St. Louis ? Effort has never been a problem with Grant Wistrom, always referred to as a high-motor guy by his coaches.

Results have been another story, but the St. Louis Rams’ defensive end is finally starting to show up on the stat sheet. The former first-round pick has only two sacks, but they’ve come in the last two weeks.

In last week’s victory over the Ravens he had 17 tackles and four quarterback pressures to go with a sack, and was named one of six defensive players of the week by coach Mike Martz.

“You just keep fighting through it,” Wistrom said Friday. “Things aren’t always going to go your way, but you stick with it and keep working and eventually you’ll get through.”

The Rams (6-3) will need more big plays Sunday from Wistrom at Chicago (3-6), with Leonard Little likely out for the third straight game because of a torn chest muscle. Wistrom said it was a coincidence he stepped up following the injury to the Rams’ best pass rusher.

“Everybody, I guess, has to pick it up a little bit, but I didn’t feel I had to do any more than I had been doing,” Wistrom said. “You’ve just got to keep working, no matter what you’re doing out there.”

Sacks have been hard to come by the last few years for Wistrom, a first-rounder out of Nebraska in 1998. He had a career-best 11 in 2000 and nine in 2001, but had only 41/2 last year.

It’s usually tougher rushing the passer from Wistrom’s right side. The left tackle is the premier tackle because he’s guarding the quarterback’s blind side.

“I’ve gotten used to it,” Wistrom said. “It would be nice to get one of the weaker guys every now and then, but it usually doesn’t happen for you so you’ve got to deal with what’s out there.”

Last week, Wistrom’s assignment was Jonathan Ogden, one of the top picks of the 1996 draft. Not that it slowed him down.

“That’s as good as he’s ever played,” Martz said. “You can’t praise him enough. Hopefully, he’ll continue doing that every week.”

The Rams practiced outside all week in preparation for potential harsh weather in Chicago, although the forecast was for a high in the 50s. A nice touch Friday was light rain to match temperatures in the 40s.

Wistrom likes playing at home in a dome, but he doesn’t mind braving the elements.

“We played a nasty-weather game in Pittsburgh and it was a lot of fun,” Wistrom said of the Rams’ 33-21 victory Oct. 21. “You get a few more stains on your uniform and get to play in the mud awhile. It’s always nice.”

The player who might be most affected is kicker Jeff Wilkins, who’s 21-for-23 on the year and hit all four attempts last week against the Ravens.

“Kicking in a dome is awesome. You’ve got no wind conditions and however you kick it that’s how it’s going to be,” Wilkins said. “Soldier Field, that place can be rough.”