According to a post-game report today by cbssports.com, St. Louis Rams head coach Steve Spagnuolo says the Rams have:

“character and fight…to build anything, the base has to have a rock-solid foundation and that’s there,” he said.  “We’ve got to wait eight months to play a game, but I’m glad that’s there.”

The question in St. Louis right now is who will be the head coach for that game in eight months?  

That decision is expected to be announced on Monday, according to a report by Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, who cites league sources.  

In three seasons under Steve Spagnuolo, the Rams went 10-38.  

Hopes were high in St. Louis entering 2011.  

Many picked the Rams to win the NFC West.  Michael Lombardi of the NFL Network asserted that St. Louis would be the league’s breakout team.  

However, the Rams faltered during an 0-6 start before winning two of three, including the season’s biggest win, an upset victory at the Edward Jones Dome over record-setting Drew Brees and the playoff-bound New Orleans Saints. 

But then they lost their final seven contests, including the finale today at home versus NFC West champion San Francisco.  

In Spagnuolo’s defense, however, the Rams players never seemed to quit and the roster was ravaged by injuries throughout the year.

Some notable players lost for the season include Sam Bradford’s top receiving target, Danny Amendola (as well as rookie Greg Salas), the teams’ top three cornerbacks (Ron Bartell, Bradley Fletcher and Jerome Murphy) and both starting offensive tackles (Rodger Saffold, Jason Smith)—among others.

The team also lost three-time Pro Bowl running back Steven Jackson for several games before suffering long-term injuries to quarterbacks Sam Bradford and A.J. Feeley.

With that said, 2-14 is still 2-14. And 10-38 is still 10-38.  

In the NFL, it’s the bottom line that counts. And the bottom line doesn’t look good for Spagnuolo’s Rams. Expect him to be relieved of his head coaching duties as early as Monday.

According to a report by Albert Breer of the NFL Network, Jeff Fisher is ready to return to coaching. The St. Louis Rams and San Diego Chargers are listed as possible options for Fisher.  

Shane Gray covers the St. Louis Rams year round. To check out the rest of his work, go here.  You are also encouraged to follow him here on Twitter.   

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The Cincinnati Bengals’ playoff hopes steadily dimmed during a stretch in
which they faced some of the AFC’s top teams.

While they’ll take on two sub-.500 opponents over their final three games,
the Bengals’ only break would appear to come Sunday when they visit the woeful
St. Louis Rams.

A run of five consecutive wins – four against teams which currently have
losing records – gave Cincinnati a share of the AFC North lead in early
November. That success, however, might seem like a distant memory as the Bengals
have since dropped four of five.

All four of those defeats – two to Pittsburgh and one apiece to Baltimore
and Houston – came to teams which now share the AFC’s best record at 10-3. Last
week’s defeat to the Texans had to be the most heartbreaking and also eliminated
Cincinnati (7-6) from the division title chase.

The Bengals gave up a touchdown pass to third-string quarterback T.J. Yates
with two seconds left to lose 20-19. Cincinnati, which led 16-3 in the third
quarter and was up nine with less than six minutes to play, remains one game
behind the New York Jets for the AFC’s final playoff berth.

“We’re by no means out of anything,” said right guard Bobbie Williams, who
broke his ankle last Sunday and is out for the season. “Our chances are a little
tougher, but we can still finish up these last three with a very successful
record. Then hey, let the chips fall where they may after that.”

The Bengals play their final road game Sunday before returning home to face
Arizona, which is 6-7 but has won three straight and five of six, and a Ravens
team which has won four in a row.

That makes this game all the more crucial to Cincinnati’s playoff chances.
The Bengals have only one touchdown in each of their two games this month – Andy
Dalton has combined to go just 27 of 52 for 324 yards – but they’re facing a
Rams team averaging a league-worst 11.8 points.

St. Louis (2-11) has been outscored 103-40 during its current four-game
skid, and its only TD in Monday’s 30-13 loss at Seattle came with 4:39 to play
on Steven Jackson’s 1-yard run. It took the Rams six plays to get that yard.

