Congratulations to Steven Jackson

Jackson was selected to the Pro Bowl for the third time yesterday. He's second in the NFC this season in yards from scrimmage and this season became the Rams' all-time rushing leader and first six-time 1,000-yard rusher.

Even though the Rams improved from 1-15 last season to the verge of a playoff spot this year, Jackson is the only Ram on the NFC's Pro Bowl roster. (Same as last year.) Punter Donnie Jones is an alternate.

-$-

Rams report, 12/28

* Michael Hoomanawanui may be the only Ram on this week's injury report. He's on the verge of coming back from a high ankle sprain and will try to return to practice Thursday.

* Game injuries from Sunday: Jerome Murphy, broken finger; Eugene Sims, bruised knee. Neither expected to miss any time.

* Seattle injuries from Sunday:
- WR Brandon Stokley sustained a concussion but head coach Pete Carroll believes he will be practicing by the end of the week.
- LT Russell Okung, who has had ankle problems all season, twisted his ankle during the game but finished it out.
- QB Matt Hasselbeck is "determined to play" against the Rams despite a strained hip. An MRI was negative. Seattle is preparing as though Charlie Whitehurst is going to start but haven't ruled Hasselbeck out.

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Spotlight dance: Rams and Seahawks

Courtesy of their 25-17 win over the Whiners Sunday, the Rams will play at Seattle for the NFC West title on national TV January 2nd. In another achievement I would have never expected the Rams to earn before this season, their game has been flexed to NBC's Sunday Night Football in prime time. Kickoff will be 7:20 CST.

The Rams have opened in Vegas as 1-point favorites.

Initial word from Seattle is that Charlie Whitehurst will start against the Rams at QB as a result of Matt Hasselbeck's aggravated hip injury Sunday in Tampa. If you're counting, this is the third straight week the Rams have little to no idea what starting QB to prepare for. At least they're used to it.

-$-

Rams report, 12/23

* Smith in, Smiths out. Jason Smith missed most of yesterday's practice after turning his left ankle. X-rays were negative. Renardo Foster stepped in at RT.

Chris Long and Kenneth Darby returned to practice. Both were limited.

Michael Hoomanawanui was slated to practice but the condition of his ankle wasn't as good as hoped. He remains out.

Mike Singletary's big secret about Sunday's starting 49ers QB made it the whole way to Wednesday before NFL Network's Jason La Canfora flushed it out. It'll be Troy Smith, though Singletary continues to say he won't hesitate to make a change in-game. I'd make the same move in Singletary's position. Troy threw for 356 yards in the first meeting, and if their o-line is as bad off as it was last month, they'll need their most mobile guy back there.

* Sold-out season. Sunday's game qualified for sell-out status yesterday and will be on local TV, making the Rams 8-for-8 this season. Six games better than I thought they'd do.

* Transactions. LB Curtis Johnson was called up from the practice squad to fill Britt Miller's spot on the main roster. Joe West gets the opening on the practice squad. Not to be confused for the "Cowboy Umpire", West is a WR out of UTEP originally signed by the Cowboys in 2008. He has two seasons under his belt in the UFL: 16-193 with 5 starts in 2009 for the California Redwoods, and 17-262 with 3 starts this year for the Sacramento Mountain Lions.

* Updates on players I think are former Rams:
- Dominic Douglas: signed to Broncos practice squad.
- Louis Leonard: cut by New England.
- Brett Johnson: added to Bills practice squad.
- Terrail Lambert: added to Dolphins practice squad.
- Donovan Raiola: cut by Tampa Bay.

Merry Christmas.

-$-

Singletary not naming starting QB

Who's going to QB the 49ers Sunday, Alex Smith or Troy Smith? Only Mike Singletary knows, and he isn't telling. He claims he has already made up his mind who'll play against the Rams but also says it might be both. Both QBs will get their share of reps during the week in practice.

Personally, I think Singletary's just recognizing he has a pretty classic Giant Douche vs. Turd Sandwich dilemma here, and doesn't want to admit he actually has to start either guy.

