There are St. Louis Rams players and coaches who would have you believe that, within a week or two of Super Bowl XXXVI, they had put behind them the emotional wreckage of the last-second loss to the underdog New England Patriots. Well, don't believe it. Not for a second. The residual effects from that stinging defeat to what the Rams considered a lesser team was palpable for months and carried deep into the offseason.

For three seasons now, St. Louis has featured the best team in the league, certainly on the offensive side of the ball, and to have just one Vince Lombardi Trophy to show for all the dominance this team has demonstrated borders on underachievement. It's great to run up points and set records, create an explosive offense that ranks among the most entertaining in league history, but championships are still what teams are remembered for and, if that is the measuring stick then, so far, St. Louis is a one-hit wonder.

That sense of unfinished business figures to serve as the motivation for the Rams in 2002. While there is an air of cockiness about the Rams, and deservedly so, there remains, too, the haunting specter of what could - and in their minds, should - have been. So expect in '02 to see even more points, if possible, to see more blitzes from defensive coordinator Lovie Smith, to watch coach Mike Martz deep even deeper into his seemingly endless bag of trickery.

Martz has come under fire for his playcalling in the Super Bowl, was due a new contract extension that never was consummated after the loss, and will be even more driven this year. One of the game's best offensive innovators, Martz gets a bad rap from some of his peers and team officials around the league. Perhaps a little too insecure, and undeniably sensitive about how his team is perceived, Martz knows there is one way to address all the critics. It's not merely by getting to another Super Bowl, but winning it.

	CAMP AT A GLANCE
	Marshall Faulk has scored 47 touchdowns over the last two seasons.
	Location: Western Illinois, Macomb, Ill. Rookies report: July 26 Veterans report: July 26 Preseason schedule:    Aug. 10: at Tennessee    Aug. 16: Chicago    Aug. 22: San Diego    Aug. 30: at K.C.

Where will this bring the Rams?

Ask most people in the league to rank the teams from 1 through 32 and, despite having a few holes to fill, St. Louis would still be atop most lists. At least in terms of the strength of their roster. The team returns the two men, quarterback Kurt Warner and running back Marshall Faulk, who have captured the most valuable player award the past three years. Warner is all but over the thumb injury that hampered his Super Bowl performance and, while Faulk still suffers the occasional knee problem and is now at an age playmaker.

Martz may have to make some adjustments, with Terrence Wilkins taking over the slot wideout position previously owned by the departed Az-Zahir Hakim, and the team will start a novice at right tackle on offense. But in their sleep, it seems, the Rams could put up 30 points a game. Defensively, the impressive Smith will tinker a bit, particularly at linebacker and in the secondary, but the unit still has all the quickness it did in 2001, and in the second year of playing the "cover two" scheme could be better than a year ago.

Conclusion: St. Louis is still the team that everyone knows it has to get through to win a championship in 2002.

Man in the spotlight
With his Super Bowl game plan, Martz made himself an easy target for his detractors and he will be closely watched in 2002. Some have suggested that his star has faded a bit.

On the field, the pressure clearly is on John St. Clair, a third-round draft choice in 2000, and a youngster who has yet to record a single snap in a regular-season game. St. Clair is likely to be the new starting offensive right tackle, replacing Ryan Tucker, who was cut during the offseason for salary cap reasons. Like Tucker, the rangy St. Clair is a former college center attempting to make the transition to the wing. The onetime Virginia star has the benefit of two years of tutoring from Jim Hanifan, one of the greatest offensive line coaches in league history, but still must demonstrate that he can do in games what he has been able to do in practices.

The Rams have a lot of faith in St. Clair, having eschewed opportunities to add a proven tackle, and they need the youngster to prove their confidence hasn't been misplaced.

Key position battle
St. Louis defensive coaches feel the performance of right cornerback Dexter McCleon fell off notably in 2001 and so "nickel" ace Dre Bly, a guy with a big-play mentality, will be afforded the opportunity to win a starting job in training camp. Also entering into the Rams' thinking is that McCleon is nearing eligibility for free agency, and the team needs to make a decision on whether to invest mightily in his future. Bly is certainly a player with great flare, has hands that are better than those of most wide receivers in the NFL, and is particularly explosive closing on the short balls thrown in front of him.

Both players have starting skills, obviously, and the camp battle for the right to start across the field from the great Aeneas Williams should be a compelling one.

Injury update
Warner's right thumb might be the most scrutinized opposable digit since the Roman emperors sat in the Coliseum and signaled to the gladiators below them. He spent much of the offseason with a splint on the thumb, injured early in the Super Bowl defeat, but threw well in a recent minicamp and seems over the problem. In fact, Faulk remarked to Martz that Warner had regained full velocity again. Faulk's knees will always be some reason for concern but he will enter camp healthy and the coaches will pamper him a bit, and deservedly so. Defensive tackle Damione Lewis, the highest of St. Louis' three No. 1 picks last spring, required a second surgery this offseason to repair a broken foot and is not cleared yet to go full-speed in camp.

Rookie report
Some teams might not have gambled on linebacker Robert Thomas of UCLA, a smallish defender who will be asked to move from the middle to the outside, in the first round. The Rams? They not only selected Thomas but have already projected him onto the first unit, at weakside linebacker. That is notable, since the weakside 'backer is considered the playmaker in the St. Louis scheme and second-year pro Tommy Polley, superb in his '01 rookie campaign, is being nudged to the strong side. Second-round corner Travis Fisher is a lightning-quick defender who will surprise people. Martz used two picks on college quarterbacks, Eric Crouch and Steve Bellisari, who will be making position switches. Crouch is being groomed as a wide receiver, Bellisari as a safety, and both might serve redshirt years in 2002.

Len Pasquarelli is a senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.