“There are a lot of things we have to overcome, but we’ve got to overcome
them,” coach Steve Spagnuolo said. “We’re not going to use any excuses. We’ve
got to find a way to win.”

St. Louis also must find a way to stop the run, ranking last in the NFL with
156.8 rushing yards allowed per contest.

Facing that defense might help Cedric Benson rebound from a miserable final
30 minutes against Houston. He finished with 91 yards on 21 carries but had
minus-1 on eight attempts in the second half.

“We look forward to being able to run the ball on them consistently,” said
Benson, 117 yards shy of reaching 1,000 for the third straight season. “We still
have a challenge ahead of us, but I think we can do some positive things in the
run game.”

While the loss of Williams could hamper Benson, the return of right tackle
Andre Smith from an ailing ankle would help. Smith, the No. 6 overall pick in
the 2009 draft, sat out last week’s loss.

The Rams, meanwhile, continue to have problems staying healthy on offense.
Guard Jacob Bell joined tackles Rodger Saffold and Jason Smith on injured
reserve before last week’s game, and tackle Mark LeVoir (groin) might also be
unavailable during the short week of preparation.

Quarterback Sam Bradford has been dealing with a sprained left ankle and
didn’t seem optimistic about playing this week. If he sits out, Kellen Clemens
would likely start even though he didn’t sign with the Rams until last week.
Backup A.J. Feeley remains out with a broken thumb.

Whoever starts at quarterback will be trying to keep Cincinnati winless in
St. Louis. The Bengals have lost to the Rams there twice, in 1996 and 2003, and
to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1985.

Cincinnati snapped a three-game skid to the Rams during the previous matchup
in 2007.

Gotta run!.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ST. LOUIS — Sam Bradford ran in the pool and rode an exercise bicycle as the St. Louis Rams tried to nurse their quarterback back to health.

If Bradford can’t go Monday night at Seattle, the Rams (2-10) will likely be down to a player with zero NFL snaps because backup A.J. Feeley has all but ruled himself out with a broken thumb on his right hand.

“It’s pretty sore right now, it’s pretty swollen, it’s pretty tough to grip,” Feeley said.

Tom Brandstater, elevated from the practice squad last week, took snaps with the first string in an abbreviated practice that lasted about an hour Wednesday. The former Fresno State standout has been on the active roster for three games this year and a full season with Denver in 2009 after getting drafted in the sixth round.

Bradford lobbied to play before the 49ers game, but was held out to avoid further injury. Coach Steve Spagnuolo said it was too early to hazard a guess about Bradford’s status for this week.

The plan is for Bradford to practice as little as possible.

“His status is the same,” Spagnuolo said. “We’re trying to get it to Monday.”

Feeley said it would be at least a week before swelling subsides and he can attempt to grip the ball.

“If it’s a pain tolerance thing, I have no problem going through with it,” Feeley said. “But if it’s giving way every time I grip the all because the bone is shifting, it probably won’t work out.”

The Rams are stockpiling quarterbacks just in case, signing Kellen Clemens to the roster and Matt Gutierrez to the practice squad. The 28-year-old Clemens was released by the Texans on Monday after spending two weeks with that team.

Whoever’s taking the snaps will be working with a decimated line. Not long after guard Jacob Bell expressed optimism he might be able to recover from a torn MCL on his right knee and play the last two games, he joined tackles Jason Smith and Rodger Saffold on injured reserve.

Bell was the only lineman to start every game at the same position. He was hurt in the fourth quarter when the 49ers’ Ray McDonald landed on the leg.

Feeley also dislocated his left ring finger during the game, quickly yanking it back into place.

Safety Darian Stewart practised after being cleared from a concussion that sidelined him last week.

In other roster juggling, cornerback Chris Smith was signed to the roster off the practice squad, cornerback Nate Ness was released and running back Chase Reynolds was signed to the practice squad for the third time.

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What’s wrong with the St. Louis Rams? Not everything. Just
almost everything.

After nearly making the playoffs last season, the Rams were
supposed to take a big step forward this season.

