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| College: North Carolina State |
Height: 6-0 |
| Born: June 5, 1976 |
Weight: 190 lbs. |
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Torry's take: A tough win was good for us
By Torry Holt
Special to ABC Sports Online
ST. LOUIS -- Philly came out tough. They have a great defense. They tried to rattle us pretty early and they did a great job of disturbing us with different blitzes.
|  | | Tory Holt congratulates Marshall Faulk after his first-quarter TD against the Eagles. |
But once we got settled in and understood what was going on, we started making some plays.
We played a ball-control offense, and that's good for us. It's also good for the defense for us to go on the road and be able to sustain drives like that. Not only are we driving the other defense crazy, but we're allowing our guys to get some rest, so they can come out there, be explosive and make plays, because that's the type of defense that we have. It's a good dimension we've added to our game.
For the most part, our defense played extremely well. Our defense helped win that ball game for us. They really stepped up. There was talk that it would take a while for them to jell, and there really hasn't been a lot of time to work together. We're in a situation where everywhere we go is going to be a big game, and we need everybody from the special teams, to the defense, to the offense to step up and make plays. They haven't wasted any time getting going, getting familiar with each other and getting familiar with the schemes.
They came out and caused some havoc and created some turnovers, which we need. That helps take some pressure off the offense, so we don't feel like we have to score a lot of points to win games. My hat goes off to defensive coordinator Lovie Smith and his staff for having those guys ready to play. They came out ready to play, executed and played well.
As for the turf at Veterans Stadium, it wasn't in the best condition. For the Eagles, being a team in the National Football League, they can get better turf.
It was a little slippery at times, but you had to do a great job with your feet. You had to treat it like you were playing on a wet surface -- be under control, keep your weight on your toes in and out of your breaks, and stay away from the sharp cuts. They can improve that surface this year, but they're building a new stadium and hopefully all that stuff gets squared away next year.
It was opening day and we went into overtime, but I thought the Rams as a team were in great shape. Nobody on the sidelines, at least while I was there, was gasping for air. Our trainers have done a great job of getting us in shape and keeping us there.
At times, we felt like Philly was getting tired. We had a long 17-play drive, which can tire a defense downThe Rams were in better condition. Right there at the end, in overtime, the defense looked strong, stood strong, made some plays and the offense came in and did what we usually do: make plays. That was the game.
Kurt Warner did throw two interceptions, including that one in the red zone after halftime, but that's part of the game. We felt if we could come out after halftime, drive down the field and score, we could suck some wind out of them, and we were on that drive. If we scored there, it would have discouraged them a lot.
They came up with a big play, though. Kurt was looking for the fullback, James Hodgins, the ball bounced off his head and Troy Vincent picked it off. They ended up driving down the field and scoring. Those things happen in a ball game. You just have to face adversity and stay strong. We were able to persevere and overcome that to win.
Kurt's definitely a competitor. This week, we'll pay close attention to detail and try to hit everything on all cylinders in our home opener against the Atlanta Falcons. We just want to play good fundamental football. We're all excited. What we have to do next week is just go out there, execute and play Rams football.
Week 1 highlights
1. Edgerrin James, Indianapolis RB: I have to give a game ball to my man Edgerrin James down in Indy. He had his 20th 100-yard rushing game in only 33 career games, going for 135 yards on 28 carries and scoring twice.
2. Jimmy Smith, Jacksonville WR: He was blasting as well. With the abdominal surgery he had the past couple of years, he came out and caught eight passes for 126 yards and two TDs. To perform like he did, he deserves a game ball as well.
Flag on the play
The replacement officials did OK, for the most part. You can't really say they did poorly because who's to say that the regular officials would have done any better?
They did a great job, and we're fortunate to have any officials calling the ball games.
St. Louis wide receiver Torry Holt writes a weekly column for ABC Sports Online. Click here to go to Torry's official web site, www.torryholt.com.
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Rams coach Mike Martz is happy to finally get a victory at the Vet.