. The bounding ball hopped up into the arms of Robinson, who went the final 17 yards for an early 7-0 Seahawks lead.

“As far as my expectations go, I expected to be successful. I didn’t know how successful, but I expected to be able to come
in here and win a job in some capacity, because if you don’t have that confidence in yourself you’re not going to win a job,”
Baldwin said. “To be where I am now, no I didn’t expect this. But at the same time I’m not satisfied.”

Tarvaris Jackson
wasn’t his best, but didn’t need to be against the Rams. He went 21 of 32 for 224 yards and connected with nine receivers.

Seattle topped 100 yards rushing for the sixth straight game, accomplishing that feat for the first time in the same regular
season since 1996. It came behind an offensive line that lost its third starter for the season a week ago when
Russell Okung
went down with a torn pectoral muscle.

And kicker
Steven Hauschka
hit field goals of 23, 42 and 48 yards. Seattle’s only flub was a fumbled exchange late in the first half deep in the Rams’
end.

Sam Bradford
started for St. Louis (2-11) despite a high left ankle sprain that’s bothered him for nearly two months and forced him to
miss last week’s game at San Francisco. Bradford barely practiced this week and it showed as he was rusty and made poor decisions.
Bradford was 12 of 29 for 193 yards, was intercepted by
Brandon Browner
on the first play of the second half and nearly picked off on a handful of other throws.

Steven Jackson
had 50 yards rushing on 11 carries by halftime, including dashes of 11 yards twice and 10 yards once. He was limited to just
42 yards on 15 carries when the teams met a few weeks ago and the Rams were trying to exploit the Seahawks’ secondary. Jackson
finished with 63 yards on 20 carries, but was ignored for five plays from the Seattle 1 in the fourth quarter before finally
scoring on a third-and-goal plunge.

That was the extent of the highlights for the Rams.

“I feel like we’ve just lacked consistency all year,” Bradford said. “It’s just really hard to get a rhythm going when you
don’t establish the path on a run.”

Notes: Seattle LB
Leroy Hill
sustained a stinger in the closing seconds, but coach Pete Carroll thought he would be OK. Seahawks guard
Robert Gallery
was taken out late with a sore hip. …
Steven Jackson
‘s 1-yard TD run in the fourth quarter was St. Louis’ first offensive TD in Seattle since September 2008. …
Brandon Lloyd
led St. Louis with five catches for 82 yards but was targeted 12 times. … Browner’s interception was his fifth of the season.
…
Josh Brown
made field goals of 46 and 29 yards for the Rams.

—

© 2011 STATS LLC

The St. Louis Rams head to the Emerald City, Seattle, tonight to take on Tarvaris Jackson and the Seahawks.

The Rams are reeling after three straight losses and their only road win came against the Cleveland Browns in Week 10. The Rams passing attack is not as potent as fans hoped it would be as Sam Bradford is enduring the dreaded sophomore slump. 

The Seattle Seahawks looked like the team to beat last week, especially after beating the heralded Philadelphia Eagles. Jackson will look to build upon that success tonight.

Stay tuned here as I live blog all of today’s scores, highlights and analysis.

Game begins at 8:30 p.m. on ESPN.

Bradford, hampered by a high left ankle sprain, did not practice at all this week and missed last week’s game at San Francisco. He sustained the ankle injury Oct. 16 at Green Bay and missed two games.

Coach Steve Spagnuolo said he’s not ready to name him the starter.

“The test here, you know, when I talk with (trainer) Reggie (Scott) is see how it feels tomorrow,” Spagnuolo said. “Now, we are treading lightly and going safe. I will tell you this, if you could have seen the look on his eye when I told him he wasn’t going to play last week, you know, that’s hard to do.

“You know him. We’ll see and be smart about it.”

Bradford took less than half of the practice snaps, splitting time with Kellen Clemens, who was signed Thursday after he was cut Wednesday by Houston.

Clemens split duties Friday with No. 3 quarterback Tom Brandstater, who did not take any reps with the first team Saturday. Brandstater, who is in his second year out of Fresno State, has not played in an NFL game.

No. 2 quarterback A. J. Feeley is out with a fractured right thumb, which he hurt against San Francisco.

In a conference call earlier this week, Seattle coach Pete Carroll said he expects to see Bradford.

“We’re kind of counting on Sam getting back in there,” Carroll said. “And figuring that by resting him and not having him go last week, he’ll probably be able to play.”

In case Bradford can’t go, Spagnuolo said he is confident in using Clemens.

Clemens caught Spagnuolo’s eye with his practice performance.