-$-

Rams report, 12/21

* Besides local pride, the injury report coming out of Sunday's loss to the Chiefs:
- Chris Long, bruised left thigh, not considered serious.
- Britt Miller, torn right ACL, done for season. Mike Karney will return to the game-day active roster at fullback. No news yet on who'll join the main roster.
- Kenneth Darby and, surprise, surprise, Michael Hoomanawanui, should be on the field at practice tomorrow.

The Rams may catch an injury break from the 49ers, who had to place LB Travis LaBoy on the IR Saturday. He's a pretty decent pass rusher and ended 2010 with 5 sacks.

* Sam Bradford passed 3,000 yards for the season against the Chiefs, making him only the third rookie QB in NFL history to surpass that mark. He joins Matt Ryan and Peyton Manning.

* Playoff scenarios: The Rams pretty much have to win their last two games to win the NFC West and make the playoffs. Beating San Francisco this week eliminates the 49ers and makes the final game in Seattle a division title game, no matter what Seattle does this week in Tampa. If the Rams lose to the 49ers, they'd have to beat Seattle and have Arizona beat the 49ers the final week of the season. So the playoffs start this week then.

* Looking ahead to next year's free agent market, Vincent Jackson could get the franchise tag from the Chargers. They're considering it, labor agreement pending, naturally.

* Errata: RamView this week should have said the 49ers would be going for their sixth, not fifth, straight win in the series. All the more reason to bring the sucker to an end next Sunday. The Rams opened as 1-point favorites and are favored now by 1.5 to 2.5 by various lines. I am not making a pick this week as I feel extremely unlucky.

* Ex-Rams news: Hall Davis, remember him? was called up from the practice squad by the Titans. NFL.com says he played Sunday against Houston but did not credit him with any tackles.
-$-

Rams report, 12/17

* Injury updates: The Rams almost don't have any injury concerns this week. Jacob Bell (bruised knee) is probable for the Chiefs game. Ron Bartell (shoulder) has been limited in practice but is determined to play Sunday and is also listed as probable. Justin King is full-go and is off the injury report altogether. Kenneth Darby has a cracked rib and is listed as questionable; I'd guess game-day inactive for him. David Nixon (broken hand) is also questionable, while Michael Hoomanawanui (high ankle sprain) remains out and reportedly isn't anywhere close to being ready.

Chiefs head coach Todd Haley says the decision to start Matt Cassel or Brodie Croyle at QB won't be made until right before the game.

* Roll the dice. The Rams are apparently 1-point underdogs this week; I guess I'll have to take them. You can't not take them, in case Croyle starts. But I guess I'm going to have to leave Dwayne Bowe in my fantasy lineup. He's had ZERO fantasy points the last two weeks, and you can bet he'd be a good bet to do it again with Croyle in. It's stupid from a fantasy standpoint to start him. But if I bench him, you can bet Cassel starts, plays like Tom Brady and hits Bowe for about a buck-sixty and 2 or 3 TDs. Guess I'll have to bite the bullet so I don't screw the Rams.

Yes, I do actually make fantasy football decisions like that.

* Set your DVR. TV blackout is officially lifted for the game. Noon Sunday on KMOV.

* Frisco melt. The weekend got off to a good start with San Diego burying the Whiners last night, 34-7. The preseason favorite to win the NFC West is now 5-9.

* Ex-Ram update: Kevin Curtis has signed a 1-year contract with the Dolphins. He was cut by the Eagles this spring and has missed the 2010 season to date due to surgery for testicular cancer. Best of luck to White Lightning.

-$-

* Fine time: Oshiomogho Atogwe was fined $5,000 for his facemask penalty on Reggie Bush in last Sunday's game.

* And I can't believe I forgot this, but judging that Governor Jay Nixon's vital business on behalf of the people of Missouri today was hanging out at Rams Park... the hell with the playoffs, THE GOVERNOR'S CUP IS ON THE LINE SUNDAY!!!!!

Now that I know the Cup is on the line, I'm shocked, shocked, I say, that the Chiefs are even thinking of keeping Cassel sidelined. You don't get that many chances to win the Governor's Cup, you know!

-$$-

Rams report, 12/15

* Now the Chiefs are in trouble: Hyphen Jr. is back on the Rams' practice squad. That would be Jimmy Saddler-McQueen, replacing fellow DT Mitch King.