Sam Bradford was supposed to become a Pro Bowl quarterback. Steve
Spagnuolo was set to take a post as one of the best coaches in the
game. St. Louis was ready to embrace football again.

Never has a season gone from flying high to crashing and burning
with one play, especially when that one play was the first
offensive play of the season.

In Week 1, Steven Jackson broke through for a 47-yard touchdown.
The Edward Jones Dome was rocking.

SJax’s lightning strike seemed to ignite a fire that would burn
straight into the playoffs. Instead, he ran the ball once more in
that game and left with a leg injury.

It wasn’t until Week 5 he was back to full strength, and by then,
it was too late.

The 49ers were already running away with the division, and St.
Louis had no wins.

Rams fans shouldn’t overreact though. This is football. Injuries
happen. They happen a lot. Unfortunately for St. Louis, the Rams
have had a ton.

Here’s some of the players who are on injured reserve: Danny
Amendola, Ron Bartell, Al Harris, Michael Hoomanawanui, Rodger
Saffold, Greg Salas and Jason Smith.

Saffold and Smith are anchors of the offensive line. Amendola is
the top receiver and punt returner. Harris and Bartell are the best
cornerbacks. Salas was supposed to help the receiving corps.
Hoomanawanui is one of the team’s top tight ends.

On top of that, Bradford has missed time. And like every team, many
others have missed games.

With all these injuries after a lockout-shortened offseason with a
new offense, the 2-9 record is more understandable.

The Rams had a tough nonconference schedule, which included losses
to the Packers, Giants, Cowboys and Ravens. That’s three, maybe
four, playoff teams.

They’ve also lost to the Eagles, Redskins, Cardinals (twice) and
Seahawks.

The point is this: Don’t give up on a return to glory. It’s
obviously just not coming as soon as we thought.

Spagnuolo is still the right coach. Bradford can still be a star
quarterback. Jackson is still a star running back. There are good
pieces all over the field.

The Rams still need a big playmaker. Even with Brandon Lloyd in the
fray, they still need another deep threat or two.

This season has been a combination of factors leading up to a very
disappointing record, and it may not get much better. St. Louis
finishes with the 49ers, improving Seahawks, Bengals, Steelers and
49ers again.

With a solid draft and a free agent move or two, the Rams should be
everyone’s dark horse again next season. Let’s just hope they can
avoid the injury bug and live up to the hype.

JEFF WILSON is the chief copy editor at The Southern Illinoisan.
He can be reached at 618-529-5454, ext. 5176 or
jeff.wilson@thesouthern.com.

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 40F

Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis, MO

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St. Louis Rams offensive tackle Rodger Saffold could be done for the season after injuring his chest during a bench press routine, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

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James Hall’s left forearm made the St. Louis Rams’ biggest stop last week.

The defensive end said he got a piece of the ball on the Cleveland Browns’ botched field goal that handed the Rams only their second victory of the season.

Though technically on special teams, it was the latest example of improvement on the front end of the defense, against the run and on the pass rush, that has given the Rams (2-7) a fighting chance in recent weeks. They are slight favorites over the Seahawks (3-6) for Sunday’s home game.

The secondary has taken a hard hit with nine cornerbacks lost for the year, both starters gone after four games and stand-in starter Al Harris now on injured reserve with a knee injury sustained in the 13-12 victory at Cleveland.

The Rams had six sacks three weeks ago in an upset over the Saints, three by Long. They permitted a season-low 262 total yards with three sacks in a 19-13 overtime loss at Arizona, and had two more sacks at Cleveland while giving up four field goals.

The two weeks prior to this stretch, St. Louis was blown out by the Cowboys and Packers by a combined score of 58-10.

“The more leads we have, the better numbers we have,” defensive end Chris Long said. “I think there’s a direct correlation. Our pass rush has been better than the numbers but it’s hard to stack up numbers when you’re down. When the team does well, we all do well.”

Interior linemen Justin Bannan, Fred Robbins and Gary Gibson have been getting good pushes, too, enabling the defense to harass quarterbacks without blitzing too much and leaving more bodies in the secondary.

