| |  Rams still preparing for both quarterbacks
By Len Pasquarelli
ESPN.com
NEW ORLEANS -- Still unclear as to who will start at quarterback for their opponents in Super Bowl XXXVI on Sunday evening, St. Louis Rams coaches and players said Monday night they will prepare for both New England Patriots signal-callers, but expect Drew Bledsoe to get the nod over second-year pro Tom Brady.
|  | | Rams coach Mike Martz says he thinks experience will be the key, and that's why his team will see more of Drew Bledsoe than Tom Brady on Sunday.
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Brady sprained his left ankle in the second quarter of the AFC title game victory at Pittsburgh and is getting several treatments a day. New England
officials said Brady was walking with only a slight limp and Patriots
coach Bill Belichick said he will wait until after a practice
session Wednesday to publicly identify his starter.
The Rams feel, however, there is little mystery involved.
"(Bledsoe) has the stronger arm and he's able to get the ball into the small
spaces," Martz said. "Plus he's the more veteran player. I think he'll be
their guy."
There seems to be some misinformation, even in the St. Louis camp, about the
extent of the injury suffered by Brady. The sprain is a generic one, but the
Rams seem to be basing their opinions on a belief Brady is trying to
rehabilitate from a "high" sprain, an injury that usually requires four to
six weeks to heal.
Brady started against the Rams in the Nov. 18 regular-season matchup, a game St. Louis won 24-17. He completed 19 of 27 attempts for
185 yards with two interceptions and one touchdown pass. The former Michigan
standout, a sixth-round choice in the 2000 draft, is only slightly more
mobile than Bledsoe.
Martz noted he feels that the two quarterbacks operate the New England
offense differently, and coordinator Charlie Weis probably spent much of
the season calling plays conservatively to keep Brady out of third-and-long
situations.
"Sure, it's the same offense for both guys, but they are different and have
different skill levels," Martz said.
Underrated right end Grant Wistrom and middle linebacker London Fletcher
agreed that the New England quarterback decision could cause some minor
adjustments in their game plan. Neither defender would say who they prefer
to see play or who they feel affords New England the best chance to upset
the Rams.
"It probably affects the defensive line more than any other position,"
Wistrom said. "Different guys set up differently in the pocket, move around
different ways, so we may have to adjust to the guy who plays the most."
Because of travel demands, the St. Louis players haven't even seen a
defensive game plan yet, nor has Martz spoken to his staff on that side of
the ball. Martz traveled here early on Monday to conduct news briefings and
he brought his entire offensive staff with him. "I've been holed up in a
bunker all day," he said.
The Rams defensive staff, however, stayed behind in St. Louis and won't
arrive until Tuesday. As of early evening, Martz hadn't even spoken to
defensive coordinator Lovie Smith.
Martz spent much of his 20-minute briefing speaking about his admiration for
Patriots coach Bill Belichick and the manner in which he prepares defensively
for a game. Belichick phoned Martz after the Rams clinched the NFC West
title and that made a big impression on the Rams coach.
"His team," Martz said of Belichick's Patriots, "is as well-coached as any in the
league."
Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.
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