Rams' Coach Scott Linehan had job security for next season before Thursday night's loss to the Steelers. A third season might not be such a certainty, though, after wide receiver Torry Holt uncharacteristically gave Linehan a piece of his mind near the end of the game. Holt, the team's lone Pro Bowl representative, is a team leader who usually emphasizes the sunny side but not this time. He was caught by TV cameras yelling at Linehan after Ike Taylor's 51-yard interception for a touchdown on a fourth-and-10 play put the game out of reach. Linehan downplayed the exchange after the game, saying it was not a "big deal" and was said in the "heat of the battle." He stuck to that story on Friday.

Ben Roethlisberger threw three touchdown passes Thursday as the Steelers beat the Rams 41-24 to inch closer to a postseason berth. The Steelers improved to 10-5 and will clinch the AFC North division title if the Browns lose to the Bengals on Sunday. They will book a wildcard berth if the Titans lose to the Jets. Jacksonville also have a chance to clinch an AFC berth, taking on Oakland on Sunday. However, the Steelers also suffered another blow on as running back Willie Parker - the NFL's leading rusher with 1,316 yards - broke his right leg in the first quarter. The injury will keep him out for the remainder of the season.

The St. Louis Rams will retire Marshall Faulk's No. 28 jersey at halftime of Thursday night's game against Pittsburgh. But Faulk said he might have given up the jersey much earlier if the outcome of Super Bowl XXXVI had been different. Faulk arrived in St. Louis in a trade from Indianapolis in 1999 and led the Rams to their only Super Bowl championship that season. Two years later, the Rams were heavy favorites against New England but lost 20-17 on a last-second field goal. Faulk decided to stick around hoping to get to one more Super Bowl. It never happened. "I think if we had won the Super Bowl in 2001, I would have retired that year," Faulk said Wednesday. "We didn't, and I felt like we still had it, so I came back. I was prepared to retire way before I did. All the time beyond then was bonus time for me." Sportscaster Bob Costas will preside over halftime ceremonies Thursday as the Rams (3-11) host the Steelers (9-5). A video tribute also is planned.

Brett Favre became the NFL career leader in yards passing Sunday, overtaking Dan Marino for his latest achievement in a milestone season. The three-time NFL MVP pulled 1 yard behind Marino with a 44-yard touchdown pass to Greg Jennings, catching Rams in a blitz. That put the Packers ahead 27-14 with 5:58 to go in the third quarter. He passed Marino on the Packers' next series on the first play, a 7-yard slant pattern to Donald Driver with 23 seconds gone in the fourth quarter.

St. Louis Rams' quarterback Marc Bulger took all the repetitions in practice on Wednesday and is on track to return after missing two games with a concussion. Coach Scott Linehan said he'd wait until Friday, after two more days of practice and no symptoms, before saying Bulger will start Sunday's home game against the Green Bay Packers. "I thought he looked fine," Linehan said. "More importantly, it's how he gets through the week." Linehan was cautiously optimistic after last week, when Bulger received medical clearance on Tuesday and practiced for two days before experiencing a setback and sitting out a 19-10 loss at Cincinnati. Bulger didn't want to compare how he felt on Wednesday to how he felt a week ago.

Coach Scott Linehan won't lose his job because of the Rams' 3-10 record. Team president John Shaw told Linehan on Monday it would be unfair to judge his performance this season, given the team's lengthy injury list. Later in the day, Linehan said he was looking forward to an end-of-season meeting in early January. "It's important to know you've got support and those things," Linehan said. "But at this point it's really not my issue. My issue is trying to get our fourth win."

Rain pelted Brock Berlin's face as he settled in for his first regular-season snap in the NFL, calling signals in misty breaths. From that moment on, it got wetter and worse. Rudi Johnson ran 1 yard for a touchdown; Shayne Graham kicked four field goals on a nasty day; and the Cincinnati Bengals took advantage of the St. Louis Rams' novice quarterback for a 19-10 victory Sunday. Neither team had much fun on an afternoon more suitable for holding a clipboard than throwing a football. A steady, often driving rain on a 38-degree afternoon made it tough to throw, catch or hold onto the slick footballs - not what the Rams (3-10) wanted on a day when they were down to their third-string quarterback.

Rams' quarterback Marc Bulger had a setback in his recovery from a concussion, meaning it's possible third-stringer Brock Berlin, who has never attempted a pass in a regular-season game, might start Sunday at Cincinnati. Bulger passed a neurological exam Tuesday and was cleared to practice but began feeling poorly during meetings Thursday afternoon, Rams' Coach Scott Linehan said, adding that the decision on a starter is likely to be made late Saturday. Regular backup Gus Frerotte will be the emergency quarterback for the Rams. Frerotte partially tore the labrum in his right (throwing) shoulder in Sunday's win over Atlanta. Frerotte can hand off but is unable to throw, Linehan said. "Right now, I'm just getting ready to play," Berlin said. "If my number is called, I'll be ready to play. Football is football. I've played it my whole life. If it does come, it's a great opportunity."

The injury-plagued season of St. Louis Rams' cornerback Tye Hill has ended, with the club placing the second-year veteran and former first-round draft choice on injured reserve after he underwent surgery Tuesday on his left hand and wrist. Hill suffered the injury in Sunday's victory against Atlanta, and when his wrist swelled dramatically during the next two days, team doctors conducted additional tests and concluded surgery was required. Rams' Coach Scott Linehan described the injury as a dislocated wrist, and the recovery time is expected to be three months. The team's first-round choice (15th overall) in the 2006 draft, and an excellent two-way defender, Hill hopes to be fully recovered for the start of the team's offseason program. He is the 10th player -- and sixth starter -- on the Rams' injured reserve list. Earlier this season, Hill, 25, suffered a lower back injury that sidelined him for four games and affected his performance for several weeks after he returned to the field.

The St. Louis Rams, who have won three of the last four games following a disastrous 0-8 beginning to their season, are likely to have quarterback Marc Bulger back in the starting lineup this week when they play at Cincinnati. On Tuesday, Bulger, 30, passed a neuropsychological examination, and he has been cleared to return to practice on Wednesday morning. Last week, Bulger failed a similar battery of tests after suffering a concussion in the Rams' game against Seattle on Nov. 25, and he was held out of Sunday's contest with the Atlanta Falcons. Barring any setbacks, Bulger should be able to start against the Bengals. The coaches and team doctors will monitor him during the week but don't anticipate any residual effects.