Just Give Him the Ball?

Guess who said (again) that he feels like the forgotten man in his team’s offense?

Jerry Rice, of course.

And wasn’t it only a matter of time?

“I’m baffled,” said Rice, who caught three passes for 23 yards in Sunday’s 23-7 loss to the St. Louis Rams. “I don’t know what’s going on. I would like to help more. I would like to see more opportunities, and I’m not seeing any. I’m just running downfield. If that’s the game plan, let me know. I’ve had a lot of success over the years and I feel I deserve to have at least a few opportunities. . . .

“I realize the team is changing and other guys deserve opportunities. But I still love the game. I’m still competitive. I don’t think my skills have diminished that much. I feel like I can still do some things.”

Said Coach Steve Mariucci, who had to deal with similar complaints from Rice even when the 49ers were winning: “It would shock me if Jerry said, ‘It’s OK. Just throw me the ball once or twice and give me a crumb.’ That would shock me. This doesn’t.”

You know times have changed when Kurt Warner of the Rams says after passing for only 201 yards and one touchdown in the victory at San Francisco: “Not every game is going to be a great game for us.”

Wasn’t it only a year ago--or any year in the ‘90s, for that matter--that any victory was a great game for the Rams?