Early And Often – The Rams didn’t jump on the Cards right out of the gate, but they did manage to get a lead and Arizona did roll over. The Cardinals have a ton of problems right now, none more prevalent than at the quarterback position. Still, the coaching staff over there made the move to bench Derek Anderson after we got up, and the rest of the team might as well have joined him on the sidelines.

That’s Fine – I don’t think much really needs to be said here. Anderson was 7-for-20 for 93 yards and a pick when he got benched, and the Rams were really in his face all day. The fact of the matter is, he isn’t very good. When Max Hall came in, the Rams really pinned their ears back and came after him, and it resulted in him being sidelined with a shoulder injury.

Running Men – This one I got wrong, because the Cards did actually manage to run the ball effectively. Tim Hightower picked up 81 yards on 15 carries, and Beanie Wells got another 24 on just three carries. They played from behind so they had to abandon the run in the second half, but they did show the ability. The Rams defense will have to be better against the run in the next few weeks if they are going to pick up victories.

Keeping Pace – This was a big one for the Rams, and they came through. I know it wasn’t against a great team, but they went on the road against a divisional opponent and came away with the win. The next step is finding a way to beat a team that’s better than us. If we do that, we’ll be in the playoffs this season.

Injury Report: Now, on to the bad news. Linebacker Na’il Diggs is going to miss the rest of the season with a torn pectoral muscle. Diggs will have surgery on the area, so he is done. I’m going to take a look in tomorrow’s post at possible replacements for Diggs on the strong side, but this one hurts. Sam Bradford is dealing with a sore ankle, but he is expected to be fine for Wednesday’s practice. Ron Bartell is day-to-day after the shoulder stinger, as is Craig Dahl with a knee. Chris Chamberlain’s X-rays came back negative on his hand but is expected to practice this week, as is Jason Smith, who suffered a sprained ankle.

It wasn’t a work of art, but the Rams did more than enough to pull out the win in Arizona by a score of 19-6 on Sunday. I thought the defense played well, although I think it’s pretty obvious that the joke that is the quarterback position in Arizona had something to do with that. Derek Anderson was awful, Max Hall is even worse, and a rookie from Fordham is their best option right now. For what it’s worth, I have been saying for a few weeks that John Skelton is the most talented quarterback on their roster, and if I was running that team, he would be starting under center the rest of the season.

Offensively, I liked that the team didn’t give up on Steven Jackson, and he ended up having a very nice day. The team is at their best when he is touching the ball consistently, and he got plenty of work today. It’s still a little disappointing that the team had to settle for field goals on numerous drives, but they got away with it today. With the next two games against quality opponents, they won’t be so lucky. Field goals probably won’t be enough to beat the Saints or the Chiefs, so we need to find a way to capitalize on those scoring opportunities.

As far as the injury report goes, we have some guys a bit banged up. Chris Chamberlain injured his hand, and he is going for X-rays. Billy Bajema has a sore knee but should be fine, and Jason Smith is dealing with an ankle. Ron Bartell also suffered a stinger on his shoulder. I will update their conditions later in the week.

Week 9 in the NFL was particularly kind to the St. Louis Rams, which is a bit odd considering that they spent Sunday on their couches watching their flat screen televisions. Thanks to embarrassing losses by the Seahawks and the Cardinals, the Rams now find themselves in first place in the NFC West at 4-4. Seattle was taken to the shed by the Giants to the tune of 41-7, and the Cardinals blew a late lead against the Vikings to drop to 3-5.

As far as the Seahawks go, they were absolutely pitiful. I had them pegged as the favorite in this division, mainly because they are so difficult to defeat at home. They weren’t tough to beat at home this week. I’m starting to think that they might not have enough depth to take this thing home.

In Arizona’s case, I still think they have the most talent in the division, but they don’t have it at the most important positions. Their quarterbacks are terrible, and their running game isn’t good enough to bail them out. Unless Derek Anderson or Max Hall really gets it going, they might not have enough to win this thing either.

So what about the Rams? I think everyone will be willing to admit that this team is still a year or two away from being real contenders, but this division is bad enough that they might be able to win it this season. If the Rams learn how to win close games, I really think it is possible they could get to eight wins. If you look at the schedule, games against the 49ers (twice), Broncos, Cardinals, and Seahawks are all extremely winnable. The Chiefs, Falcons, and Saints are also teams that can be beat, especially since the Falcons and Chiefs will be coming into our house. It’s impossible to predict what will happen, but can you see the Rams winning four or five of those games? I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but it’s possible. Vote on who you think will win the NFC West in the poll, and make your predictions for the rest of the season in the comments section.