“I’ll tell you what, I am thoroughly impressed with the command in the huddle and spitting out the verbiage and just some little things I saw in there,” Spagnuolo said. “He did a nice job with it.”

Knowing the system helps, Clemens said. When he was with the Jets and working with the scout team for five seasons, he had to imitate the New England Patriots system twice each season.

Rams offensive coordinator McDaniels, who then was the coordinator the Patriots, worked him out before the 2006 draft.

“He’s played in games and he’s had to handle systems and defenses and had to add some tough challenges in his career, too,” McDaniels said. “So he’s a guy that battles.”

The Jets selected him in the second round. In his time there, he played behind Chad Pennington, Brett Favre and Mark Sanchez. In 2007 when Pennington was hurt, Clemens started eight games and threw for 1,529 yards and five touchdowns with 10 inceptions.

He joined Washington in training camp last summer but was released. He was signed by the Texans on Nov. 23, after starting quarterback Matt Schaub was placed on injured reserve and was released this week before getting a call from the Rams.

In his NFL career, Clemens has thrown for 1,686 yards and five touchdowns with 11 interceptions.

“It’s been a whirlwind so far,” Clemens said. “It’s just a matter of I was speaking Spanish last week and now I’m speaking German trying to get this offense down. It’s a matter of making sure I can call the play in the huddle the correct way, get the guys up to the line of scrimmage and give us an opportunity.”

If called upon against the Seahawks, Clemens said he will be ready to go.

“Two practices, I don’t think we have to throw the panic flag completely,” Clemens said. “There’s some newness having me in there but it’ll be doable. I’m not going to guarantee anything.”

NOTES: KR Quinn Porter (abdomen) is out Monday as is Feeley. … FB Britt Miller (knee) did not practice Saturday. … DE Chris Long (ankle) and DT Fred Robbins (back) were limited Saturday. … TE Lance Kendricks did not practice Saturday and was out of town for personal reasons, Spagnuolo said. He will play Monday.

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Quarterback Sam Bradford was back on the practice field Saturday for the St. Louis Rams in preparing the Rams for their game against the Seahawks on Monday in Seattle.

Bradford, hampered by a high left ankle sprain, did not practice at all this week and missed last week’s game at San Francisco. He sustained the ankle injury Oct. 16 at Green Bay and missed two games.

Coach Steve Spagnuolo said he’s not ready to name him the starter.

“The test here, you know, when I talk with (trainer) Reggie (Scott) is see how it feels tomorrow,” Spagnuolo said. “Now, we are treading lightly and going safe. I will tell you this, if you could have seen the look on his eye when I told him he wasn’t going to play last week, you know, that’s hard to do.

“You know him. We’ll see and be smart about it.”

Bradford took less than half of the practice snaps, splitting time with Kellen Clemens, who was signed Thursday after he was cut Wednesday by Houston.

Clemens split duties Friday with No. 3 quarterback Tom Brandstater, who did not take any reps with the first team Saturday. Brandstater, who is in his second year out of Fresno State, has not played in an NFL game.

No. 2 quarterback A. J. Feeley is out with a fractured right thumb, which he hurt against San Francisco.

In a conference call earlier this week, Seattle coach Pete Carroll said he expects to see Bradford.

“We’re kind of counting on Sam getting back in there,” Carroll said. “And figuring that by resting him and not having him go last week, he’ll probably be able to play.”

In case Bradford can’t go, Spagnuolo said he is confident in using Clemens.

Clemens caught Spagnuolo’s eye with his practice performance.

“I’ll tell you what, I am thoroughly impressed with the command in the huddle and spitting out the verbiage and just some little things I saw in there,” Spagnuolo said. “He did a nice job with it.”

Knowing the system helps, Clemens said. When he was with the Jets and working with the scout team for five seasons, he had to imitate the New England Patriots system twice each season.

Rams offensive coordinator McDaniels, who then was the coordinator the Patriots, worked him out before the 2006 draft.

“He’s played in games and he’s had to handle systems and defenses and had to add some tough challenges in his career, too,” McDaniels said. “So he’s a guy that battles.”

The Jets selected him in the second round. In his time there, he played behind Chad Pennington, Brett Favre and Mark Sanchez. In 2007 when Pennington was hurt, Clemens started eight games and threw for 1,529 yards and five touchdowns with 10 inceptions.

He joined Washington in training camp last summer but was released. He was signed by the Texans on Nov. 23, after starting quarterback Matt Schaub was placed on injured reserve and was released this week before getting a call from the Rams.

In his NFL career, Clemens has thrown for 1,686 yards and five touchdowns with 11 interceptions.

