Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando
The facts: The Rams fell to 0-5 with a with a 38-10 home defeat to the Vikings in Week 5.
The upside: Even the worst defeats tend to feature a bright spot or two.
- Quarterback Marc Bulger finished the game strong. Yes, it was garbage time, but Bulger couldn't control when he went into the game, only how he performed when given a chance. And he performed well enough to post a perfect 158.3 passer rating: 7 of 7 for 88 yards and a touchdown.
- Receiver Donnie Avery showed up. The Rams threw seven passes to him and Avery caught five, all for first downs. He caught a 23-yarder on third-and-5 in the first quarter and a 14-yarder on third-and-8 in the third quarter. His 27-yard touchdown reception did not affect the game, but it was better than not catching one. Sounds like a silver lining to me.
- Rookie James Laurinaitis continued to impress. He picked off Brett Favre early in the game. He tackled Vikings receiver Percy Harvin 22 yards downfield.
- Steven Jackson remained on pace for more than 1,400 yards rushing this season.
- The Rams finished with 400 yards and 27 first downs. The had four possessions at the Minnesota 11 or closer. Three ended in turnovers, of course, but at least the Rams made it that far. They never ventured closer than the San Francisco 22 in Week 4.
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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