Before I get to what could be some very big news, let’s take a quick look at yesterday’s win and how the keys to the game panned out for the Rams.

Who Are These Guys? – The Rams defense did a nice job stopping the Broncos for about 2 1/2 quarters, and that allowed them to build the big lead. Obviously, the first drive of the game was ugly, and the fourth quarter was awful until the last drive, but overall I was happy with the effort. Brandon Lloyd put up some solid numbers (4 rec, 76 yds, 2 TD), but most of that came in the fourth. They kept him bottled up nicely before those big plays.

Mile High Effect – I don’t think the altitude had much effect on the game, although the defense did look a little slow late in the game. I think most of that is probably because we had a big lead, and they stepped up on the last drive, so it’s all good. The team was prepared, and they finished it off.

It’s Sam’s Time – I’m not one to toot my own horn (beep…beep), but Sam Bradford had a monster showing and the best game of his young career. He wasn’t under a ton of pressure throughout the game, and Denver’s secondary was pretty awful. Still, I had a feeling he was going to go off, and if it wasn’t for his play, we would not have won the game. Thank you Mr. Bradford.

There has been plenty of sunshine and rainbows over the last few days, but I still have some concerns from this game. First, this team needs to learn how to put opponents away when they get a lead. We have had several decent-sized leads disintegrate in the second half, and it almost happened again. I like that we finally finished one off, but it shouldn’t get to that point. Also, I still wish the team would be less conservative when they get a lead. I’m not saying thrown bombs downfield on every play, but you can’t have three consecutive three-and-outs in the second half when you are trying to seal a win. Find a way to get a first down or two. I don’t think that’s too much to ask.

Now on to the big news. Adam Schefter of ESPN is reporting that San Francisco running back Frank Gore broke his hip in tonight’s win over the Cardinals and is done for the season. I don’t think I’m alone in thinking that the Niners are the biggest threat to us winning the division at this point, so this could have a major impact on the rest of the season. Brian Westbrook played well after Gore went out tonight, but he certainly isn’t the same threat.

In Rams injury news, TE Michael Hoomanawanui has a high ankle sprain and is expected to miss at least one month of action. It seems like every time he starts to get going, he’s back on the training table. Obviously this is bad, but it’s just a chance for other guys to step up. The good news is that we are fairly deep at the position with Billy Bajema and Daniel Fells, but it still hurts.

I know many of you are wondering why the Rams didn’t put a claim in on troubled wide receiver Randy Moss, but the answer is pretty simple. This team has gone above and beyond to purge the roster of guys with character issues, and they weren’t about to add an aging player who was just run out of Minnesota. If you were getting a Moss from three years ago who really wanted to be here, it would be worth it. Unfortunately, he has lost a step, and I don’t believe he would have been happy here. I think it’s very telling that the Titans were the only team to put in a claim.

I’m pretty much done with this topic, but before I move on, I have to touch on one more thing. I don’t know how many of you are from the St. Louis area (I would assume many of you), and I don’t know how many of those people are regular listeners of 101.1 ESPN, but if you missed the interview on the Fast Lane today with Rams’ GM Billy Devaney, you need to listen to it. The whole thing was about the Moss issue, and suffice it to say that Billy D was not in the mood to talk to Randy, Rammer, and D-Farr. Here is the link, and the interview was at 3:45 p.m.

Billy D Interview

Injury Report: Back to the actual players who suit up for this team. Obviously, the bye week this late in the season is usually a godsend for healing up, and the Rams are no different. Coming out of Sunday’s game, SJ39 was obviously still in plenty of pain. He really needs the bye, but I wouldn’t expect him to be healthy when the team returns to action. He might be dealing with this finger pain for the rest of the season. James Hall also suffered a broken hand, but I doubt he will miss much time, although you have to wonder if his effectiveness will suffer. James Butler is dealing with an ankle injury, James Laurinaitis has a knee tweak, Donnie Jones has a calf strain, and Jason Smith is still dealing with his concussion. Also, the tight end group (Fendi, Illini Mike, and Fells) are all dealing with back injuries, and they will all undergo tests this week.