* SI.com has made the article disappear, but one of their fantasy columnists feels Matt Cassel is a certain starter for K.C. Sunday because appendectomies aren't the invasive surgery they used to be. Ben Roethlisberger missed Pittsburgh's season opener in 2006 because of an emergency appendectomy, but that happened only 4 days before a game on Thursday night. He started week 2, 15 days later. Cassel will have had 10 days after surgery coming into the game Sunday. Update: Cassel participated in today's Chiefs practice, at least at the beginning.

* Leonard Little has officially retired. He had been keeping the door open for a comeback if Steve Spagnuolo needed to call on him, and turned down offers to play for other teams. I'd have thought the Rams' meager pass rush the last couple of weeks would have made him think differently, but he's decided they're more than good enough without him and is calling it a career. A very successful career on the field that will always be marred by a terrible mistake and poor judgment off the field.

* Sunday's game will almost certainly be on TV; there are less than 500 tickets left to meet the NFL's requirements to lift the blackout. Note that the game will be on CBS/KMOV, not Fox/KTVI, since the road Chiefs are an AFC team.

* The Cassel situation currently has the Rams-Chiefs game off-line in Vegas.

-$-

Rams report, 12/14

* Injury update from the Rams' 31-13 loss to New Orleans Sunday:

- Jacob Bell has a bruised knee after what might have been his best game of the season. There are initial concerns about his availability to play against Kansas City on the 19th.
- The only other in-game injury was LB David Nixon's broken hand, on the opening kickoff. He expects to miss one game at the very most, probably none.
- Ron Bartell (shoulder), Kenneth Darby (ribs), Michael Hoomanawanui (ankle) and Justin King (shoulder) were all inactive for the Saints game. Hooman would seem very unlikely to play against the Chiefs. The others will bear watching.

* Stuff I would have posted by now if I weren't lazy:
- Big Dead DT Alan Branch was fined $10,000 for hitting Sam Bradford in the head/neck area during the Rams' win over Arizona Dec. 12.

- Orlando Pace has an award named after him. Well, half an award. The Big Ten Twelve (not to be confused with the Big Twelve Ten) announced this week it will award the Rimington-Pace Trophy annually to the best offensive lineman in the Big Ten Twelve. Wait a minute, why the hell does the Nebraska guy get his name listed first? Why doesn't the Ohio State player get preference over a guy who never played in the conference?

Good for me, Nebraska hasn't even started in the Big Ten Twelve yet and I already dislike them.

- The Rams officially got the "go" last week from the NFL to sell playoff tickets. Rams playoff tickets: now there's something I could get used to.

-$-

Rams report, 12/10

Not much movement on the Rams injury front. Oshiomogho Atogwe upgraded to limited participation at yesterday's practice. Craig Dahl and Jerome Murphy continued to be limited, but the Rams believe all three DB's should be able to play Sunday against the Saints. Dahl and Murphy are listed as probable for Sunday; Atogwe questionable.

Ron Bartell, Justin King and Kenneth Darby remain out. All three are listed as doubtful for Sunday's game. (Michael Hoomanawanui is out.) Quincy Butler appears to be the first candidate if they have to replace Bartell, while Keith Toston has been getting Darby's reps, not that I'm especially thrilled about the idea of Toston trying to pick up Gregg Williams blitzes all day in New Orleans. I'd expect Jackson on the field a lot of the time on third down, too.

The Saints have a very short injury report. The most notable item is that Pierre Thomas is probable.

Kickoff is 3:05 Sunday.

-$-

Jackson needs 15 rushing yards Sunday to get to 1,000 for the season, for the sixth straight year. He's the only Rams RB who's even done it five straight times.

-$$-

Rams report, 12/9

* Lazy blogger catchup: SLB Na'il Diggs is out for the season. He was IR'ed yesterday due to a torn pectoreal (Missouri spelling) muscle incurred during the WIN over Arizona Sunday. Looks like David Vobora is stepping into the starting SLB role and Chris Chamberlain into Will. David Nixon, also a LB, was called up off the practice squad to replace Diggs on the roster.



* Injury update: NFL.com doesn't have the courtesy to PUT A DATE on its injury reports. I think this is today's, at least:

Sitting out practice: Oshiomogho Atogwe (shoulder); Ron Bartell (neck); Kenneth Darby (ribs); Michael Hoomanawanui (ankle).
Limited participation: Craig Dahl (knee); Justin King (shoulder); Jerome Murphy (hamstring).

