If Wednesday had been game day, Sam Bradford said he would not have been able to play. He didn’t seem at all optimistic that a few more days would help, either.

The St. Louis Rams quarterback played in Monday night’s loss at Seattle after missing the previous game because of a persistent high left ankle sprain. With a short week and a very sore ankle, he believes it’ll be a challenge to get ready for Sunday’s home game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

One telling sign: For the first time in several weeks, Bradford is back in a walking boot.

“I will say 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 and feel like we’ve gone back,” Bradford said after sitting out practice Wednesday.

“I think if it feels good enough Friday to get out there and test it, I’m sure we will just see where we’re at. But if it doesn’t, I don’t think we’re going to push it and set it back again.”

Coach Steve Spagnuolo seemed pessimistic about Bradford’s chances.

“But we’ll see,” Spagnuolo said. “He’s a tough guy, so he’s trying.”

Kellen Clemens, who was signed last week and will likely start if Bradford can’t go, got in some extra work after Wednesday’s practice. Backup A.J. Feeley remains sidelined with a fractured right thumb and has only limited mobility after missing Monday night’s loss.

“I feel prepared,” Clemens said. “It’s a short week, which doesn’t help, but I’m going to get three practices this week instead of two so I think by Sunday afternoon I should be ready to go.”

Clemens appeared close to playing Monday night after Bradford took a hard hit on a failed flea-flicker during the Rams’ third play, hitting his helmet on the turf. While doctors were checking out Bradford, Clemens was warming up on the sideline.

But Clemens said he was just staying loose on a cold night.

When Bradford returned after missing Games 6 and 7, it was easier to recover. He believes the setback is from general wear and tear rather than a specific instance.

“When I came back the first time I was able to make it through those first three or four games without going backwards,” Bradford said. “It got better each week, it wasn’t sore after the game.”

Bradford said the injury has compromised his mechanics and put more stress on his arm. He was just 12 for 29 for 193 yards with an interception and no touchdowns against the Seahawks.

“It’s not easy to come through and fully torque and get everything I have into it,” Bradford said. “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.”

The Rams lost another player, placing fullback Britt Miller on injured reserve with cartilage damage to his right knee, and re-signed cornerback Nate Ness. Miller has been most valuable on special teams, and had three receptions for 41 yards and five carries for 14 yards.

Miller did not make the trip for the Seattle game.

“It was a long night talking to my family, and that seemed to be the best way to go about this thing,” Miller said. “Steven Jackson always makes you look a little better than you are, so that helps.

“To be out here in kind of a tough season, I really wanted to finish with my teammates.”

Ness rejoined the team eight days after getting waived. He was first signed to the practice squad in October, and first elevated to the roster Nov. 16.

Notes: Neither of the Rams’ defensive ends practiced Wednesday. James Hall has a chest injury and Chris Long has been playing the last few weeks without practicing to protect an ankle sprain. Long is among the league leaders with a career-best 12 sacks. “At least we’ve been able to get him to the games, which is huge,” Spagnuolo said. … S Craig Dahl (right ankle), CB Josh Gordy (abdomen), OT Mark LeVoir (groin), DE Eugene Sims (ankle) and TE Stephen Spach (concussion) also did not practice.

On Monday, Dec. 12, the St. Louis Rams lost their 11th game of the season in a 30-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. With the defeat, Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo’s record with the team dropped to 10-35.

I’m not sure how to deal with watching my team fail to deliver once again. It feels like the Rams are stuck in a losing culture and simply don’t know how to get out of it. However, I believe that’s not true. The franchise made some choices this season that have contributed to the teams’ failures.

Here is a look at three decisions the Rams made that have altered their season:

No quarterbacks coach

The team was wrong to begin the year without a quarterbacks coach for Sam Bradford. It doesn’t make sense for the Rams to invest millions of dollars in a franchise quarterback if they aren’t willing to bring in someone to develop him. I understand the plan was for offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to work with Bradford, but he responsible for installing a completely new system. That should have been McDaniels’s focus. A young quarterback needs someone to mentor him, especially in a season like this one, and a quarterbacks coach could have done that.

