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.

(FootballStL) — St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford has a “tradition” of not cutting his hair in midseason, but he admits that this rough season has made him close to pulling out the clippers.

“I have been close,” Bradford said.  “This is the one year that has pushed me to the limits.  I thought about shaving it and starting clean, but held true to what I’ve done for many years now.”

But in those “many years” Bradford had success.  This season the second-year quarterback has thrown only six touchdowns and completed 54.6 percent of his passes.  Bradford has also been sacked 32 times in nine games which is one shy of last season’s total which was through 16 games.  It might be time to change your luck, Sam.

As for the no-shave November beard?

“I am not going to shave,” Bradford said.  “I feel at this point I am going to keep it going.  I actually kind of like it, so I think I am going to go another five weeks with it.  I feel like after all this time that to cut it now, I just feel like I would be losing a part of myself.”

We obviously do not want Bradford to have to suffer ANOTHER loss this season, but if the Rams continue their losing trend we believe there might be more than just Bradford’s beard being cut at Rams Park.

by Scott Bierman, FootballStL
-follow me on Twitter @Scott_Bierman for St. Louis sports news and updates
 

“Al and I visited this morning — I am crushed by that one,” Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo said. “He has been a terrific, terrific addition in a lot of ways. You’re talking about a guy who came off an injury a year ago, and he battled all week to get his body healthy and right.

“What he has meant in the defensive back room and he brings a whole different level of energy on the practice field. Al will be around here. He’s going to have a surgery, he won’t have it right away.”

Harris had played well this season since becoming a starter following Bradley Flecther’s season-ending injury in Week 4.

“I go back to the Arizona game a week ago, and I thought he had played well against Larry Fitzgerald, and that’s not easy,” Spagnuolo said. “He’s experienced, he’s crafty.”

Harris is the ninth cornerback to end up on injured reserve for the Rams this season. They have only four cornerbacks — Justin King, Josh Gordy, Marquis Johnson and Rod Hood — on their active roster.

“ACLs, cracked fibulas, dislocated elbows — I don’t know for sure how you protect against that,” Spagnuolo said. ‘It’s the game of football. I hope they even out at some point, and it starts turning the other way.”

Harris was hurt after chasing down Joshua Cribbs on a 20-yard reception early in the game.

“He was tackling the receiver or ball carrier, and he just kind of torqued in a certain way and caught his knee in a certain position and it kind of gave out on him,” Spagnuolo said. “Nobody fell on him. It wasn’t like Mike’s. You could see his cleat caught in the turf.”

Hoomanwanui was hurt attempting to hurdle Browns defender Joe Haden at the end of a 15-yard pass reception.

Left tackle Rodger Saffold and King both suffered head injuries. Saffold’s injury was classified as a concussion.

Spagnuolo said both Saffold and King were feeling better Monday, he’s holding out hope that they’ll both be available this coming Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.

Spagnuolo wasn’t as optimistic about right tackle Jason Smith, who has missed three games with a concussion.

“They exerted him a little today, and the symptoms kind of came back,” Spagnuolo said. “That’s where you have to be careful. He’s fighting through it.”

Quarterback Sam Bradford has a sore thigh. He limped off the field in the third quarter after taking a helmet to his thigh.

Bradford missed only one play.

Spagnuolo said Bradford, who has been bothered by a high ankle sprain, didn’t have his foot in a boot Monday, for precautionary reasons, like the previous Monday.

“He’s not in a boot, so he’s kind of gotten past that,” Spagnuolo said. “He’ll have a brace on it when he is playing.”

Bradford is expected to practice Wednesday.

The Rams had 14 players on their injury report last week, and that number could climb higher this week.

Safety Darian Stewart has a sore neck, wide receiver Brandon Gibson has a sore groin muscle and running back Cadillac Williams has a strained calf muscle.

Spagnuolo said linebackers Josh Hull (hamstring) and Bryan Keels (ankle), who both sat out against the Browns, will be able to practice on a limited basis Wednesday.

“At this point, I think to use that as an excuse or reason for our struggles, I don’t think that’s right,” Bradford said Wednesday. “As much as I hate to say that, I think it’s a lack of concentration once we get down there. Some of the mistakes that we do make down there, there’s no reason for them, and we’ve got to find a way to eliminate those.”

A week after the Rams (1-7) put it all together for the first time in a 31-21 upset over the Saints, they reverted to form. With Bradford back after missing two games with a high left ankle sprain, St. Louis managed three field goals and lost in overtime to Arizona.

The Rams lost despite piling up 383 total yards and Steven Jackson earning his second straight 100-yard rushing day. The Rams are next to last in the NFL with a 12.5-point average and only eight offensive touchdowns. The offense has 500 penalty yards, third most in the NFC, and the passing offense is struggling.

St. Louis and Seattle are tied for the fewest trips inside the 20 at 18 apiece, and the Rams are last in the NFC with seven red zone TDs.

The offensive line has been effective lately on the run game, helping Jackson break out a bit. But center Jason Brown’s 84-game streak of consecutive starts is in jeopardy because of the inefficiency. Brown said Wednesday he’s been told he won’t start at Cleveland on Sunday.

“We get down there and we just continue to shoot ourselves in the foot with either penalties or negative plays that put us behind the chains and put us into bad situations,” Bradford said. “The sooner we can eliminate those negative plays, I think the sooner we’ll finally start to see rewards.”

The good news for Bradford is there were no setbacks from the Cardinals loss. He’s still wearing a brace but said his ankle “definitely” feels better than last week at this time, and ditched the walking boot the day after the game. Barring further injury, he expects the ankle to be healed in two or three weeks.

Bradford said he got a few rehab tips from this week’s opposite number, and the player who finished right behind him for the Heisman Trophy. Browns quarterback Colt McCoy competed against Bradford in some Texas-Oklahoma college showdowns and McCoy had a high ankle sprain last year as a rookie.

Bradford said the Rams already were doing most of what McCoy recommended.

“It’s not like he gave me a piece of advice that changed our game plan as far as handling it, but it was just nice to hear he was able to get over it and play the rest of the year,” Bradford said.

The offense might get a bit of a lift this week with the return of Mark Clayton, Bradford’s top receiving threat early last season. Clayton’s comeback from a knee injury early last season has been hampered by an Achilles tendon injury but he’s felt better the last week or so and said Wednesday he was probably about 90 percent.

“I’m ready to play,” Clayton said. “The past couple weeks I’ve been able to get hold of it, calm it down. Last week was really good. This week, we’re trying to build on it.”

The Rams need Clayton after losing their slot receiver, rookie Greg Salas, for the year with a broken leg. Salas leads the team with 27 receptions.

“I’m definitely excited to get Mark back,” Bradford said. “Especially after losing Salas, we need someone to come in and step up, and it’s just great timing that Mark’s finally getting healthy.”

To make room for Clayton, the Rams released third-string quarterback Tom Bradstater.

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