“I think guys have taken it upon themselves during the course of the week to focus on the little things, as far as stopping the run, pursuit to the ball, and it’s paid off for us on Sunday,” Hall said. “We always take responsibility to take a little pressure off those guys.”

Cornerback Josh Gordy, who began the season on the practice squad, is set to make his second straight start likely opposite Justin King, thrust into a starting role in Week 3. King was diagnosed with a mild concussion, along with offensive tackle Rodger Saffold, but both could return in a limited role to practice on Thursday.

The Rams added a body Wednesday, promoting cornerback Nate Ness from the practice squad to the active roster. Rod Hood, inactive four of the last six weeks, will also see the field.

The plan this week?

“Get the four best guys out there, and maybe five or six, whatever,” coach Spagnuolo said. “It’s a little bit of patchwork right now and coaches will do the best they can to get a good unit out there.”

The Rams are banged up in general, with three players missing practice Wednesday — wide receiver Brandon Gibson (groin), offensive tackle Jason Smith (concussion) and running back Cadillac Williams (calf). Spagnuolo rattled off the names of nine others who were limited, concluding with a joking, “And that’s the whole roster.”

Wide receiver Danario Alexander, out three games with a right hamstring injury, took limited reps and expects to play on Sunday. Gibson expects to play, also.

Linebacker Justin Cole, signed off the Chiefs’ practice squad on Tuesday, was plugged in on special teams.

At least for now, the Rams are a happier bunch with a win — thanks to Hall and his forearm.

“I thought I had enough penetration, and anytime you’re like 3-4 yards in the backfield you’ve got a good chance of getting a block,” Hall said Wednesday. “I was falling down so I just threw my arm up and fortunately I hit it.”

Spagnuolo said a photo on special teams coach Tom McMahon’s desk appears to offer conclusive proof.

“Beautiful picture,” the coach said.

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ST. LOUIS — Cornerback Al Harris and tight end Mike Hoomanwanui have been lost for the season because of knee injuries suffered in the St. Louis Rams’ 13-12 win over the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

Both players have torn ACLs.

Harris, who will turn 37 on Dec. 7, suffered a major injury to his left knee with the Green Bay Packers two years ago. This time, it’s his right knee.

That’s all for today.

Read More: Jerious Norwood (RB – STL), Brady Poppinga (LB – STL), Justin King (CB – STL), Jason Smith (OT – STL), Rodger Saffold (OT – STL), Sam Bradford (QB – STL), Danario Alexander (WR – STL), New Orleans Saints, St. Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams are preparing for their Week 8 bout with the New Orleans Saints, but they’re likely going to be missing some key players this weekend. Quarterback Sam Bradford once again missed practice on Wednesday due to his high ankle sprain and is considered doubtful for Sunday.

He’s not the only player on the Rams’ official injury report, though, so we’ll go into some detail here. The other big names that didn’t practice are wide receiver Danario Alexander, starting linebacker Brady Poppinga, starting cornerback Justin King and starting right tackle Jason Smith, who’s battling concussion symptoms.

The Saints haven’t released their official injury report yet, but we’ll be sure to update you as soon as it happens. You can find the full St. Louis Rams injury report and check for official updates here.

DNP – Did not participate in practice

- QB Sam Bradford

- WR Danario Alexander

- RB Jerious Norwood

- RT Rodger Saffold

- RT Jason Smith

- LB Brady Poppinga

- CB Justin King

- DT Darell Scott

LP – Limited participation in practice, less than 100% of normal player’s reps

- DE C.J. Ah You

For the latest on the Rams, visit Turf Show Times, SB Nation’s St. Louis Rams blog.

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Read More: Joe Flacco (QB – BAL), Jason Smith (OT – STL), Rodger Saffold (OT – STL), Sam Bradford (QB – STL), Danario Alexander (WR – STL), Baltimore Ravens, St. Louis Rams

The St. Louis Rams can’t get out of their own way. At the 15-yard-line in the start of the second quarter, down 21-0 after the defense finally stopped Joe Flacco and the Baltimore Ravens, A Jason Smith unnecessary roughness penalty stuffed the drive on first down and pushed them back to the 30. There, Danario Alexander got tripped up going down the sideline, leading to a clean interception on Sam Bradford’s downfield pass. It’s emblematic of the Rams’ struggles this season, which has involved more disastrous mistakes than poor play.

