ESPN NFL

Posted by ESPN.com's Mike Sando

Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Rams are 2-21 and the Lions are 1-21 since the start of the 2008 season. Thomas: "On this Halloween weekend, the scariest thought of all is what happens if the Rams run the table -- in reverse -- and finish 0-16. They would thus end the season with 26 consecutive losses, tying the all-time NFL futility record set by the expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1976-77. With a loss to the Lions, 0-16 doesn't seem all that far-fetched. Not when you consider the Rams' remaining schedule."

Bryan Burwell of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wonders whether the Rams and Lions might cancel out one another's problems. Burwell: "I have a hunch that this is going to be one of those rare Sunday afternoons where weird karma collides and produces an honestly competitive and entertaining football game (Of course I say this now, but by halftime I might want to poke my eyes out with acupuncture needles to relieve the excruciating pain). The Lions have one of the worst secondaries in football (teams complete a stunning 74.2 percent of their passes against Detroit) and the Rams have one of the most unimposing group of receivers in the NFL (Can someone please get open? Please? Anyone?)."

Dan O'Neill of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch puts the Rams' struggles in perspective by looking at other bad teams in St. Louis sports history.

Steve Korte of the Belleville News-Democrat says the Rams are getting desperate to finally win a game. Quarterback Marc Bulger: "We need that first one. Even at the start of the season coach (Steve Spagnuolo) was talking about just the first win. Until we get that, we feel like we're in this rut we can't get out of. Once we get that first one, I think the guys will start believing more. It will make work a lot less stressful and more fun."

Delanie Walker of the 49ers reveals the team's strategy in the return game. Walker: "With our return game, we’re going to hit them in the mouth. We’re going to play power football, because they like to run around blocks. We’re going to try and send it straight up the gut."

John Crumpacker of the San Francisco Chronicle checks in with 49ers quarterback Alex Smith and Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney regarding Smith's first regular-season NFL start. Coach Mike Singletary: "Alex is a totally different guy than he was even six months ago. I think his mind-set is clear. The thing that speaks volumes to me was in the offseason he had a chance to move on and go to another team and make more money. But he decided to stay. He wanted to finish what he started."

Matt Maiocco of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says Tarell Brown is taking over for Nate Clements because Brown matches up better against the Colts' receivers. I think there has to be more to this story. The strategy part of it simply doesn't make sense heading into a game against Peyton Manning.

Matt Barrows of the Santa Rosa Press-Democrat says Shawntae Spencer spent more time than Clements matched up against Texans receiver Andre Johnson in Week 7. Spencer has been the 49ers' best cornerback this season, in my view.

Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News sizes up the 49ers' chances against the Colts, outlining keys to previous Indianapolis defeats. Brown: "More than any other indicator, forcing Manning into turnovers is instrumental in beating him. The Colts are 0-11 in Manning's career when he throws three or more interceptions and a mere 13-21 when he throws at least two."

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News says 49ers general manager Scot McCloughan has his players in place for Week 8. Kawakami: "So, yes, Mike Singletary leads, inspires and cajoles the 49ers' 53 players. The Yorks pay them. But, five seasons into his GM tenure, this is McCloughan's roster — and it's almost exactly how he always envisioned, starting with the quarterback. Finally."

Kent Somers of the Arizona Republic says the Panthers and Cardinals are playing for the ninth time since 2001. Somers: "In some ways, the Cardinals' improvement over the past few years can be measured by their games against the Panthers. Until the playoff game in January, they had lost five in a row to the Panthers, including a regular-season game in 2008."

Darren Urban of azcardinals.com says the Cardinals experienced an enjoyable week coming off a big victory and without another road trip looming in Week 8. On another subject: "A couple fans have asked me about dropped passes and the Cards. The bottom line, there haven’t been many, not officially. The Cardinals have been charged with only 10 dropped passes out of 175 catchable balls, and their 5.7 percentage is sixth-best in the NFL (The Bears, at 3.5 percent, are first; the Browns, at 17.3 percent drops, are last). Fullback Dan Kreider has two of the drops; running back Tim Hightower three. Fitz has been charged with one drop in 63 passes targeted his way. Anquan Boldin has two in 51 targets, Steve Breaston none in 32 and Jerheme Urban none in 23."

Also from Urban: The Cardinals say they never came close to releasing Alan Branch, but they were certainly disappointed by his development -- until this season.

Greg Johns of seattlepi.com sees a 34-17 Cowboys victory against the Seahawks. Johns: "Seattle's offensive line will have trouble keeping the Cowboys off Matt Hasselbeck. They can't create enough of a run game to provide any balance. The Seahawks' defensive backs will have trouble against the Cowboys' big receiving crew. Not to mention it's a 10 a.m. start on the road, a recipe for disaster as any half-awake Seahawks' fan knows. Maybe the extra hour of sleep from turning the clocks back will be the antidote, but don't count on it."

Also from Johns: Seahawks rookie Max Unger has become a mainstay on an ever-changing offensive line. Position coach Mike Solari: "He's coming along. Max is getting better each week. The key thing with him is experience, but he's really doing a nice job. It's very tough, but each week he's learning and building a nice foundation as a rookie. We're really happy to have Max."

Danny O'Neil of the Seattle Times says the Seahawks have bad memories from their most recent trip to Dallas. There have been others. Dan McGwire, Trent Dilfer and Darrell Jackson all suffered serious injuries there.

William P. Tomisser of Seahawk Addicts outlines keys for the Seahawks against Dallas. Tomisser: "I'm looking for a hard fought game with the Seahawks giving as much as they get proving that injuries were the main cause of the team's inability to compete early in the season previous to the bye. I look for a team more closely oriented to the one we saw on opening day than the one we saw last game against the Cardinals to take the field against the Cowboys."