Little may miss second straight game

~ The defensive end still is mourning the death of his younger brother.

ST. LOUIS -- Rams defensive end Leonard Little, whose younger brother was shot to death last week, may miss a second straight game while in mourning.

Interim coach Joe Vitt excused Little from a 28-17 victory over the New Orleans Saints last week, and the team is acting on the assumption its top pass rusher might not return until after the bye week Nov. 6.

St. Louis (3-4) plays Jacksonville on Sunday before getting a midseason break.

"I talked to Leonard yesterday and Leonard's struggling," Vitt said Wednesday. "He's grieving right now, and our football team -- everybody here -- is lending our support to him."

Vitt said he did not know whether Little would be back in time for Sunday's game and said the proper course for "right now" was to give Little time.

Earlier in the week, team president John Shaw said he had been led to believe Little would be back in time for last week's game. Little attended the funeral of Jermaine Little on Saturday in Asheville, N.C.

That death came at a traumatic time of the year for Little. A little more than seven years ago, on Oct. 19, 1998, Little, driving drunk after celebrating his birthday, struck and killed a St. Louis County woman. He pleaded guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

Little has four sacks this year and 55 1/2 since 2000, among the best in the NFL. Tyoka Jackson started in his place against the Saints and blocked a field goal and forced a fumble.

Offensive injuries

The Rams also might be without quarterback Marc Bulger and wide receivers Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce again. Bulger (shoulder) threw a little bit in practice with the other quarterbacks, but neither Holt (knee) nor Bruce (turf toe) practiced.

Bulger and Bruce both were questionable and Holt was doubtful, although he said before practice that he was "making progress."

The timetable all along has been for Bruce to come back after the bye week.

"Let's get him better and when he's better it'll be that much better for us," Vitt said. "I told the team last week before the game, everybody is needed to win, but no one is necessary."

Offensive guard Claude Terrell, who strained his neck on Steven Jackson's 1-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-goal in the fourth quarter, returned to limited duty. Terrell, a rookie who has started the last two games at left guard, spent Sunday night in a hospital.

"I just took a funny hit to the neck," Terrell said. "The initial block was good, but I should have just stayed down on top of the guy instead of trying to get somebody else. I raised my head and the linebacker was filling the gap and I took his whole body with my neck."

Terrell said his range of motion was considerably improved.

The team used a former NFL referee to monitor practice after Vitt complained of "dumb penalties at stupid times" against the Saints.

"The number of defensive penalties we had last week in crucial situations is not acceptable," Vitt said. "So we've got to practice technique with an official and make it an emphasis."