By Jim McCabe, Globe Staff, 2/2/2002

EW ORLEANS - After four days of press interviews, St. Louis head coach Mike Martz has probably had enough. So as he addressed the media yesterday morning, it was as if he were running the two-minute drill, rifling off answers with great precision.

It was a tidy, straight-to-the point procedure and Martz never broke a sweat. He pronounced his Rams fit and ready, including offensive tackle Orlando Pace(knee) and wide receiver Isaac Bruce(groin). The team went through its final workout, concentrating on goal-line, short-yardage, and red-zone situations, said Martz.

As for Bruce, who halted practice Thursday when his groin got tight, ''he's fine,'' said the coach. ''We've had that happen to several guys out here. When that happens, we pull them immediately just to avoid any possibility of strains.'' Martz said the practice facility is natural grass, which tends to cause problems, especially for players nursing injuries.

As for whether his team enjoys an advantage playing in a dome on turf, Martz smiled. ''As long as the team you're playing feels that way, that's good,'' he said. ''I don't know if it's accurate or not.'' But he did concede that his players - particularly the wide receivers - are ''change of direction'' type players, so ''this turf lends itself to that type of player.''

It's been a homecoming for two Rams standouts - running back Marshall Faulk and cornerback Aeneas Williams - and their stories have been well-documented during the pregame buildup. But it's also a special return for another New Orleans native, special teams coach Bobby April. ''They're playing a Super Bowl in your hometown and you're part of it?' said April, in his first year with the Rams. ''Can it get any better?'' Well, it could, because April's only other Super Bowl appearance - as the Steelers' special teams coach - resulted in a 27-17 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in 1996. This season has been bittersweet for April because his father recently died. ''My father was very close to me and so close to my football life. I would love for him to be here for this experience. He wasn't a coach, he was a fan. He loved the Saints and he loved Tulane.'' ... St. Louis right guard Adam Timmerman prefers to compare offensive linemen to elephants. Why? ''They are so nimble. They have to balance on that little ball. They have great balance, great memory, and intelligence. There's a lot of illustration there.'' ... As for having Kurt Warner and Faulk in the same backfield, Timmerman laughed. ''It's definitely not fair. We should spot them a few points.''

Great as he is, Faulk has never chewed up the Patriots. Of course, in his first nine appearances against them, Faulk wore an Indianapolis Colts uniform and that's far different from the potent Rams. He did have one great rushing effort - 127 yards on 29 carries in September, 1998, and a big game receiving - 119 yards on nine receptions in November, 1998, but his numbers are rather pedestrian against New England. In 10 games, Faulk has rushed for 537 yards on 154 carries - a 3.5-yard average. There has been just one rushing touchdown. He has hauled in 48 passes for 474 yards in those games, with his only touchdown coming in St. Louis's 24-17 win in November. Faulk has never had a 200-yard game against the Patriots ... Asked to compare this year's Super Bowl appearance to two years ago when the Rams beat the Titans, Bruce said, ''Same team, but not the same feeling. Nothing's as good as the first time.'' ... From the For-What-It's-Worth Dept.: Six members of the Rams' coaching staff were at one time connected to the Washington Redskins - Martz, Bobby Jackson(offensive coordinator), Jim Hanifan(offensive line), Ron Meeks(secondary), Mike Haluchak(linebackers), and Henry Ellard(offensive assistant).

Jay Zygmunt, the Rams' president of football operations, had to laugh when it was suggested his team has a dynasty going. ''We like to say that `Dynasty' was a TV show. The NFL is basically week to week, so it's hard to even think about year to year. The way professional sports is, you worry about next week and that's about as far into the future as you can go.'' ... Did the Rams get lucky with Warner? ''Absolutely,'' said Zygmunt. ''But I could also tell you that for a while in the '90s, we had our fair share of bad luck, too.'' ... Once Monday arrives, the Rams' braintrust will have three key contracts to consider: Linebacker London Fletcher, defensive end Leonard Little, and wide receiver/return man Az-Zahir Hakim. ''I'm sure we won't be able to sign all of them,'' said team president John Shaw. ''So you start losing players and then you have to start filling holes.'' ... Ricky Proehl is in his 12th season and turns 34 next month. There has been talk of him retiring, but Warner doesn't want to hear it. ''We'd love to have him come back,'' said Warner. Proehl played in all 16 regular-season games, three as a starter, and had 40 catches for 563 yards and five touchdowns ... Though NFL officials cringe when the question is posed, virtually every player is asked about the 14-point spread. ''That's a lot of points,'' said Proehl. ''The Patriots get paid, too. We're definitely not taking them lightly.'' ... Rams defensive end Grant Wistrom is Midwestern born and bred. He grew up in Missouri, played collegiately at Nebraska, and has been a St. Louis Ram in each of his four NFL seasons. But he has that unmistakable southern California surfer look with his shaggy blond hair and beard. Yes, he's teased about it. ''Some guys have called me Grizzly Adams, stuff like that,'' Wistrom said. ''But when someone called me Ted Kaczynski, then I knew I had to shave.'' He was asked if he had ever heard of Mark Fidrych, who had similar locks. The answer was no ... As the week progresses, the inane becomes the norm. A Canadian television team went around quizzing some Rams with five Canadian trivia questions. Williams answered one correctly: ''Who is The Great One?'' He knew it was Wayne Gretzky. But he couldn't identify Don Cherry. ''Isn't he a defensive back?'' Williams said. He came close when asked what Molson Golden was. ''Isn't that some kind of drink?'' he said ... A speech by Howie Long comes to mind quite often, said Warner. ''He talked to us once and told us how the Raiders won the Super Bowl in his rookie year and how he figured he'd be back again. Only he never got back there again. That sticks in my mind all the time.'' ... Patriots defensive end Bobby Hamilton on Pace: ''He's big and he's a good athlete. He must have played basketball in high school.'' Pace did. He was a center on his high school team in Sandusky, Ohio.