NFL

• Recharged Rams get in the win column

  
  

  By Michael Rushton, NFL Contributing Editor

  (Sports Network) - For the first time in a while, St. Louis Rams fans got to see their club close to healthy. No surprise then, that the team posted its first win of the season.

  The Rams opened the 2007 season with eight straight losses before besting the New Orleans Saints -- a team that had won four in a row coming into this past Sunday's contest -- by a 37-29 score.

  The Rams' injury list this season has closely resembled a Pro Bowl roster. Marc Bulger, Steven Jackson, Isaac Bruce, Drew Bennett, Orlando Pace and Leonard Little are among the St. Louis players who have been banged up this season. In fact, Pace and Little, along with guards Adam Goldberg and Mark Setterstrom, are all on injured reserve, meaning the Rams will never be firing on all cylinders this year.

  However, behind a patchwork offensive line, Bulger and Jackson found a way to win against the Saints. Bulger, slowed by knee, rib and thumb injuries this year, threw for 302 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while Jackson returned to run for 76 yards and a score. The running back also threw his first career touchdown pass, a two-yard strike to tight end Randy McMichael.

  Jackson was returning to the lineup after a bulging disc in his back knocked him out early of a loss to Cleveland on October 28. He also missed time earlier in the year due to a partial groin tear.

  "We executed better and played better," said Rams head coach Scott Linehan. "When everyone plays better, not just an offensive player, but defensively and special teams, you just tend to be a little more accurate, a little more confident. Your timing tends to be better."

  It can be said with much certainty that such an improvement may not have been possible if the game was scheduled for last weekend, when the Rams had their bye. Jackson's back probably would have held him out of the contest, while Bulger would have been chucking passes with a thumb injury he was instead able to rest.

  Also, the break was good for wide receiver Torry Holt, who made eight catches for 124 yards versus the Saints. Holt was been bothered by a nagging knee injury, though he hasn't missed a game this season.

  The bottom line is that now the Rams can just play the rest of the season. The club got a huge monkey off of its back with the win, meaning there will be less pressure from here on out.

  "It does give us confidence in that this is a second season for us, an eight- game season," said Linehan. "We're focusing on that and not what happened in the first eight (games) even though they all count. We count them too."

  The win over the Saints ended the Rams' worst start in franchise history, which surpassed the 0-6 start the 1962 Los Angeles-based club went through. The Rams also ended their longest slide since the 1991-92 squad dropped 11 in a row, including 10 straight to end the '91 season before next year's team lost its opener.

  OVERSHADOWED

  Even though it was outplayed by the offense and allowed the Saints to get back into things late, the Rams defense still had a good outing on Sunday.

  The Rams held the Saints to just 43 yards rushing and picked off two Drew Brees passes in the first half. Linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa and safety Oshiomogho Atogwe each posted an interception, and both led to points as the Rams built a 17-7 halftime lead.

  Even with the loss of Little, who is on injured reserve due to a toe injury, the Rams have stayed mostly healthy on the defensive side of the ball. However, the club entered the season with few playmakers, so the defense was expected to be a weakness throughout the year.

  St. Louis did turn in a building-block game against the Saints. New Orleans came into the game averaging 30.5 points per game over its last four contests and turned in a 538 net-yard performance against Jacksonville the previous week.

  But the Rams held tall, sort of. The Saints did score 29 points and managed 308 net yards.

  "We knew going into that particular game that we needed to do something to take that rhythm away from that offense, because they (the Saints) have had and will continue to have extremely good rhythm with their quarterback and their receiving corps and number 25 (Reggie Bush), one of the most dangerous players in the league," said Linehan.

  "You have to disrupt that," he continued. "You can't just sit back and let that transpire. Otherwise you get the same result as the other four opponents prior to us."

  STILL WOUNDED

  While the Rams got a healthy Jackson back and a rested Bulger, the club is still shy of being 100 percent healthy.

  In addition to the above season-ending injuries to the offensive line, center Brett Romberg (ankle) and guard Richie Incognito (knee) were inactive on Sunday. Romberg had been playing guard, so Nick Leckey started on the right side in is place.

  "Brett Romberg was way too sore in his pregame workout (Sunday) to be cleared for the game," said Linehan.

  In addition, Linehan said on Monday that it doesn't appear as if Incognito will be able to play again this season.

  Also missing again was wide receiver and kick returner Dante Hall, who again was inactive due to a bothersome ankle. Brandon Williams fielded the kicks instead.

  Finally, Bruce aggravated his left hamstring injury on Sunday.

  UP NEXT: TWO IN A ROW?

  The Rams stay on the road and resume division play next Sunday against San Francisco. The 49ers are 2-7 after getting shut out by Seattle on Monday night, meaning a win for St. Louis could help them get out of the basement of the NFC West.

  St. Louis lost to San Francisco, 17-16, in Week 2 of the season. Bulger threw for 368 yards and a touchdown in the loss, but was sacked six times. It was after that game when Linehan said Bulger was suffering from sore ribs, an injury that kept him out of a few games this season.

  The Rams lead the all-time series 59-55-2, but San Francisco has won four of the last five in the series.

  11/13 18:02:42 ET