“It’s been a whirlwind so far,” Clemens said. “It’s just a matter of I was speaking Spanish last week and now I’m speaking German trying to get this offense down. It’s a matter of making sure I can call the play in the huddle the correct way, get the guys up to the line of scrimmage and give us an opportunity.”

If called upon against the Seahawks, Clemens said he will be ready to go.

“Two practices, I don’t think we have to throw the panic flag completely,” Clemens said. “There’s some newness having me in there but it’ll be doable. I’m not going to guarantee anything.”

NOTES: KR Quinn Porter (abdomen) is out Monday as is Feeley. … FB Britt Miller (knee) did not practice Saturday. … DE Chris Long (ankle) and DT Fred Robbins (back) were limited Saturday. … TE Lance Kendricks did not practice Saturday and was out of town for personal reasons, Spagnuolo said. He will play Monday.

Copyright 2011 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

ST. LOUIS – Quarterback Sam Bradford was back on the practice field Saturday for the St. Louis Rams in preparing the Rams for their game against the Seahawks on Monday in Seattle.

Bradford, hampered by a high left ankle sprain, did not practice at all this week and missed last week’s game at San Francisco. He sustained the ankle injury Oct. 16 at Green Bay and missed two games.

Coach Steve Spagnuolo said he’s not ready to name him the starter.

“The test here, you know, when I talk with (trainer) Reggie (Scott) is see how it feels tomorrow,” Spagnuolo said. “Now, we are treading lightly and going safe. I will tell you this, if you could have seen the look on his eye when I told him he wasn’t going to play last week, you know, that’s hard to do.

“You know him. We’ll see and be smart about it.”

Bradford took less than half of the practice snaps, splitting time with Kellen Clemens, who was signed Thursday after he was cut Wednesday by Houston.

Clemens split duties Friday with No. 3 quarterback Tom Brandstater, who did not take any reps with the first team Saturday. Brandstater, who is in his second year out of Fresno State, has not played in an NFL game.

No. 2 quarterback A. J. Feeley is out with a fractured right thumb, which he hurt against San Francisco.

In a conference call earlier this week, Seattle coach Pete Carroll said he expects to see Bradford.

“We’re kind of counting on Sam getting back in there,” Carroll said. “And figuring that by resting him and not having him go last week, he’ll probably be able to play.”

In case Bradford can’t go, Spagnuolo said he is confident in using Clemens.

Clemens caught Spagnuolo’s eye with his practice performance.

“I’ll tell you what, I am thoroughly impressed with the command in the huddle and spitting out the verbiage and just some little things I saw in there,” Spagnuolo said. “He did a nice job with it.”

Knowing the system helps, Clemens said. When he was with the Jets and working with the scout team for five seasons, he had to imitate the New England Patriots system twice each season.

Rams offensive co-ordinator McDaniels, who then was the co-ordinator the Patriots, worked him out before the 2006 draft.

“He’s played in games and he’s had to handle systems and defences and had to add some tough challenges in his career, too,” McDaniels said. “So he’s a guy that battles.”

The Jets selected him in the second round. In his time there, he played behind Chad Pennington, Brett Favre and Mark Sanchez. In 2007 when Pennington was hurt, Clemens started eight games and threw for 1,529 yards and five touchdowns with 10 inceptions.

He joined Washington in training camp last summer but was released. He was signed by the Texans on Nov. 23, after starting quarterback Matt Schaub was placed on injured reserve and was released this week before getting a call from the Rams.

In his NFL career, Clemens has thrown for 1,686 yards and five touchdowns with 11 interceptions.

“It’s been a whirlwind so far,” Clemens said. “It’s just a matter of I was speaking Spanish last week and now I’m speaking German trying to get this offence down. It’s a matter of making sure I can call the play in the huddle the correct way, get the guys up to the line of scrimmage and give us an opportunity.”

If called upon against the Seahawks, Clemens said he will be ready to go.

“Two practices, I don’t think we have to throw the panic flag completely,” Clemens said. “There’s some newness having me in there but it’ll be doable. I’m not going to guarantee anything.”

NOTES: KR Quinn Porter (abdomen) is out Monday as is Feeley. … FB Britt Miller (knee) did not practice Saturday. … DE Chris Long (ankle) and DT Fred Robbins (back) were limited Saturday. … TE Lance Kendricks did not practice Saturday and was out of town for personal reasons, Spagnuolo said. He will play Monday.

RENTON — The St. Louis Rams might have a question mark at quarterback, but the Seahawks have no doubt about their defensive priority on Monday night.

It’s stopping Steven Jackson, first, second and even third down. That’s how it always is against St. Louis.

