Television ratings and the St. Louis Rams haven't always been the best of friends. Losing season after losing season sent more and more viewers outside on Sunday afternoons, finding something slightly more worthwhile than watching the team get thumped. That's changing.

Last week, the Rams win over the Cardnials pulled a 22.6 rating the St. Louis market. That was the top rated program for the Rams home market.

That number is also an improvement from ratings in years past and even from the start of this year. The Rams drew a 19.3 and a 20.1 in the first two weeks of the season. Both of those ratings jumped as the game went on.

It's a good sign that the team's ratings are climbing, despite a winless skid prior to this game. As the weeks go by and the Rams get more competitive, the ratings should follow suit. The real key for the franchise will be capitalizing on the offseason excitement of the draft and free agency and carrying that into improved results next year.