Pace comes back surprisingly well By Len Pasquarelli ESPN.com NEW ORLEANS -- It appears as if St. Louis Rams offensive left tackle Orlando Pace, who sprained the medial collateral ligament of his right knee Sunday, will play in Super Bowl XXXVI. The Rams arriving in New Orleans was trumpeted, but not unexpected. Coach Mike Martz said an MRI exam revealed no structural damage to the knee and that Pace, regarded as one of the league's premier left tackles, has just slight discomfort. The team was forced to shuffle players at the tackle position in the NFC title game when Pace left in the second quarter. "We were really concerned about him," Martz said Monday evening. "But it's much better than anyone could have anticipated. He's surprisingly not sore." Pace is not expected to miss any practices but will likely receive daily treatments. For the long term, even a torn medial collateral ligament typically does not require surgery. Security at the forefront One of the first things that occurred when the Rams arrived at their hotel was a briefing by the secret service personnel handling security this week. "To tell you the truth," said defensive end Grant Wistrom, "they weren't specific about a lot of stuff. But just the fact they're there and are talking to you about this stuff is a little bit crazy. I guess with an event like this, if somebody wanted to make a political statement, this would be the place to do it. But the way everyone is talking, this city is the most secure place in the world right now." Rams wide receiver Isaac Bruce said there are police officers on every floor of the team hotel and identification checks are frequent. "It's like you know somebody is watching you all the time," Bruce said. Martz will not impose a curfew on his team this week. Wondering what if St. Louis won the regular-season meeting with the Patriots, 24-17, on Nov. 18. That game, played in Foxboro, turned on a fumble by New England tailback Antowain Smith at the 3-yard line as he appeared headed into the end zone for a 17-7 lead, but the ball was stripped by middle linebacker London Fletcher. St. Louis then proceeded to go 97 yards, culminating the drive with a 9-yard touchdown catch by Marshall Faulk. Looking back, some Rams players wonder how they would have reacted had the deficit reached 10 points. "There is a certain (curiosity) there," said defensive lineman Tyoka Jackson. "I'm sure we would have met the test, just like we've rallied back before in other games. But that game gave us a ton of respect for the Patriots and what they can do. They had us back on our heels." Notable is that the Rams offense generated 482 yards, with quarterback Kurt Warner throwing for 401 yards. At odds, with the odds Rams coach Mike Martz played dumb on the issue of the wide point spread, insisting he didn't know how the sports books arrived at it. But Grant Wistrom said the notion that the Rams are 15 to 16 points better than the Patriots is ridiculous. "To think that two teams that are competitive like we are, that one could be so much better, is ridiculous," he said. "I can't fathom that at all." Old hat for Herring The game Sunday will mark the second consecutive Super Bowl appearance for Rams safety Kim Herring, but he will be with a different franchise and playing a different position than a year ago. Herring started at strong safety for the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV before going into the unrestricted free agent market. St. Louis signed him to a five-year, $12 million contract with a $3 million signing bonus. St. Louis coaches felt Herring was a better free safety, blessed with good range and instincts, and he performed well at the position, posting 75 tackles. "I like to think that some of the younger guys are looking to me for some advice about how to handle all of the distractions this week," Herring said. "But the truth of it is, even many of the young players on this team played in (Super Bowl XXXIV), so they already know the ropes." Dressing the part The Rams arrived here Monday afternoon in suits and sportcoats, looking more like business executives (albeit big businessmen) than football players. The sartorial selection is part of the professional emphasis the St. Louis coaching staff places on its players. "Basically this is a business trip," said Fletcher. "That's something that Mike (Martz) and management here always impresses on us." Indeed, as the media shuffled around the Rams locker room Sunday evening, a team staff member yelled to the players, reminding them that coat and tie was the order of the day for the charter trip to New Orleans. The characteristically casual Martz surprised the St. Louis-area media by showing up at the press briefing Monday night is a dark business suit. Finesse this In an ironic twist, the Rams will practice this week at the Saints facility. That means Martz will be using the private locker room of New Orleans coach Jim Haslett, who has been critical of what he feels is St. Louis' alleged "finesse" style of football. Nothing rankles Martz more than the perception his team can't muscle up and play physical ball when the situation dictates it. The Saints seem to feel they have a psychological edge over the Rams but, as St. Louis cornerback Dexter McCleon noted, "the last time I looked, they were sitting at home." Haslett has enough concerns of his own, coming off a disappointing campaign, and now with a spate of off-field issues that could split his club. Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.

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