Rams coach Scott Linehan is trying go on as if nothing is the matter in the wake of Torry Holt's sideline tirade against him, saying the whole affair was a "heat of the battle" thing. Linehan continues:

When you're sitting here at 3-12, I'm the first one to say everything's not all that pleasant. No one likes losing. Exactly what I said last night is what I say today and I'll say tomorrow.

You can ask me that question any way you want and I'll have the same opinion on it.

Let me try asking it this way then, Scott:

"How bad do you want to take Torry Holt by the neck and shake him around?"

The most recent dust-up between Holt and Linehan, it turns out, was not the first incident between the two. PFT reports that, earlier this season, Holt and teammate Isaac Bruce tried helping Linehan's sorry butt by giving their ideas for beating the Seattle Seahawks' DBs. Linehan's alleged response? "You play, I'll coach."

With an attitude like that, it's not hard to see why Linehan's players despise him. And when it's coming from guys like Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce it seems doubly-damning. Those guys have credibility because they've won in the past, and they've never been known as jerks. So, one is naturally inclined to take their side in a matter like this.

Linehan is apparently not on-the-hook with Rams' team president John Shaw who said earlier this month that the coach would be back next year and hasn't changed his story since, at least publicly. However, considering how far things have deteriorated for the Rams both record- and chemistry-wise, one imagines Shaw is going to reassess as the season goes along. Of course Linehan gets a little break because of all the injuries this year, but still, even when the team has had all its parts, it hasn't exactly been a juggernaut. And there are Pro Bowl type guys all over that roster at least on offense - and Linehan is supposed to be some big offensive guru. I say Linehan survives to next season but starts the year on the hot-seat, and if the Rams start out 1-4 or something, he's toast.