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NSAN
2008
THE UNIVERSITY JAIRY KANSAS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2008
SPORTS
5B
NFL
Rams hope to revive playoff hopes
Arizona Cardinals running back Tim Hightower struggles for yardage as he is pulled down by St. Louis Rams linebacker Will Withesperson during the second quarter of a game on Sunday.
Hightower had 109 yards on 22 carries in the Cardinals' 14-13 victory. The first two Rams three games behind the Cardinals in the NFC West.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ST. LOUIS — After a 34-13 beat-down at the hands of Arizona on Sunday, the St. Louis Rams fell three games behind the Cardinals in the NFC West Division.
At the halfway point of the 2008 season, the Rams aren't yet mathematically eliminated from post-season contention, but they face an enormous uphill climb to get into contention.
The Rams will head to New York this week to face the AFC East Division-leading Jets with a banged up roster that will have plenty of question marks.
The loss was the second in a row for the Rams on the heels of their only two wins of the season and dropped them to 2-6 on the season.
"We are not going to change our approach," coach Jim Haslett said. "We have to take it one game at a time. The most important thing is we go try to get a win this week. This is not going to be an easy test. I don't think you can look ahead."
Perhaps no spot on the roster has more question marks than at running back where starter Steven Jackson has had a strange couple of weeks.
While the Rams can ill afford to look beyond the next opponent, it's going to be hard to even focus on this one because of myriad injuries that have hit them in recent weeks.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jackson suffered a quadriceps injury against Dallas on Oct. 19 and didn't play against New England on Oct. 26.
Travis Minor got a concussion on special teams.
Pittman will be out this week and Minor also could miss this week, leaving recently signed Kenneth Darby as the only healthy back on the roster if Jackson's can't go.
Having Jackson back in the fold will be mandatory if the Rams are to revive their struggling offense. Haslett said Monday the Rams won't be caught short at running back again this week.
"Steven has got to give us a full day's work this week or he will not play ... we can go into a game not knowing whether he can play or not." Haslet said.
Last week, Jackson practiced lightly and took about a third of the repetitions before declaring himself ready to play Sunday morning.
Jackson finished with seven rushes for 17 yards and the Rams were suddenly left short-handed at the position because backup Antonio Pittman suffered a hamstring injury on that first play and
On the first play of the game,
Jackson declared himself unprepared to run the play that was called, an outside cutback run he wasn't ready to handle.
Jackson's status might be the most important but it's not the only injury question on the roster. Haslett said the Rams will place receivers Dante Hall and Drew Bennett on injured reserve as early as Tuesday morning because of foot injuries, ending their season.
And while the Rams will undoubtedly be headed to New York looking to save their season without a full complement of players, Haslett is curious to see how they react to the two-game losing streak.
NFL
"It changes every week," Haslett said. "Personnel changes, the game changes, the situation changes every week. It's just how you handle it. We just have to go up there and play well."
Obama, McCain appear on 'Monday Night Football'
WASHINGTON — Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama told ESPN's "Monday Night Football" it was time for college football to pick a champion with a playoff system while Republican John McCain wanted to put an end to performance-enhancing substances.
On the eve of the election, the two presidential candidates were interviewed via satellite by ESPN's Chris Berman. The taped interviews aired during halftime of game between the Washington Redskins and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Both candidates were asked to name one thing they would change in sports.
"I think it is about time that we had playoffs in college football. I'm fed up with these computer rankings and this and that and the other. Get eight teams — the top eight teams right at the end. You got a playoff. Decide on a National Champion." Obama said.
College football uses a Bowl Championship Series system, commonly known as BCS, that is based on computer rankings.
McCain said he would "take significant action to prevent the spread and use of performance-enhancing substances. I think it's a game we're going to be in for a long time. What I mean by that is there is somebody in a laboratory right now trying to develop some type of substance that can't be detected and we've got to stay ahead of it. It's not good for the athletes. It's not good for the sports. It's very bad for those who don't do it, and I think it can attack the very integrity of all sports going all the way down to high school."
Associated Press