Yes, that's FIVE defensive backs banged up the week before the Rams have to take on Drew Brees.

* A fool and his hypothetical money: I'm taking the Rams plus the ten points in New Orleans Sunday anyway. The WIN over the Big Dead lifted me to a big 6-5-1 this season.

* Transactions: replacing Nixon on the PS, LB Maurice Simpkins. He was last on the Packers' PS; they had signed him from the Green Bay Blizzard of the Indoor Football League. Two geek points for Simpkins: he was a programmer before catching on with the Packers, and he's a Chanticleer. (Coastal Carolina)

* Very minor ex-Ram updates: Keith Null was promoted to the Carolina main roster after they IR'ed rookie Tony Pike. Donovan Raiola was signed by the Bucs. Danny Gorrer has returned to the Ravens PS.

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Rams report, 12/6

Injury report from the Rams' 19-6 WIN over the Big Dead yesterday:

* Na'il Diggs injured his right shoulder in the 4th quarter. Steve Spagnuolo's postgame comments make it sound like he'll miss some games due to the injury.
* Ron Bartell missed I believe at least the second half after re-injuring his left shoulder, which has been a problem for him all season.
* Chris Chamberlain played with a possibly-broken right hand.

* Jason Smith missed a handful of plays due to an ankle injury.
* Billy Bajema played with an unspecified right knee injury.
* Kenneth Darby had bruised ribs late in the game.


The 6-6 and FIRST PLACE Rams play in New Orleans next Sunday.

-$-

Rams report, 12/3 p.m.

Here's how the Rams injury report shakes out for Sunday:

Out - Michael Hoomanawanui.
Doubtful - Jerome Murphy. Murphy did not practice this afternoon, so I'm definitely thinking Quincy Butler plays.
Questionable - Mike Karney upgraded.
Probable - Donnie Jones, Justin King, Darell Scott.


Positional news: It looks like this week's Starting Weakside Linebacker of the Week will be David Vobora.

Ex-Rams news: I have a hard time thinking of Bruce Gradkowski as an ex-Ram because I'm still pissed off he got away with taking that dive back in week 2, but this is where I'm obliged to report that the Raiders have placed him on IR due to a separated shoulder. He got the injury last Sunday against Miami but the shoulder was originally injured back in week 4.

Chris Myers will do play-by-play for this week's game on Fox, not that anyone around here will be paying any attention to him, because the color commentator will be Kurt Warner, doing the first Rams game of his nascent broadcasting career. Here's a recent STLToday interview with Kurt, in which he describes the NFC West as "hard to watch". It also sounds like there is a 0% chance he'll return to the field.

-$-

Rams report, 12/3

The Rams' injury list lengthened at practice yesterday:

* Mike Karney did not participate due to a groin injury.
* Jerome Murphy tweaked a hamstring during practice.

Darell Scott remains limited due to a foot injury but Donnie Jones and Justin King appear to be full-go. If Murphy's unable to go in Arizona Sunday, I can't believe the Rams would be any worse off with Quincy Butler. Murphy's been the worst DB in a very bad secondary the last three weeks.

-$-

Rams report, 12/2

The Rams list only four players on the official league injury report:

* Michael Hoomanawanui (high ankle sprain) is out, and will be for 4 to 6 weeks.

* Justin King (shoulder) and Donnie Jones (calf) were listed as full participants in practice.

* Darell Scott (foot) was listed as a limited participant.


Over on the Arizona side, the defense is a veritable MASH unit. Darnell Dockett was limited in practice today; Calais Campbell was a DNP. LBs Paris Lenon and Clark Haggans were limited, as were both starting corners (iirc), Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and Greg Toler.

Let us please stomp these guys while they are down.

