(Sports Network) - Under head coach Scott Linehan, the St. Louis Rams had trouble finishing out games. It then comes as no surprise that Linehan won't get the chance to finish out his contract.

On Monday, one day after blowing a 14-6 halftime lead in a loss to the Buffalo Bills, the Rams fired Linehan and replaced him on an interim basis with defensive coordinator Jim Haslett.

St. Louis' numbers under Linehan were staggering. The club is off to its second straight 0-4 start -- it began the 2007 season with eight straight losses -- and in two-plus seasons with St. Louis, he was 11-25. After getting outscored by a 438-263 margin en route to a 3-13 finish last season, the Rams have allowed 147 points while scoring just 43 so far this season.

It's shocking to think that the Rams are even worse this year after their injury-plagued 2007 season. Yet St. Louis and Linehan pulled it off. In their four losses, the Rams were either losing big by halftime or simply allowed clubs to pull away in the second half.

After getting blown out in their Week 1 loss to Philadelphia, the Rams watched the Giants post 28 second-half points the following week. St. Louis' third game saw them fall behind big against Seattle.

However, the club's poor effort on Sunday was the nail in Linehan's coffin. St. Louis posted its first halftime lead, taking a 14-6 edge into the locker room, but the Bills rallied for 25 points and a 31-14 victory.

Running back Steven Jackson had 99 rushing yards in a first half in which St. Louis posted 210 net yards of offense by the break. Jackson, though, had just 11 rushing yards after intermission.

Linehan may have seen the writing on the wall after the game.

"I am going to continue to do the best I can do," said the ex-coach. "That is the only thing I can control. That is what I have done my whole life and that is what I am going to do the rest of my life."

Linehan tried his best to shake things up before this past Sunday. He benched Pro Bowl quarterback Marc Bulger in favor of Trent Green, who threw for 236 yards and an interception in the loss, cut corner Fakhir Brown on Wednesday and made a few changes to the starting lineup. However, he couldn't change the losing attitude in the locker room.

The coaching switch now gives the players no more excuses for the rest of the season. It is on them to try and save their season, and it will be interesting to see how the club responds under Haslett. A win will make owner and chairman Chip Rosenbloom seem like a genius, while another loss following a bye week will leave the front office scratching their collective heads.

At least one veteran player knows the players are at fault as well.

"As players we just have to go out there and play no matter who is our coach," defensive end Leonard Little said after the game. "(Sunday) had nothing to do with (Linehan's) coaching ability, it came down to us going out there and making plays in the game, especially on defense...We just have to learn how to make plays as a team and it has nothing to do with our coach or anything like that."

NOTES: Jackson also had five catches for 78 yards in the loss, the Rams' eighth in a row dating back to last season...Wideout Torry Holt had four catches for 65 yards, tying him with Steve Largent for 16th place on the all- time list for receptions with 819...Haslett had served as the Rams' defensive coordinator since 2006 after spending the previous six seasons as head coach of New Orleans.

INJURIES: Little had missed the previous two games due to a hamstring injury. He had two sacks in his return to the lineup...Wideout Drew Bennett remains out with a foot injury...Linehan said after the game that corner Tye Hill suffered a knee sprain, tight end Randy McMichael injured an ankle and wide receiver Dane Looker has a concussion.

WEEK 5: The Rams enter their bye week, giving them two weeks to get acclimated to their new head coach. St. Louis returns to action on October 12 in Washington.

CARDINALS: STUMBLING IN TOUGH STRETCH

A 2-0 start had the Arizona Cardinals dreaming of their first postseason appearance since 1998. A tough East Coast swing, though, snapped them right back to reality.

Certainly the Cardinals have shown they are good enough to win a wide-open NFC West, but Arizona didn't do itself any favors over the past two weeks. After opening the season with wins in San Francisco and at home versus Miami -- a nice soft beginning to a season -- the Cardinals lost in Washington and at New York to the Jets to fall to 2-2.

Arizona is trying to keep its head above water as it goes through its toughest four-game stretch of the 2008 schedule. Though they return home for their next two games, up next for Arizona is Buffalo (4-0) on Sunday followed by a visit from Dallas (3-1) on October 12.

The Cards' trip to the East won't be one to remember. After getting outlasted in a seven-point loss to the Redskins on September 21, the Arizona defense was lit up to the tune of six touchdown passes by Jets quarterback Brett Favre in a Sunday's 56-35 rout at the hands of New York. While Favre found the end zone at a furious pace, the Cardinals made mistake after mistake.

Quarterback Kurt Warner, who entered the game having turned the ball over just once (by way of an interception) through the first three games, threw for 472 yards, but was also picked off three times while losing another three fumbles. He was also sacked five times in the contest.

"We didn't protect (Warner) very well in the first half," said Cardinals head coach Ken Whisenhunt. "He made a bad decision on the one interception, but other than that, we've got to do a better job of protecting him. When a guy comes clean off the edge and hits him, I don't know of any quarterback that wouldn't fumble like that."

Arizona will need to get back on the same page before taking on the undefeated Bills. Though still tied for first place in the NFC West with San Francisco, the Cardinals can't afford to fall behind in the standings.