“From seven years ago, when I first got in the league, day one, until today,” linebacker Leroy Hill said, “to beat the Rams, you have to stop Steven Jackson.”

Not many NFL teams have stopped Jackson as effectively as the Seahawks, who have faced Jackson in 14 games and never given up 100 yards rushing to him. No other team in the NFC West can say that, and only two other teams in the NFC can make that claim: the Panthers, whom he has played three times, and the Giants, whom he has faced twice.

Monday will be a prime-time opportunity to change that, but Jackson faces the uphill challenge going into the teeth of Seattle’s defensive strength while the Rams’ quarterback picture is an injury-hazed mystery.

Starter Sam Bradford missed last week’s game because of an ankle injury and couldn’t practice Thursday. Backup A.J. Feeley is almost certainly out with a thumb injury. Tom Brandstater — zero career NFL regular-season passes — took all the snaps in practice Thursday.

That leaves Jackson where he has spent so much of his NFL career: squarely in the opponent’s cross hairs.

“He’s always the focal point,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said. “He’s that good of a player.”

Jackson is also one of the league’s most sympathetic stories. A running back so big, so skilled and so, so stuck in St. Louis. This will be St. Louis’ eighth consecutive season without a winning record, and Jackson has been there for all eight. The Rams haven’t made the playoffs since his rookie year of 2004, which also happens to be the only time he didn’t rush for 1,000 yards in a season.

“He’s big,” Hill said. “He’s physical. He can run around you. He reads his blocks well. He blocks well. He’s a complete back, and he shows it year in and out.”

Just not so much against Seattle, and that’s not an accident.

The teams played in Week 17 last year, the NFC West division title on the line, and the Seahawks found a way to minimize Jackson’s impact. Carroll’s staff noticed that against certain formations and personnel groupings, St. Louis had instructed Bradford to audible to a pass. The Seahawks used those alignments repeatedly, funneling St. Louis into more passes.

The result? Jackson finished with 11 carries, matching his second-fewest in any game last season.

When the teams played three weeks ago, Jackson entered having rushed for more than 125 yards in three consecutive games, but the Rams decided to spread things out against Seattle’s front-loaded defense. They lined up with four receivers on more than 25 plays, often times splitting Jackson out wide.

He finished with 42 yards rushing, his third-lowest total of the season.

That’s where Seattle’s plan will start Monday: stopping one of the league’s best backs.

Danny O’Neil: 206-464-2364 or doneil@seattletimes.com.

On Twitter @dannyoneil

Bradford aggravated a high left ankle sprain in last week’s loss to the Seahawks and didn’t practice Thursday. Spagnuolo thought Bradford hadn’t improved much since then.

Bradford, who was listed as questionable, was not made available to reporters.

Backup A.J. Feeley would make his third start if Bradford isn’t able to go. One of Feeley’s starts was the Rams’ best game of the year, a 31-21 victory over the New Orleans Saints.

“It helps when you get reps in practice,” Feeley said. “But I fully anticipate Sam being ready to go.”

The Rams re-signed quarterback Tom Brandstater to the practice squad as insurance, releasing linebacker Eddie Jones.

Bradford didn’t practice much leading up to the Arizona game in early November, but started in an overtime loss after missing two games with the injury. He had been listed as questionable.

“We’re going to make sure he’s OK,” Spagnuolo said. “It’s kind of like the Arizona game, we didn’t play him until we knew he could get himself in and out of trouble.”

Spagnuolo said Bradford was hurt making a throw, rather than getting the ankle rolled on by a tackler.

Wide receiver Danario Alexander (hamstring) has been practicing all week, giving the Rams a potential deep threat. Alexander has missed five games.

“Danario adds a little bit of a different element,” offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said Thursday of the 6-foot-5 Alexander. “He’s got obviously a lot of size and length and has made some down-the-field plays for us that have really helped us.”

Safety Darian Stewart (concussion) ruled himself out for this week, saying he didn’t feel right, although the team has not made anything official and listed him as questionable. Spagnuolo said Stewart did a lot in practice Thursday but didn’t feel well afterward.

“I’m not feeling normal,” Stewart said. “Just playing it safe.”

Defensive end Chris Long (ankle) missed his second straight day of practice and also was questionable, but said Thursday it was “100 percent” that he’d play. Defensive tackle Justin Bannan (shoulder) was questionable.

Punter Donnie Jones didn’t test his sprained left ankle, saving it for game day. Jones was hurt when his cleats got caught in the turf trying to make a play on Patrick Peterson’s 80-yard punt return for touchdown last week, but made a couple of punts after that.

Kicker Josh Brown is the backup punter.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.