The good news about the Rams being off for a few days, is that nobody can get hurt. Remember, when you're 0-8, the small victories add up. The bad news is that it's boooooring if you're looking for anything new on the Rams front.
We'll see about Leonard Little playing through his toe injury. Truth be told, he should just shut it down, have the surgery and be ready to go next season. It's not like we need him for our playoff push or anything.
We'll have to wait until practice resumes next week to see the week 10 offensive line configuration. Steussie should be back, but there's a legit question as to whether or not he'll be in starting shape after being out for long. If he doesn't start in week 10, he will by week 11.
All season as the o-line continued to collapse I wondered when and if we'd see 2007 draft pick Dustin Fry. Nothing. He sat on the practice squad week after week, while Claude Terrell half-assed his way through game after game. Jim Thomas had a Fry update in his most recent chat session:
Wow. I wonder not ready for prime time he was to keep the flotsam and jetsam the Rams had been using on the line starting game after game? In the preseason, there were rumblings that Fry looked great and had a legit shot at starting. I guess that wasn't the case. Normally, I wouldn't bat an eye about Fry's practice squad status, but this team's past troubles with player evaluation and development justify some cynicism, not to mention the continued use of Claude Terrell this season, whose shitty play was matched only be his shitty attitude, leave doubts in you mind.
We're not going to get a Rams, Dolphins game this season to settle the "who's worse" question, so I guess there's a consolation in the Colts, Patriots game to answer "who's best." In the NFC, it's not that easy. Our conference has lots of mediocre teams, without a couple that really stand out. Right now, it's a coin toss between Dallas and Green Bay, in my opinion, as to who's the best in the division.
In the NFC West, ships sink fast. Seattle, the division leader, is coming out of their bye week to face a favored Cleveland team, in Cleveland. One game behind Seattle it's Arizona. The Cardinals are coming off their bye week as well, after two straight losses to Carolina and Washington. They'll face the Bucs this week, on the road. If they both lose, Seattle still has the division lead, but just a .500 record, and Arizona will still be a game behind the lead at 3-5. Impressive, no? With one game to go against each team, the Rams may yet have a chance to at least determine the fate of the division. In looking at the schedules for the two teams, neither one looms large, but Seattle still has to play Baltimore, which could present a problem if their tied for the lead. All things considered, I'm picking the Arizona Cardinals to win the division...and then be promptly dispatched in the playoffs.
Your picks?