by BY BILL COATS ¿ bcoats@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8189 , St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"That's been my motivation since I've been in this league," Ryan said. "A lot of guys that were picked before me aren't in the league anymore. A lot of them are on practice squads. I wanted to prove to people that they looked beyond me as a player, and most of all as a person."

As the Rams prepare for the unbeaten Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome, Ryan is coming off one of his best games. He collected seven tackles - tops among the defensive linemen - including a sack in the 23-20 overtime loss at Jacksonville.

"He seems to be getting better every week, which is what you want to see," veteran defensive end James Hall said. "He's playing some real good Football."

The 6-foot-3, 324-pound Ryan has 21 tackles for the season, a pace that would result in a career-high 56. He registered 48 as a rookie and 46 last year, when he became a full-time starter.

"Cliff may not have been playing in the league a long time, but he seems like a seasoned veteran," coach Steve Spagnuolo. "He gets in there, he battles, and he's vocal. ... Those are the kind of guys you like."

Ryan, 25, is moving up and down the line more effectively and seems to have improved his quickness. "I wouldn't categorize him like a big, slow guy. He can move, no question," Hall said.

Still, Ryan stressed that the Rams' 0-6 record this year, which has extended their losing streak to a franchise-high 16 games, dampens what he's doing individually.

"I want some wins," he said. "I'd trade all these personal accolades for a couple of victories. I haven't been on a winning team in quite some time, dating back to my college years."

The Rams are 5-33 during Ryan's three years here; Michigan State went 26-34 during his time there. The Spartans' only winning season in that five-year span was in 2003, when they finished 8-5 in Ryan's redshirt-freshman year.

The odds of the Rams halting their skid Sunday obviously are very long: The Colts are two-touchdown favorites despite playing on the road. Ryan relishes the challenge.

"Honestly, this is a dream come true, playing against Peyton Manning, a guy that I've watched since I was 10 or 11 years old and he was at Tennessee," Ryan said. "That's why you play in this league, to face guys like this."

One thing is certain: Ryan will be prepared for whatever Manning and the Colts' high-powered offense throws at the Rams. Ryan is a voracious student of the game, its players, and especially the upcoming foe.

"You've got to know your opponent; you've got to know every guy that you're competing with at your position," he said. "I've got to know the best at my position so I can be on their level or above their level and can stay in this business for a long time. Because I love this game."

It's also part of being accountable, Ryan noted, a concept that he concedes he wasn't well-versed in when he arrived as a rookie.

"I had to learn how to be a pro," he said. "When I first got here, I had no idea how to prepare each and every week. Being around guys like Leonard (Little), James Hall, Hollis (Thomas) in his short time here, Corey Chavous, Torry Holt ... those guys prepared me to be able to play like this."

"You've got to take pride in your job and take pride in what you put on the field week in and week out."

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