-$-

The waiver wire has been thick with ex-Rams the last couple of days:
* Victor Adeyanju has been re-signed by the Bengals after they had to IR Antwan Odom.
* Phil Trautwein has turned up on Cleveland's practice squad. He had torn a knee ligament here in training camp. Good to hear he's up and at it and employed again; confused because I thought he was on the Rams' injured reserve and I never saw news that he'd been waived. Oh well.
* Rob Petitti, also a tackle, has signed with the Panthers.
* Mortty Ivy is now on the Dolphins' practice squad.
* Not a waiver wire move, but Brandon Chillar has been IR'ed by the Packers. He's been playing with a shoulder injury all year and it got worse after a tackle on a kickoff Sunday in Atlanta.

* Last, a bit of advice: if you have a Bears WR on your fantasy team, start him this week. They're playing Detroit, who just signed... Tye Hill.

-$$-

Congratulations to Sam Bradford again

Sam Bradford is the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Month for November. In 3 games, he threw for nearly 800 yards, completed 65.3% of his passes and had a passer rating of 96.8. He threw six TDs in November vs. only one interception and set an NFL rookie record for most passes without an interception (169). Sam also won this award in October.

Think we might just have a good one here.

-$-

Thoughts on Hall-of-Fame qualifying

The Pro Football Hall of Fame selection process for 2011 is down now to the semifinals, 26 modern-era players and two Seniors Committee nominees, both of whom have a bye to the finals.

Players with Rams ties still in the running: Marshall Faulk, Aeneas Williams, Kevin Greene, Seniors Committee nominee Les Richter and Jerome Bettis.

The only individual with old football Cardinal ties still in the running is Don Coryell. He's also the only coach to make the semifinals, as Dick Vermeil did not make this round. As Coryell's one of the great innovators in football history, I don't have a big problem with him surviving over first-time nominee Vermeil, or Chuck Knox, who was passed over again this year.

Henry Ellard didn't last to this round, either, but the WRs in front of him are Cris Carter, Tim Brown and Andre Reed, all in the top ten of the career receptions list. Ellard's unfortunately going to have a hard time cracking the logjam of WR's heading to the Hall.

But of course, I wouldn't be writing this if I didn't have something to complain about. It's a mild disgrace that Paul Tagliabue continues to make the cut every year. He certainly better not get a vote from any St. Louis writer, who'd have no team to cover if Tagliabue had gotten his wish. I also fail to see what his great accomplishments or contributions to the league even were. What, the labor contract the owners hate so much there's a good chance of a lockout next season? Maybe the TV contract, though that's a ball Pete Rozelle started rolling. Just having been commissioner's not enough, or Elmer Layden would be in. Just say no to Tagliabue like he did to St. Louis.

It's a less-mild disgrace that Art Modell's one of the two owners who made it this far. Moving the Cleveland Browns should automatically disqualify him. (Hey, sue me. I doubt Georgia ever makes the Hall, either.)

It's a brutal disgrace, though, that former 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo Jr. was even put up for nomination, let alone gets this close to induction. Here's a guy who routinely violated the league's salary cap rules and was barred from running his team for a year for trying to get away with bribing Louisiana governor Edwin Edwards to help him secure a casino license.

Former Rams owner Carroll Rosenbloom doesn't get serious consideration for the Hall; you can bet because of reports he was a heavy gambler, bet on his own team, and that his suspicious death in 1979 was tied to illegal gambling. Fine. DeBartolo's any better? No. Not only should he not be inducted into the Hall; he should be purged from the eligibility list.

For the record, I think seven candidates can get in in any given year, so my votes go to:

- Faulk
- Coryell
- Bettis
- Deion Sanders
- Curtis Martin
- Cris Carter
- and Richard Dent, who I think has waited long enough. Super Bowl MVP, top 10 in sacks all-time, third at the time he retired. Let Aeneas in next year when he won't be in Deion's loud-mouthed shadow. Shannon Sharpe's first-ballot-worthy, too, but if all the wide receivers have to wait to get in, shouldn't the tight ends?

-$-

Practice squad tweak

Defensive tackle Mitch King added; CB Terrail Lambert deleted.

Current practice squad:
Curtis Johnson, LB
Mitch King, DT
Thaddeus Lewis, QB
Greg Mathews, WR
Ryan McKee, T
Drew Miller, OL
David Nixon, LB
Chauncey Washington, RB

Today's completely unnecessary trivia fact: Throw in Larry Grant and Steven Jackson from the main roster, and that's five Rams with the same last name as a former U.S. President.

-$-