Pro Bowl snub motivates Rams' Little

Team Infidel

Forum Spin Doctor


R.B. FALLSTROM

Associated Press

ST. LOUIS - Motivation is where you can find it with two games to go and almost no hope for making the playoffs. In Leonard Little's case, there's a Pro Bowl snub.
The St. Louis defensive end is among the NFL leaders with 12 sacks, fighting through constant double-teaming to get to the quarterback. He's a rare overachiever on a unit that ranks in the bottom third of the league.
Little found out earlier in the week he was a first alternate in balloting by players and coaches, with fan voting serving as tiebreaker. If called, he said he'll decline to participate.
"I don't even know what the criteria is for that anymore," Little said. "All I know is no matter what, I'm not going.
"I would call the federal government and get a recount, but I can't do that - unlike Al Gore."
Little is the only legitimate pass-rushing threat on the line and two more sacks last week against the Raiders enabled him to pass Kevin Greene as the franchise's career leader with 73 in nine seasons. He'll be trying to pad those totals this week as the Rams (6-8) try to keep their ultra-slim playoff hopes alive against the Washington Redskins (5-9).
Rams strong safety Corey Chavous said his teammate deserves better than a shot to prove the voters got it wrong when they chose Julius Peppers of Carolina, Will Smith of New Orleans and Aaron Kampman of Green Bay.
"This guy was arguably the top defensive player in the NFC this entire season and one of the top in the entire NFL," Chavous said. "This year he had one of the best years I've been associated with in my nine years in the league.
"That was an easy vote, to me."
Little is most valuable to the Rams while rushing around helpless tackles. The Redskins are already hampered in that department, given that right tackle Jon Jansen is questionable with a calf injury.
He's underrated against the run, the Rams' biggest weakness. They're next-to-last in the league against the run and will need big efforts all around to contain Ladell Betts, who has four straight 100-yard games.
Another 100-yard game against a unit that has allowed nine such efforts will tie the franchise record for consecutive games held by teammate Clinton Portis (2005), out for the season with hand and shoulder injuries, and Rob Goode (1951).
"Ladell has stepped up to help when he's had opportunities in the past, but I think right now, when it all went on his shoulders, it's all been outstanding for him," coach Joe Gibbs said. "We like him a lot."
Little is impressed with what he's seen of Betts.
"Basically, we already know what they're going to do," Little said. "They might run 30 or 40 times because that's what teams have been trying to do to us lately."
The Redskins also are seeing improvement from young quarterback Jason Campbell, who won for the second time in five starts last week in a 16-10 victory over the Saints.
"I feel like I have what it takes to lead this team where we want to go," Campbell said. "It's just a matter of me getting a lot of games under my belt, getting comfortable with the offense, and knowing all of the ins and outs of it."
The progress offensively hasn't meant much to the bottom line for an offense which hasn't scored 20 points the last six games and has no touchdowns in the last eight trips inside the 20.
Washington has taken a big step backward since Gibbs led them to a 10-6 record and the playoffs in the second year of his comeback last season.
"It's not what I expected, that's for sure," Gibbs said. "I said when I came back that the past doesn't really buy you anything. We've been disappointing from the standpoint that we've been inconsistent. For a lot of reasons it's disappointing.
The same goes for the Rams, who began new coach Scott Linehan's first season 4-1 and then lost seven of eight. Sunday's game will end the Rams' streak of 95 consecutive regular-season sellouts since moving to St. Louis in 1995.
The franchise's first shutout since 2003, a 20-0 victory last week at Oakland, ended the skid.
"I think last week was a good thing for all of us, but we understand that this week is a different challenge," Chavous said. "They have some good offensive players, a good scheme, and an innovative coordinator."
Those statements also fit the Rams, who have three Pro Bowl players on offense: wide receiver Torry Holt, quarterback Marc Bulger and running back Steven Jackson. Bulger was a second alternate in 2003, then ended up as the MVP in the game.
Just like Little, Bulger recognizes the distinction.
"It's nice to go when you're an alternate and to still be called a Pro Bowl guy," Bulger said. "But knowing you were legitimately put in there is an honor."
 
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