Polley comes to Rams' rescue again

ST. LOUIS -- First, Mark Fields was sidelined with a rib-cage injury. Now, it's Don Davis with a dislocated right wrist.

Each time, it's been rookie Tommy Polley to the rescue for the St. Louis Rams. The second-round pick out of Florida State started two games at inside linebacker in place of Fields and excelled, and coach Mike Martz expects more of the same from Polley at outside linebacker Sunday against the Carolina Panthers.

"Here's a guy that's quietly having just a tremendous season," Martz said. "It's like he's been in the league five or six years. He doesn't make mistakes."

Polley said he's always ready.

"That's how this game goes," he said. "Players are going to go down, so you've got to be prepared to step up."

Polley tied for the team lead with 14 tackles, six of them solo stops, in his first career start against the Dolphins Sept. 30. He had 13 tackles, nine solo, the next week in a victory over the Lions.

After that it was back to the bench, but Polley had 10 tackles in a reserve role against the Jets Oct. 21.

When Davis heals, Polley said he'll grudgingly go back to the bench.

"The biggest thing I've learned is I can play at this level," Polley said. "I'm getting my little swagger on the field. They're going to have to drag me off, put it that way."

It's a big switch from inside linebacker, responsible for run-stuffing, to outside linebacker, where there's more pass coverage responsibilities. But he's not worried about it.

"My best suit, I think, is running to the ball," Polley said. "But I can play both positions equally and it's not that difficult, it's just practice."

Davis out six weeks

Davis is hoping to be back in a month from the freak injury he suffered against the Saints Oct. 28, a big change from a week ago when the team thought he'd be out for the rest of the season. Martz said this week that Davis probably would be out six weeks.

"They're going to take the pins out, supposedly, in four weeks, and that's when I can play," Davis said. "If there's a way, believe me, I'll be back."

The way Polley has played gives Davis more incentive to return.

"He'll fill that void good," Davis said. "That's why I've got to get back, so he can't get too good and too comfortable."

Davis was hurt in the third quarter of the Saints game when his shoe blew out and a New Orleans player fell on him. He dislocated his left wrist in 1997.

Davis said he's been told there have been only 11 such injuries in NFL history.

"In that statistic, I'm kind of leading," Davis said. "You can look at two ways. Either I've got weak wrists or I'm just so powerful upper body-wise that it just causes the other limbs to be a little weak."

NOTES: Davis' injury opens a spot on the game-day roster for third-round pick Brian Allen, who was inactive the first seven games. Allen and Polley share a house in the St. Louis area. "I can't wait to have him out there for the first time and get him in that real fire," Polley said. ... The Rams have won their last three games after the bye week, all at home. ... Isaac Bruce has 52 touchdown catches, tied with Henry Ellard -- now a Rams coach -- for third on the franchise career list. ... Cornerback Aeneas Williams will make his 165th consecutive start on Sunday. ... The Panthers have 13 interceptions, second-highest in the NFC. ... FB James Hodgins spent much of his week off at the Lake of the Ozarks in central Missouri, where he said he was not recognized. "That was the kind of cool thing," Hodgins said. "I didn't get the feeling there were a whole lot of Rams fans out there."