Giving Josh McDaniels too much power to run the offense

Let’s be honest here. The Rams didn’t have many weapons to begin the season with. There wasn’t one breakaway receiver or established tight end on the opening day roster. In hindsight, it seems rather idiotic for Spagnuolo to bring in a coach who likes to throw downfield more when the team doesn’t have the personnel to fit that type of offense. What’s worse is that both McDaniels and Spagnuolo have yet to learn from this mistake. They keep keep making poor decisions with the offense.

A prime example of this is when the Rams were on the Seahawks’ goal line in the fourth quarter of Monday’s game. The team has one of the league’s best running backs, but instead of putting the ball in Steven Jackson’s hands in the first five plays, McDaniels rolled a gimpy Bradford out of the pocket twice and ran him on a quarterback sneak. Why on earth would the Rams trust Bradford to get in the end zone instead of Jackson? Eventually, McDaniels called a run for Jackson, and the team’s all-time leading rusher scored on the play.

I believe McDaniels is a solid offensive football mind who could do a great job with the team in future, but he needs to quit being so stubborn and call plays that fit with the personnel available. Spagnuolo should have reined in some of these poor decisions by now.

Passing on Torrey Smith in the draft

The Rams offense has been limited this year without a speed receiver to stretch the field. However, the team had the chance to draft a deep threat in the second round of the 2011 NFL draft, but the Rams’ front office passed on him. Maryland’s Torrey Smith was regarded as one of the fastest receivers available, and he was sitting there for the Baltimore Ravens when they selected him with the 26th pick of the second round. Though he’s been inconsistent with the Ravens, Smith has established himself as the team’s primary deep threat and has posted huge days against the Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals this season.

If general manager Billy Devaney had selected Smith in the draft, defenses would have been forced to play the Rams differently this season. The club’s current receivers (including Brandon Lloyd) don’t scare anyone, but if the team had begun the year with a solid deep threat on the roster, the entire offense would have been more dynamic than it is now.

Looking forward

The team has to reverse some of the decisions it has made in the past eight months. Hiring a quarterback coach to mentor Bradford is a must, as is drafting a speed receiver. I’m not sure what the right call is with McDaniels, because I don’t believe he was ever given enough talent to work with. However, the team’s next head coach needs to rein in McDaniels if he remains with the Rams.

I understand these three factors aren’t the only issues the team has to deal with. The rush defense needs work, and the offensive line is a mess. Of course, injuries were a problem too. However, some of the Rams issues could have been minimized if there was better decision-making in the front office. Hopefully, that changes for next season.

Derek Ciapala has been a Rams fan since he was a child and the team was in Los Angeles. His favorite Rams moments include Flipper Anderson’s 336-yard receiving night against the Saints in 1989, and their miracle 1999 run to their first Super Bowl victory. You can follow him on Twitter @dciapala.

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

The Rams had two different instances throughout the game where pass interference penalties in the end zone brought the ball to Seattle’s 1-yard line. 

First Instance

1st-and-Goal: Direct snap to Steven Jackson, no gain

2nd-and-Goal: Incomplete pass, 10-yard intentional grounding penalty

3rd-and-Goal: Incomplete pass from Seattle’s 11-yard line

4th-and-Goal: 29-yard field goal

Second Instance

1st-and-Goal: Cadillac Williams run, no gain

2nd-and-Goal: Quarterback keeper, no gain

3rd-and-Goal: Incomplete pass, taunting penalty results in a first down

1st-and-Goal: Shotgun, incomplete pass

2nd-and-Goal: Shotgun, incomplete pass

3rd-and-Goal: Steven Jackson run, touchdown

On the second instance, Steven Jackson wasn’t even in the game for the first two attempts. On the second play, they called a quarterback keeper despite Sam Bradford’s sprained ankle. 

Out of six shots from the 1-yard line during the second instance, Steven Jackson’s number was called only once. 

That, ladies and gentleman, is called inept coaching.

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 (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