A True Slumpbuster

I’m not going to focus on the fact that the Rams should be 1-8 right now, but for a botched snap and hold on a chip shot Cleveland field goal attempt. As the Head Coach is fond of saying, “I’m not gonna go there.” A win’s a win.

But it’s undeniable that this was one of the ugliest, least entertaining NFL games I have ever witnessed. Talk about boring football; I think at some point I tweeted that the good folks over at Serta PerfectSleeper © were sponsoring this one. Goodness…

The only word that comes to mind is “slumpbuster.” The Rams needed a win in the worst way, and like a horny guy that hadn’t gotten laid for months, they didn’t care if a win came up against a 300-pounder that hasn’t shaved her upper lip for weeks; “a win is a win.”

Somebody call the FCC; how they could show that on TV without blurring out key parts is beyond me. There were so many moments to choose from; fumbles and near-interceptions on both sides, and for the Rams, add in relentless injuries and even a kickoff out of bounds. What a mess.

Sam Bradford gets credited with a fourth quarter comeback (and a road one at that), despite only completing two passes in the stanza.

Josh Brown kicked a “game-winning field goal,” but then nearly coughed up the game with an ill-timed kick out-of-bounds on the ensuing kickoff.

I mean, I hate to say it, but the common thought on twitter appears to be that folks somehow feel like the Rams LOST that game.

Of course, that's ridiculous, but it’s tough to blame them. It was boring, crappy, mistake-filled football on both sides. If you have even an ounce of empathy, it’s tough to watch guys get carted off the field seemingly every other play.

I’m sure we’ll hear “a win is a win” a lot tomorrow, and theoretically, it’s true. Spags finally breaks into double digits in career wins as a head coach (10-31 for those counting). ESPN, Yahoo!, pro-football-reference.com; all will list it as a win. I suppose if the Rams won out, it would count just as much as the others.

But I find myself coming back to something I’ve said a lot this season: professional sports are (supposed to be, at least) entertainment, pure and simple. That…”game”…was not entertaining. In fact, it was the opposite. It was two boring teams playing boring football against each other; just one of the inevitable quirks of an NFL schedule that is set up the way that it is. Until the Rams start playing entertaining games that they actually win as opposed to backing into a victory off of a mistake by the other team, it’s hard to get excited.  I know winning is the team's goal, but that win didn't really line up with what fans want to see; good, entertaining football.

So yes, the Rams did get a win on the scoreboard and in the standings. No one can take it away from them. But when they sober up in the morning and look next to them, they shouldn’t be surprised if they’re horrified by the slumpbuster that they brought home with them, in all of her sober, horrific morning glory.  Now it's up to the Rams to get back on the horse and make it the exception as opposed to the rule.

D.J. Gelner covers the Rams beat for insideSTL. Follow him on twitter for the latest Rams updates (@djgelner). Be sure to follow his live blogs and tweets on game days.