If you’re Jason Smith, a perpetual disappointment as the first overall pick in the NFL Draft and passed in the depth chart by rookie Rodger Saffold last year, the goal has to be avoiding notoriety in this way. But that hasn’t happened; at his worst, Smith is not only ineffectual but also visible for all the wrong reasons. 

The Rams have to stop the Ravens again, and they have to score in the second quarter. Thanks to Smith’s inability to control his temper, they haven’t done that yet. 

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Every other offensive line in the NFC West is struggling this preseason.

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith has been harassed relentlessly; the O-line gave up six sacks in the first preseason game on top of an unbelievable amount of pressure.

The Seahawks offensive line should theoretically be better, given an offseason to heal and the development of Russell Okung. Still, even if Tarvaris Jackson wasn’t performing terribly, the Hawks’ line is playing abysmally.

The Cardinals offensive line has Levi Brown playing left tackle. Oh, and future Hall of Fame candidate Alan Faneca retired, who might have been their best lineman even after declining play due to his age.

The Rams drafted Rodger Saffold in 2010, who looks like a slam dunk at left tackle and could be even better as soon as this year. Jason Brown is one of the most underrated centers in the league. Harvey Dahl was a great pickup at right guard, and he brings in versatility as a possible right tackle and a nasty demeanor to the trenches.

There’s no doubt this line is the class of the division. Sam Bradford is well protected, and Steven Jackson will have holes to run through.

What do you guys think about this.

ST. LOUIS — An abbreviated work week is just fine with the St. Louis Rams. The sooner they can erase the bad taste from Week 2 of the preseason, the better.

“It’s good to get back to work,” St. Louis coach Steve Spagnuolo said. “I think thew ere good today (Monday). They worked pretty hard.

“We put them in uppers and wanted to get some things squared away with pad leverage and kind of iron out some things that happened in the game,” he said, referring to Saturday’s 17-16 win here over Tennessee.

The defense got beat several times on cutback runs and the offense stalled after getting an 83-yard touchdown strike on its first snap.

Spagnuolo called it a work in progress. He’s counting on it looking a lot better on Friday night when the Rams (2-0) play at Kansas City (0-2) in the annual Governor’s Cup game.

More injuries popped up on Monday, perhaps the most significant a calf injury to tight end Mike Hoomanawanui. Spagnuolo said the team was a little bit concerned.

“He has a calf strain and I’mt not sure, but it may be significant,” Spagnuolo said

Wide receiver Danario Alexander had an MRI on his often-injured left knee. Defensive tackle Daniel Muir aggravated an ankle injury and wide receiver Mardy Gilyard was unable to loosen up a thigh injury.

“It’s the same knee,” Spagnuolo said of Alexander. “It’s not that anything happened, it just feels funny on him. We’re just making sure we’re not dealing with anything serious, so we had him get an MRI to put his mind at ease.”

Defensive end Chris Long returned quickly from a bone spur on between his toes that has cropped up from time to time, saying he felt fine. Offensive tackle Rodger Saffold, sidelined with a sore back in the second quarter Saturday, was also back.

Meanwhile, the longest tenured St. Louis player, long snapper Chris Massey, has been released.

The nine-year veteran was a seventh-round draft in 2002. The 32-year-old Massey lost out Monday to rookie Jake McQuaide, signed as an undrafted free agent out of Ohio State.

Massey appeared in 135 regular-season games with the Rams. He and McQuaide alternated snaps in the first two preseason games.

“All I can say is that he’s a quality person and a great character guy,” Spagnuolo said. “I enjoyed the two years with him and we will miss him. I would be very surprised if he’s not working in this league somewhere.”

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Credit: AP

St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford, left, is sacked for a 10-yard loss by Tennessee Titans Will Witherspoon during the second quarter of an NFL football game Saturday, Aug. 20, 2011, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman)

That’s all for today.

ST. LOUIS —

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