ST. LOUIS — Coach Scott Linehan is the guy on the hot seat, but St. Louis Rams players say they're the ones who are ultimately responsible for getting the team's fortunes turned around.

"I feel the onus is on the players," Rams wide receiver Dane Looker said. "Coaches can do everything they can — they're here to 2 o'clock in the morning — to put us in a position to win a game. Coach Linehan is doing everything in his power to make sure we put the best product on the field. I'll never hold a coach responsible for anything I do on the field."

Rams owner Chip Rosenbloom reportedly has informed Linehan that changes will be made if the team doesn't show improvement.

Linehan said he spoke with Rosenbloom on Monday.

"He talked to me a little bit about it," Linehan said of Rosenbloom's remarks that essential put the team and the head coach on notice. "It was gracious of him to ask me. I said, 'Chip, I know what position you're in.' Honestly, I don't really know exactly the content of them, but I know it's very difficult to be in the position he's in, where he and his sister have taken over a team and we've started the way we have. I did get his support. I also don't disagree with the fact that people need to step up."

Rams linebacker Chris Draft said Rosenbloom's comments certainly didn't come as a shock.

"We're 0-2 and coming off a 3-13 season, so I don't think it's too surprising," Draft said. "I think we just need a win. Win one for the coach, win one for the players, win one for the city. We just need a win."

Rams center Nick Leckey said he feels like he's let Linehan down.

"You have to be able to stand up and fight for your coach," Leckey said. "Obviously, our coach has confidence in us. We're all here for a reason. He feels like we have the talent to do it. I really think that reflects on us as players. If an owner has to say that to a coach, I feel like as a player, me personally, I've let him down a little bit."

Both Looker and defensive end Leonard Little delivered postgame speeches to their teammates in the locker room after the Rams' 41-13 loss to the New York Giants on Sunday.

Looker said he felt compelled to talk to teammates about not letting the team's 0-2 start snowball into an 0-8 avalanche like last season.

"I'm not the guy who steps up vocally that often, but I just wanted to let our team know that we're good enough," Looker said. "We don't have to accept losing. Just because you're 0-2 doesn't mean that it has to turn into 0-8 like it did last year. I wanted to try to nip that in the bud as soon as I could."

Little's speech apparently had a tone similar to Looker's, though he refused to reveal any details.

"I don't want to repeat that," Little said of the Rams' 0-8 start last season. "What was said is between me and the guys. I love my teammates. That stays between us."

Little said the head coach wouldn't be the only change around Rams Park if the team doesn't start playing better.

"If we don't come out and produce this year, there is a lot of people who won't be back here next year," Little said. "We haven't been to the playoffs since 2004, and we need to get some wins around here. Everyone is under the microscope right now. Hopefully, we'll respond to the criticism."

Rams quarterback Marc Bulger said his way of dealing with the questions over Linehan's job security was by focusing on the team's next opponent, the Seattle Seahawks.

"I can't control that," Bulger said. "There's a lot of things out of my control, and I have to do my job. What happens with the ownership or upstairs, it's out of your control, so you have to prepare, get the game plan you have, study Seattle, and try not to get too caught up how bad things are right now. You just have to keep grinding and find a way to get out of this hole."

Looker said all the talk about the head coach getting fired can be a distraction, as he learned in 2005 when Mike Martz was on the hot seat much of the season.

"I know when there was a coaching change a few years ago, it becomes a distraction," Looker said. "You get more questions about that, and you're focal point is not on winning football games and going out and play as hard as you can."

Looker said his teammates need to keep the 0-2 start in perspective.

"(Being) 0-2 isn't the end of the world," Looker said. "You always have to believe that you can win, you always have to believe that you can turn things around. Once you get down in the dumps as a team, people feed off that and it goes in the wrong direction."