ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Before new quarterback Trent Green crumpled to the turf with a season-ending knee injury in the third preseason game, coach Dick Vermeil said the St. Louis Rams offense was playoff caliber.

Now, Vermeil is on the hot seat along with Green's unknown replacement, Kurt Warner, as the Rams open the season Sunday against the Baltimore Ravens. Warner, who has one quarter of NFL experience, is the key to whether Vermeil's coaching comeback makes it past this season.

	INJURY REPORT
	Ravens: DOUBTFUL: G James Atkins (leg). QUESTIONABLE: WR Patrick Johnson (calf); DT Tony Siragusa (knee). PROBABLE: LB Peter Boulware (shoulder); WR Qadry Ismail (thigh); WR Jermaine Lewis (back); G Everett Lindsay (back); RB Tony Vinson (shoulder). Rams: OUT: RB Amp Lee (knee). QUESTIONABLE: CB Dexter McCleon (hamstring). PROBABLE: DT Ray Agnew (hamstring).

"I feel up to the task," said Warner, 28, who led NFL Europe in yards passing, attempts, completions and touchdowns in 1998. "We've got so many weapons, it takes so much pressure off me."

Baltimore also breaks in a new quarterback, left-hander Scott Mitchell, as well as a new coach, Brian Billick. Just like last year, the Ravens were 4-0 in the preseason, but in 1998 they were 6-10 in the regular season.

So Billick isn't about to write off the Rams' chances. He also remembers when Warren Moon was injured in 1996 when Billick was offensive coordinator with the Minnesota Vikings, and backup Brad Johnson didn't miss a beat.

"We've already heard plenty about how lucky we are that they had a quarterback injury," Billick said. "We won't buy into that."

Warner is surrounded by potential game-breakers in running back Marshall Faulk and wide receivers Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt. Faulk was the NFL's best all-purpose back last year, Bruce appears healthy after recovering from hamstring problems that shelved him for 15 games the last two seasons, and Holt, the sixth pick of the draft, is already drawing raves from his coach.

"You'd have to be walking with a cane and a dog to not recognize the talent this kid has," Vermeil said. "You put he and Isaac Bruce side by side, I don't think any NFL team has a better pair."

Warner's theory is to get the ball into those hands as often as possible, without taking chances.

"At any point in time, any one of them can break a game wide open on a 3-yard pass," Warner said. "That's how I'm approaching it."

Warner's progress is crucial for Vermeil, who has nine victories in two seasons after a 14-year absence from coaching. Another down year like last season's 4-12 record and he's back in the broadcast booth or home sipping wine.

Faulk is the biggest upgrade for an offense ranked 27th, coming in a pre-draft trade with Indianapolis, and is ready to take on a full load after a lengthy contract holdout.

On defense, 1998 first-rounder Grant Wistrom gets his first start after backing up at end last year. Outside linebacker Todd Collins is the other new starter.

Billick, 45, makes his head coaching debut after designing the Minnesota Vikings' high-scoring attack and is the biggest attraction on a team that sent six players to the Pro Bowl. The transcript of his first weekly news conference was 14 pages long.

"It's my job to see if we can turn this 4-0 start with the feeling we have right now about ourselves into the regular season, and continue that statistical trend that puts us in the playoffs," Billick said.

The Ravens allowed only 47 points in the preseason and has four Pro Bowl players in defensive end Michael McCrary, linebackers Ray Lewis and Peter Boulware, and safety Bennie Thompson. McCrary had 14 1-2 sacks last year.

Offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden and wide receiver Jermaine Lewis made it six Pro Bowl players for the Ravens _ one per victory, and six more than the Rams.

But everybody will be watching Mitchell, who washed out in Detroit after losing his job to rookie Charlie Batch.

"I appreciate my situation more now after what I went through in Detroit," Mitchell said. "I really love this game and being out there and playing."

The Ravens' backup figures to be ex-Ram Tony Banks, who led Baltimore with 423 yards passing in the preseason. Banks was the starter for 3½ seasons with the Rams, beginning early in his rookie year, before they gave up on him.

"We could probably sit down and share some pretty good stories with one another," Mitchell said.

Billick wouldn't say whether Banks or Stoney Case, who threw game-winning touchdown passes in the final two preseason games and had a 109.6 rating.

"You can find that out on Sunday," Billick said. "We're not going to tip our hand on anything. I'm very comfortable with the three quarterbacks we have."

BALTIMORE Season schedule and results

ST. LOUIS Season schedule and results

September 12 @St. Louis 1:00pm ET September 19 Pittsburgh 1:00pm ET September 26 Cleveland 1:00pm ET October 3 @Atlanta 1:00pm ET October 10 @Tennessee 4:15pm ET October 21 Kansas City 8:20pm ET October 31 Buffalo 1:00pm ET November 7 @Cleveland 1:00pm ET November 14 @Jacksonville 4:05pm ET November 21 @Cincinnati 4:05pm ET November 28 Jacksonville 1:00pm ET December 5 Tennessee 1:00pm ET December 12 @Pittsburgh 1:00pm ET December 19 New Orleans 1:00pm ET December 26 Cincinnati 1:00pm ET January 2 @New England 1:00pm ET

September 12 Baltimore 1:00pm ET September 26 Atlanta 1:00pm ET October 3 @Cincinnati 1:00pm ET October 10 San Francisco 1:00pm ET October 17 @Atlanta 1:00pm ET October 24 Cleveland 1:00pm ET October 31 @Tennessee 1:00pm ET November 7 @Detroit 1:00pm ET November 14 Carolina 1:00pm ET November 21 @San Francisco 4:15pm ET November 28 New Orleans 1:00pm ET December 5 @Carolina 1:00pm ET December 12 @New Orleans 1:00pm ET December 19 NY Giants 1:00pm ET December 26 Chicago 1:00pm ET January 2 @Philadelphia 1:00pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

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