The club also returns home with heavy hearts after wide receiver Anquan Boldin was carted off the field late in the fourth quarter after taking a hard helmet-to-helmet hit from New York safety Eric Smith.

"He was moving all his extremities, he was alert, he was talking," Whisenhunt said after the game. "It was a precautionary measure to take him (to the hospital).

The news got better later in the day, as Boldin was able to return home late Sunday.

NOTES: Warner's passing yardage was his second-highest total in a single game. He posted 484 yards versus the 49ers on November 25, 2007...Wideout Larry Fitzgerald had eight catches for 122 yards and became the third-fastest player in league history to reach 350 career receptions. He did so in 64 games, while Boldin holds the record at 58 games...Second-year wideout Steve Breaston set career highs with nine catches and 122 yards receiving.

INJURIES: Arizona's secondary was without safety Adrian Wilson due to a hamstring injury. The defensive leader missed the final seven games of the 2007 season due to an Achilles tear...Corner Eric Green sprained his right knee in the second quarter, but returned after halftime...Defensive end Bertrand Berry missed the game due to a groin injury.

WEEK 5: The Cards host the Bills, who have won their last four versus Arizona and are 5-3 lifetime against the Cardinals.

49ERS: SECONDARY GETS EXPOSED

Sunday's test versus the New Orleans Saints and their talented passing attack was to serve as a good measuring stick for the San Francisco 49ers' secondary. Needless to say, the unit failed by a large margin.

San Francisco entered the weekend meeting with the seventh-best pass defense in the league at 160.7 yards per game allowed through the air. However, doubters were quick to point to the 49ers' schedule as the reason the unit was overachieving.

Though the Niners' secondary deserves credit for holding a Warner-led Arizona offense to just 176 passing yards in a season-opening loss, San Francisco hadn't exactly faced the elite of the league in Weeks 2 and 3.

San Francisco held a Seattle passing attack in check on September 14 that was minus its top three wideouts, and then held the 0-3 Detroit Lions to just 124 yards through the air in a win seven days later.

However, facing the top passing offense in the NFL on Sunday, San Francisco was handed a 31-17 setback while allowing New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees to throw for 363 yards and three touchdowns. Two went to wideout Lance Moore, doubling his career total.

However, head coach Mike Nolan defended his secondary on Monday.

"The vertical passes are the ones that got us in trouble," he said. "If you don't see the big plays, then obviously you keep the ball in front of you and we played a pretty solid game in the secondary. But the explosive plays that occurred, they did occur and they are inexcusable.

"You want to find out why they happened and like I told (the media), there are some mental lapses, mental errors. It wasn't like somebody got whipped on an all-out blitz."

It wouldn't be a surprise if the 49ers do end the season with solid numbers against the pass. After all, Patrick Willis is one of the best young linebackers in the game, defensive end Justin Smith has improved the pass rush and corners Nate Clements and Walt Harris have both been to the Pro Bowl.

However, those ready to anoint the 49ers the team to beat in the NFC West due to their defense may want to hold onto the division crown a little while longer.

NOTES: One week after beating the Lions, the club he spent the 2007 season with, Niners quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan threw for 257 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions versus the Saints, the team that selected him in the sixth round of the 2002 draft...One week after allowing just one sack versus Detroit, the 49ers saw the Saints post six. San Francisco has now allowed 19 sacks on the season...Wideout Arnaz Battle had a team-high seven catches for a game-high 120 yards.

INJURIES: Corner Shawntae Spencer (knee) and offensive tackle Jonas Jennings (shoulder) missed Sunday's game.

WEEK 5: The 49ers return home to face the 2-1 New England Patriots, who are coming off a bye week. San Francisco is 7-3 all-time versus New England, but have lost the last two in the series. The Pats haven't played in San Francisco since 1995.

SEAHAWKS: GET HEALTHY OVER BREAK

Good news for Seattle fans. The Seahawks' offense that takes the field this weekend won't resemble the club that has stumbled to a 1-2 record to start the season.

How are these names for you -- Keary Colbert, Michael Bumpus and Billy McMullen. Those are the receivers that the Seahawks have been running out to start the season due to an injury epidemic worse than a High School Musical marathon.

However, with Seattle enjoying a Week 4 bye, the club looks to have some healthy bodies on the field Sunday versus the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants.

For starters, both Deion Branch (knee) and Bobby Engram (shoulder) are expected to play for the first time this season. Fellow wideout Koren Robinson could also make his season debut, as he was unable to go after signing with the club prior to Week 3 due to a knee ailment.

With running back Maurice Morris (knee) also possible for this weekend, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and head coach Mike Holmgren suddenly have plenty of options for Sunday.

"This week is a lot easier than previous weeks," Hasselbeck told The Olympian. "These are guys I know. These are guys who have played before."

Few teams enjoy a bye early in the season, but for Seattle it came at the best time possible. At 1-2, the club is only a half-game out of first place in the NFC West, and with some healthy bodies can make a run at the top of the mountain this weekend.

WEEK 5: Seattle has won its last two over the Giants and will play as the road team in this series for the first time since 2002 on Sunday.