Martz keeps his word, gives players week off despite loss

ST. LOUIS -- A day after the St. Louis Rams' stunning eight-turnover loss to the New Orleans Saints, coach Mike Martz didn't even think about reneging on his decision to give players the bye week off.

He knows they're burning to play again after the Rams became the NFL's last unbeaten team to fall, blowing an 18-point halftime lead in a 34-31 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

"I think it's important to let them get away a little bit," Martz said. "We've established a bit of trust with our players.

"I know our guys will run every day and lift and work wherever they end up going, and come back refreshed and ready to take on the second half of the season."

Martz gave his staff Monday and Tuesday off, but they all reported for duty.

"They're here, so that should tell you something," Martz said.

Martz preferred to look at the glass as nearly full rather than dwell on the disaster that left them at 6-1. No matter what happened against the Saints, he pointed out it's the best record in the NFL.

"We're going to win a lot of games and we'll be in the thick of this thing," Martz said. "You can't sit here and beat yourself up. Let's move on and get better, which we'll do."

Though the Rams have lost three of the last four to the Saints, including in the playoffs last December, Martz doesn't agree that they've got the Rams' number, either.

"I think the three losses we've had against them are self-inflicted wounds," Martz said. "I don't think it has anything to do with New Orleans, it's just the Rams not protecting the ball."

In any case, the next game, Nov. 11 at home against the Carolina Panthers, won't come too soon for Dre' Bly. Bly fumbled on a kickoff during the Saints' 25-point third quarter, and then he jumped way offside before blocking a Saints field goal attempt with under two minutes to go.

Bly's mistake allowed the Saints to kill the clock before John Carney hit a 27-yarder with one second to go.

"I'm sure the guys are going to make the most of this week off," Bly said. "After that, we have to forget about it. I don't know who our next opponent is, but we have to get ready."

Kurt Warner also is anxious to get back on the field after throwing four interceptions, even though Martz said Monday that only one of the picks was Warner's fault.

"I don't want to sit around and think about it for two weeks," Warner said.

The return of Marshall Faulk, the NFL's MVP last year, will certainly help. Faulk missed the last two games with a bruised right knee, and Martz said he'll be 100 percent after a three-week break.

"Marshall's a little upset with me that we wouldn't let him play," Martz said. "And yet I think it was the right thing to do ultimately. Now we've got him at 100 percent."

Trung Canidate, Faulk's backup, had an impressive starting debut two weeks ago when he rushed for 195 yards in a victory over the New York Jets. On Sunday, Canidate had two key fumbles but Martz was pleased with his pass-catching ability out of the backfield.

Canidate caught 10 passes for 107 yards, one of them a one-hander, and Martz said he won't hesitate to give Faulk a breather in the future.

NOTES: LB Don Davis, who dislocated his right wrist on Sunday, likely will be placed on injured reserve. Martz said Davis would be sidelined at least six weeks. ... The eight-turnover game was the Rams' first since 1979, a year in which they made it to the Super Bowl. The Rams have an NFL-high 20 turnovers and are minus-4 in turnover ratio, tied for 23rd best in the league. ... The Saints' 25-point third quarter was a team record against the Rams. ... DT Jeff Zgonina, who missed the previous three games with a broken left thumb, had nine tackles while wearing a cast Sunday. ... Warner dropped from first to third in passer rating behind Brett Favre and Chris Chandler.