Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
The facts: The Rams fell to 0-4 with a with a 35-0 road defeat to the 49ers in Week 4.
The upside: Even the worst defeats tend to feature a bright spot or two.
- Steven Jackson remained on pace for nearly 1,500 yards rushing. More importantly, he set the right example for a struggling team by running hard from start to finish and saying the right things afterward.
- Receiver Donnie Avery appeared to play with more speed and confidence. His 22-yard catch-and-run on third-and-14 was a start. He had three catches for 47 yards. That yardage figure was, amazingly, a game-high figure.
- The defense allowed only 228 yards and 14 points. The score was 7-0 until midway through the third quarter.
- Danny Amendola opened the game with a long kickoff return (reduced by penalty from 92 to 27 yards).
- The pointless debate over quarterbacks -- Kyle Boller or Marc Bulger -- lost all momentum.
- Steve Spagnuolo benched left tackle Alex Barron following a costly penalty. Rams fans have wanted to do that for a while.
- The Rams seem to care. As Leonard Little tweeted in the middle of the night: "Up thinking. Can't sleep at all." Jackson, a few hours later: "I'm up & at it. Mind racing. Ice massage is needed and time alone."
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Mike Sando
Sando joined ESPN.com in 2007 after nine seasons covering the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma (Wash.) News Tribune. He lives in the Seattle-Tacoma area with his wife and two sons.
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