St. Louis Rams injury updates and more for Week 8

The St. Louis Rams gave fans a peek this past Sunday at what they had been waiting for since head coach Jeff Fisher took over three years ago, a complete game effort. Yes, they started slow, but when the clock ticked down to triple zero, the Rams were on top by a lot and it took success form both sides of the ball to do so. St. Louis drubbed the Cleveland Browns 24-6 with a dominant defense, and a superior run game. The passing game will continue to develop as the season continues, but the Rams got lucky and didn’t need much from quarterback Nick Foles as turnover free game was enough.

More from Rams News

• Look for 49ers players to follow DeMeco Ryans to Texans
• Broncos mimic LA Rams, go All-In pairing Payton with Russell
• Championship Sunday shows me Rams need secondary help
• Can the LA Rams count on 17 games from QB Matthew Stafford?
• NFL salary cap skyrockets, but will it help LA Rams this offseason?

Linebacker James Laurinaitis was injured in the game agains the Browns but played through the injury. The diagnoses was a hyperextended elbow, but Laurinaitis was bale to finish the game. Reports say Fisher was not all that concerned with the injury and doesn’t think Laurinaitis will miss any time. Laurinaitis has started 102 straight games, second longest active streak in the NFL.

Rookie running back Todd Gurley has been nothing short of impressive in his NFL debut season. Gurley leads the Rams with 442 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Both touchdowns came against Cleveland, with the second effectively putting the game away for the Browns. However, Nick Wagoner of ESPN, and others agree, the Rams will need a lot more than Gurley if they expect to make a serious run at the postseason.

Sep 13, 2015; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams middle linebacker James Laurinaitis (55) reacts on the field against the Seattle Seahawks during the first half at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

While Gurley is trending up, the rest of the St. Louis offense is heading in the opposite direction. The offensive line has yet to find their groove which has caused nothing but problems for Foles. Unfortunately, the wide receivers are also doing their best impersonation of the Little Giants and dropping just about everything that has come their way. However, having won two of their last three and regaining their second place position in the division, asking Myles Simmons of stlouisrams.com, it’s always easier to fix things after a win.

Speaking of playoffs, if the season ended today, the Rams would still be on the outside looking in. NFL.com lays it out for us, but the Rams are only one game out of the final wildcard spot. Ahead of St. Louis lies the 6-1 Falcons and 4-2 Vikings. The Rams will visit the Vikings in two weeks with a chance to gain some ground, and will play the NFC West leading Arizona Cardinals one more time this year at the Edward Jones Dome. Considering both the Cardinals and Giants both lead their divisions, as of writing this article, at 4-2 and 4-3 respectively, and the Vikings own the final wildcard spot at 4-2 as well, is promising for the young Rams squad.

It’s official. The San Diego Chargers plan to file for relocation with the NFL offices in the near future. As if we didn’t see that coming. Their reason, simply because they believe St. Louis will as well. If the Chargers are going to file, then their new stadium partner, the Oakland Raiders , won’t be far behind. It seems nothing has changed in this horse race of fan disappointment, but Pro Football Talk put together some details for us for your reading pleasure.