A couple of days after a 27-20 loss to Cleveland put the Rams at the midway point of the 16-game schedule, it dawned on rookie Brian Leonard that if he were still at Rutgers, his season would be over.
"That would've been my last game, my bowl game, 12-game season," he said. "But only half the season's over."
After four exhibition games and eight regular-season defeats, the Rams have a bye this week. The time off has given Leonard and his fellow first-year players a chance to take a deep breath and appraise their introduction to the NFL.
"It's definitely different," said defensive tackle Adam Carriker, the Rams' No. 1 draft choice. "The season's obviously longer, there's more games, training camp and all that. But it's just part of being a professional."
Specific duties had been carved out for Carriker and Leonard even before camp: Carriker would start at defensive tackle; Leonard would play fullback and spell Steven Jackson at tailback.
Carriker, a defensive end at Nebraska, acknowledged that the shift inside was trying. He started the season at nose tackle but lately has been getting more time at the other tackle spot with the emergence of rookie tackle Clifton Ryan, a fifth-round draftee.
"I was frustrated" early in the year, Carriker acknowledged. "I had played well all camp and during the preseason, and then ... it wasn't bad, but it wasn't great."
After five games, Carriker had collected eight tackles. But in the last three contests, he's had five (at Baltimore), six (at Seattle) and four (vs. the Browns). He also recorded his first sack when he dropped Cleveland quarterback Derek Anderson last Sunday and was named the Rams' player of the week by coach Scott Linehan.
"Nose tackle probably isn't (Carriker's) natural position, but he plays it very effectively," Linehan said. "With the way we've been rotating the inside players ... he's able to play more three-technique (tackle), and it probably is a more suited position for him."
Adjusting to the NFL level while learning two positions he'd never played didn't portend overnight success for Carriker. "It just takes time; I feel a lot more comfortable now," he said. "I think I've improved every week, which is pretty much my goal for this first year."
Despite his recent progress, Carriker welcomed the bye. "I think it's good to get time off, clear our heads, rest up a little bit, and come back and hit that home stretch," he said. "You need that break."
Still, he stressed that the wear and tear on his 6-foot-6, 310-pound body was minimal. "I feel good," he said. "I do a lot of recovery stuff, get in the (hot- and cold-water) tanks, get massages. And I make sure I get my rest; that's a part of it."
Jackson has missed four games and most of another with injuries, thrusting Leonard into the lineup sooner than expected. He and Jackson each have 77 carries; Leonard has 276 yards and Jackson 274.
"Overall, it's been a good experience, learning a new offense and getting into a new system," Leonard said.
Life in the NFL "has been what I thought it was going to be, for the most part," he said. "Obviously I thought we'd have a better record at this point, with the talent we have on this team. It's been kind of disappointing from that aspect."
One of the pleasant developments in the 0-8 start has been Ryan's growing role in the line rotation. He has 34 tackles, eighth among all defenders, and shares the team lead in sacks, with two.
"Cliff is really a true, true nose tackle," defensive coordinator Jim Haslett said. "Adam in the long run will be a better three-technique. Hopefully, someday those two guys will be in there and those will be their jobs at some point, whether it's this year, next year, whatever."
