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So you woke up smiling. You brewed a fresh cup of coffee, made some breakfast and looked out the window. It was sunny, somewhat chilly, but comfortably beautiful as a gentle breeze brushed through the trees on the first day of fall.
"A perfect day for football," you thought to yourself. "I can't wait."
SportsCenter's Sunday kickoff show was on. Every possible storyline had already been relentlessly covered throughout the week, yet you watched anyway. Tradition as it was to suffer through two hours of Chris Berman on game day.
The St. Louis Rams would soon take on the Dallas Cowboys. And it was going to be awesome.
Following a kick through the back of the end zone - and no opportunity to fumble the return - Sam Bradford and the Rams got the ball first. Everything was going your way.
Suddenly, though, you had to go to the bathroom. It was an emergency and you couldn't wait until the next commercial. You ran to the lavatory, expecting to miss only a play or two. Then you returned.
The scoreboard read Dallas 17 - St. Louis 0. The game was over.
Rams disgust in losing effort - More of the undisciplined and less of the tactical performances show the Rams still have quite a way to go before contending with teams on the road. Penalties continue to hold the team back, but it was the play calling that was most frustrating, which was, well, lackluster at best. Coaching was supposed to be one of the strong points for this team. It's not.
More from Jim Thomas - After going largely untouched through the first two games of the season, Sam Bradford was sacked six times in yesterday's contest. The Rams' pass rush, which was supposed to play an integral role in slowing down Dallas' attack, did little to disrupt Tony Romo. On the plus side, Bradford neither fumbled nor threw an interception.
Three keys recalled - As has been the case all season, the Rams have a nasty habit of letting the game escape them in the opening half, if not opening quarter. Third down has become disastrous on both sides of the ball, with St. Louis unable to both move the chains and prevent other teams from doing so.
Week three report card - Failing grades across the board for the hapless the Rams. Special teams are not so special in St. Louis anymore. Punter Johnny Hekker no longer boasts a perfect passer rating.
Nick Wagoner's post-game reaction - Optimism is dwindling for St. Louis as they dropped to their second loss. At least they have a Pro Bowl-caliber punter.
DeMarco Murray loves the Rams - In two games against St. Louis, third-year Cowboys running back DeMarco Murray has amassed 428 yards on the ground. That's 23.2 percent of his career total rushing yards.
NFL.com Game Center - If you have not yet endured enough emotional and mental abuse, relieve the highlights and stats from yesterday's game.
49ers drop two in a row - A week after being shamed on national television by the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco fell victim to Andrew Luck and the Colts. Check out the reactions from Niners Nation.
The Rams and 49ers now have only four days to prepare for their Thursday night matchup. Get ready. This is going to be a particularly short week, Rams fans.