By Nick Wagoner
Staff Writer

In years past, the Rams’ Most Valuable Player has been one in the same with the NFL’s MVP. Quarterback Kurt Warner and running back Marshall Faulk won three consecutive league MVP awards between 1999 and 2001.

This year’s team MVP won’t win the league’s award, but quarterback Marc Bulger’s ascension as the leader of the Rams could be the beginning of a career that could at some point garner him the NFL’s biggest prize.

Bulger was named St. Louis’ MVP on Monday, one day after throwing for 450 yards and three touchdowns in an overtime win against the Jets. His teammates chose Bulger for the award, which is named in honor of Daniel F. Reeves.

Humble as ever, Bulger gave credit to his teammates for the award.

“It’s an honor,” Bulger said. “Obviously as a quarterback you have to have receivers and everyone else.”

Well, there is truth to that, but considering the variety of offensive linemen that Bulger has had in front of him for most of the season, his performance is that much more impressive.

The choice of Bulger was rather easy. He threw for 3,964 yards and 21 touchdowns with a passer rating of 93.7. Those numbers are good enough for a season, but Bulger missed two games and the majority of another, meaning he probably would have thrown for another 600 or more yards had he not sprained his right shoulder.

The award is Bulger’s second team MVP award, as he earned it in 2002, also. He is the eighth player to win the award twice and the fifth quarterback to win the award. 

Bulger said he is happy to have two awards, one for his home in St. Louis and one for his home in Pittsburgh. 

Coach Mike Martz has said repeatedly this season that Bulger is playing as well as any quarterback he has been around and that has been difficult to argue with in recent weeks. Admittedly, Martz won’t declare Bulger better than where Warner was in his league MVP seasons, but he does appear headed down a similar path.

“He’s a guy you want on your team when it’s all on the line,” Martz said. “I think that this is probably as well as he’s played.”

MORE ACCOLADES: In addition to the MVP award, the Rams also named their Rookie of the Year, gave the Spirit Award and named the team’s finalist for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award.

The Carroll Rosenbloom Memorial Award is given each season to the team’s best rookie. Like Bulger, this award was a no-brainer. Running back Steven Jackson emerged as the team’s best rookie and, perhaps, its best running back.
 In a pair of starts toward the end of the season, Jackson posted a pair of 100-yard rushing games, including 148 against Philadelphia on Dec. 27. 

Jackson is the sixth running back to earn the award. He rushed for 673 yards and four touchdowns and caught 19 passes for 189 yards. He was third among rookies in rushing yards, trailing Kevin Jones of Detroit and Julius Jones of Dallas. 

Linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa won the Carl Ekern Spirit of the Game Award, which is given to the player that best exemplifies sportsmanship, work ethic and commitment to his teammates.

The second-year linebacker led the team in tackles with 145. All of that was done on the crutch of a dislocated right shoulder. Tinoisamoa has twice left games because of the injury, but has worn a harness and missed no extended time because of the injury. 

Receiver Torry Holt is the team’s Walter Payton Man of the Year. Holt is one of 32 finalists for the league’s version of the award. Holt earned the nomination for his work on and off the field.

He had 94 receptions for 1,372 yards and 10 touchdowns. With his 44-yard touchdown catch against the Jets on Sunday, Holt became the first player ever to have 1,300 receiving yards in five consecutive seasons. Off the field, Holt works with his foundation Bear Essentials to help kids and families that have been struck by cancer.

WEEKLY HONOR ROLL: Martz awarded the team’s Defensive Player of the Week award to the entire defensive line for its performance against New York.

The group combined for six sacks and was consistently in quarterback Chad Pennington’s face. Defensive end Bryce Fisher led the group for the second consecutive week with a pair of sacks and had 10 tackles. Defensive tackle Ryan Pickett had 10 tackles and a sack, an impressive number considering tackles rarely get to make plays. The group as a whole combined for 44 tackles. 

“I’m not sure we’ve ever had the defensive line as a unit, play as well as they did,” Martz said. “I think that the enthusiasm they brought to the game was contagious and I think it’s a reflection of (defensive line coach) Bill Kollar and the job that he has been able to do throughout the year to get these guys to play.”

Bulger earned the Offensive Player of the Week for his 450-yard, three touchdown outing.

Kicker Jeff Wilkins earned Special Teams Player of the Week honors for his game-winning 31-yard field goal and a pair of tackles.

INJURY UPDATES: There are no official injury reports until Wednesday, but a number of Rams had MRIs done Monday to have various injuries checked out. 

Left guard Tom Nütten sprained his knee against the Jets and Martz said after the game that the injury looked severe. Nütten said Monday that he feels a lot better than he expected he would after the game. He left Rams Park with a large wrap on his knee and Martz said he too was surprised by the apparent progress Nütten made overnight.

“We may have him, we may not (against Seattle),” Martz said. “He’s much better today than we all anticipated.”

Rookie Larry Turner replaced Nütten in Sunday’s game and had a solid performance. 

Defensive end Leonard Little missed most of the end of Sunday’s game because of a strained right groin. The injury has nagged Little for most of the season, but Little said he expects to be fine for Sunday’s game.

“I’m going to get it checked right now,” Little said. “I’m not concerned about it. This is playoffs, so I can’t be concerned about that.” 

Right guard Adam Timmerman has struggled with shoulder injuries for most of the year, but added a knee injury Dec. 27 against the Eagles. That injury didn’t keep Timmerman out of Sunday’s game, though. 

Timmerman said he is going to take the injury slowly, but doesn’t expect it to affect him much more.

“It’s still sore,” Timmerman said of the knee. “It’s getting better and compared to last week it seems a lot better. Hopefully it continues to improve. I have some swelling in the joints. I think we will go one game at a time, so I will just suck it up and go.”