Defensive line steps up; it's gotta be the shoes

Martz thinks new high-tops for larger players may be helping his tackles avoid injuries.

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Rams' early success on the defensive line may be all about the shoes.

Ditching footwear more appropriate for track stars, players are staying healthy and boosting productivity with wider, less glitzy models. The team's three former first-round picks at tackle all had big games in last week's victory at Arizona.

Jimmy Kennedy had two sacks; Ryan Pickett was defensive player of the game with four solo stops, five assists and a half-sack; and Damione Lewis had two quarterback pressures, each causing a penalty.

"For all three of those guys, the first two years injuries were always an issue," Rams coach Mike Martz said. "We started looking at the shoes and they would wear a pair because they felt light and they looked pretty.

"Here's this guy weighing 325 pounds with a pair of slippers on with cleats, no wonder he fractures his feet."

Over the years all three have been labeled underachievers, if not quite busts. Lewis was the 12th overall pick in 2001, Pickett came at the end of the first round in 2001, and Kennedy was the 12th overall pick in 2003.

Last week they were part of a unit that held the Cardinals to zero touchdowns.

A lot of it boils down to health. A broken foot in training camp cost Kennedy half of his rookie year. Lewis came to the Rams with foot issues, broke his foot again his rookie season and missed time with an ankle sprain. Pickett, named the team's defensive player of the game against the Cardinals for his disruptive play while matching his 2004 season sack total, also has had ankle issues.

"We've been through what we've been through and we've grown and we've learned and kind of matured together," Lewis said. "All three of us feel this is our year to do a good job for this team."

Martz said the trio turned the corner last season when the Rams asked Reebok and Nike to make special high-tops for the larger players. A member of the NFL's competition committee, Martz believes it could end an epidemic of foot and ankle injuries league-wide.

"It's made all the difference in the world," Martz said. "We haven't had an ankle injury or -- knock on wood -- a foot injury since then."

Defensive end Tyoka Jackson also has joined the program with good results. Jackson has battled turf toe issues for about a decade, and rates the new models a definite notch up in comfort while alleviating pressure.

After two games, the line ranks among the NFL's best against the run in what has been a huge turnaround. Last season, only two teams allowed more rushing yards than St. Louis.

The 49ers were held to 34 yards in the opener, and the Cardinals got 82 last week.

"Oh goodness sakes, there's no comparison," Martz said. "Our defensive front is light years ahead of where they were a year ago."