Quick Kicks
Carson back with Rams
This time, Bud Carson couldn’t say no.
The St. Louis Rams this weekend lured their former defensive coordinator out of retirement to help their struggling unit. The hire announced Sunday is extremely timely, considering they had just been bullied in a 54-34 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs, in a dead-on impersonation of the Rams’ No. 1 offense, had their biggest scoring day ever at Arrowhead Stadium.
“I think Bud can help us,” coach Mike Martz said. “We need some help over on the defense right now. There’s some things we’ve got to shore up and I think Bud’s contribution can only help us.”
Carson turned down an offer to return due to health reasons earlier this month. Martz said Carson has been feeling much better after his second angioplasty since July and accepted the latest proposal.
Carson’s first day on the job was Saturday and he began to break down film of the 49ers, the Rams’ opponent next week.
“He’s a consultant,” Martz said. “He can be the co-head coach if he wants. He can have half my job if it’s going to help us win.”
Carson, 69, was the architect of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ “Steel Curtain” defenses in the 1970s.
Big names fall by wayside
St. Louis quarterback Kurt Warner, Rams teammate Marshall Faulk and Super Bowl opponent Eddie George were the biggest names among those injured Sunday in the NFL.
Warner is expected to miss 4-6 weeks after breaking the little finger on his right hand in the first half against Kansas City. George, who led the AFC in rushing yardage entering Tennessee’s game in Baltimore, sprained his right knee on the first offensive series.
Warner was injured on a fumbled snap at the Kansas City 8 near the end of the first half.
Faulk injured his left shoulder in the second half, but returned later. He might miss next Sunday’s game in San Francisco, however.
Other quarterbacks hurt Sunday were Chicago’s Cade McNown, Cincinnati’s Akili Smith, Kansas City’s Elvis Grbac and Seattle’s Brock Huard and Jon Kitna.
Window of opportunity
Among those surprised that Corey Dillon broke Walter Payton’s single-game NFL rushing record, don’t count his Bengals teammates.
“I see him every day and every time he touches the ball in practice, he takes it 60 yards,” said Bengals tight end Tony McGee. “If you work hard, you get your window of opportunity. His window was today.”
Dillon, though, had less of a grasp on his own accomplishment. He could barely believe he rushed for 278 yards. He couldn’t picture himself on a list with players like Payton and Jim Brown. Dillon only had 323 yards in six games heading into Sunday’s 31-21 victory over the Broncos. He just wanted the Bengals to win a game. He had no illusions about setting records.
“Right now I’m still in shock,” Dillon said. “Maybe when I sit down after the season it will hit me, but now I don’t know what to tell you. I really don’t.”
They said it …
“You might as well take a dagger and rip your heart out and throw it on the ground and stomp on it,” Broncos linebacker Bill Romanowski said after the Bengals’ Corey Dillon rushed for an NFL record 278 yards.