What’s it called again, when the game is over, and the Rams have more points than the other team? It’s escaping me right now… Oh well. I’ll think of it soon enough.

What a great weekend this was for us pro football fans in St. Louis. On Saturday, what felt like one giant, never-ending rain cloud finally cleared out of the St. Louis sky for what turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable Halloween weekend. On Sunday, the Rams followed suit, lifting the cloud of their 17-game losing streak, and finally… you know…

Let me just get this out upfront, since I know people out there are thinking it: No, this one game against the hapless Detroit Lions does not magically make the Rams a great team again. Yes, there were problems. I’ll admit, I was as nervous as anybody when Mo Morris caught the 2-point play following Matthew Stafford’s touchdown run early in the fourth quarter. The Rams should have been able to put the Lions away rather than allowing them to fight their way back into the contest. Yes, I am concerned that guard Jacob Bell is hurt yet again, and that Brandon Gibson could suddenly be our third receiver less than two weeks after joining the team (replacing Danny Amendola, who performed the same quick rise up the depth chart a month ago). Yes, I do think Marc Bulger could have played a lot better, considering that he was going against a much-maligned Detroit secondary, he was protected, and he had an extremely effective running game behind him. And yes, James Butler turning his takeaway into a score for the other team had that “only the Rams” feel to it. The Rams will have to deal with all those issues if they want to… do that thing they did yesterday again, whatever it’s called.

Today’s not about that, though.

Today is about the Rams finally finishing a game that was in reach.

Today is about that beautifully executed fake field goal at the end of the first half, with kicker Josh Brown lobbing the ball to tight end Daniel Fells, who took off down the sidelines. The result of that play — a 36-yard score — provoked much the same reaction as the outcome of the game: “Whoa, I can’t believe they did it!”

Today is about Keenan Burton showing some effectiveness, with five catches for 54 yards.

Today is about Leonard Little, who, at age 35, continues to play like he’s in the prime of his career, with a sack, a tackle for a loss, and good pressure against the Lions. It’s about his linemate, Chris Long, finally busting through for his long-awaited first sack of the season, hopefully a watershed moment for the embattled former first-round pick.

Today is about a Rams defense that held Detroit to 269 yards and 10 points. The unit deserves props not only for what happened in Detroit, but for the other times this year they gave the Rams a very real chance to… Ah, what’s it called?! A few years ago, the Rams did it all the time…

Today was about an offensive line that, despite missing both starting guards, gave up no sacks, and paved the way for a huge day on the ground.

Today is about a rookie coaching staff that seems to be finding its way. In spite of the Rams’ incredibly rough start out of the gate this year, new head coach Steve Spagnuolo has led the Rams with a steely resolve. He has kept the Rams working hard and playing hard in the face of the mounting losses, and he deserves a lot of credit for that. The Rams committed only five penalties for 27 yards yesterday, and the one turnover by Bulger, well below their season norms, and perhaps a sign that Spagnuolo’s attention to disciplined play is starting to take hold. Plus, Spagnuolo showed just how badly he wanted this game by ordering the Rams to go for it on fourth down at the end of the first half, first with Bulger leading the offense out to run a play, and then, when that was aborted, ordering the fake field goal.

The assistants share the credit, too. Defensive coordinator Ken Flajole did a great job of mixing up looks, creating pressure, and containing a Lions team that came out absolutely determined to run the football (and yes, his defense did turn back Scott Linehan’s offense, but, of course, I realize today’s not about that, either). With the game on the line, offensive head Pat Shurmur rode his best weapon. And how about special teams coordinator Tom McMahon seeing and exploiting the chance for the fake? After some early-season jitters, the unit seems to be progressing nicely, and hopefully, they’ll be able to make some plays going forward to help the Rams… It’s on the tip of my tongue…

Of course, this day was about SJ39, Steven Jackson, the Rams’ finest player, and a man who’s doing everything he can to endear himself to the St. Louis community that, so far, has been reluctant to embrace him. It’s true, the Rams’ star running back will speak his mind, and sometimes that can shock your system, especially when you’re talking about a team that has encountered as many pitfalls as the Rams have. However, Jackson may be outspoken, but he’s never out of line. If anything, he has been trying his darnedest to jolt his teammates from this long drought. He shows up every day and gives his all, in spite of the adversity at Rams Park, giving his young fellow Rams the much needed example of how to do it right in the NFL. In terms of offensive production, Jackson is the Rams, with 970 yards from scrimmage, a figure good enough for second-best in the league. Yesterday, his 149 yard rushing were the difference in the game, and Jackson was better than those numbers make it sound. There were times when it really looked like he might drag six defenders with him all the way to the end-zone. Of course, this is how Jackson has played all year long, so it was fitting that he scored the touchdown that ultimately gave the Rams a… it starts with a “w”…

A WIN! That’s it! It’s been a long time since we’ve seen one of those around here.

I’ll tell you all, I believe something did start with this W. The Rams finally have that monkey off of their backs. All the “worst” talk can be tabled for now, better reserved for water coolers in Tampa Bay, or Oakland, or Cleveland… or maybe… Detroit (guess those good vibes didn’t last too long). The Rams finally have the tangible, concrete evidence that they can win doing the things that they’re doing out at Rams Park, and that’s huge. Simply getting that elusive first win was the most significant thing to come out of Sunday, and it should galvanize this team as it moves forward to the second half of the season.

So enjoy this one, everybody. It has been a long time coming. The Rams’ next opponents are the undefeated Saints, so asking for a streak may be a bit too much just yet, but take heart!

Now that the Rams have broken through, more WINS should be on the way in the near future (at least, nearer than 17 games)!