The bye week comes at an ideal time for the Rams — the halfway mark of the season for their new head coach, his new staff and a roster brimming with new players.

Or, so it would seem ideal.

"The conventional wisdom would say that," coach Steve Spagnuolo said. "But I would throw this at you: In 2003 in Philadelphia, we had the bye after the second game. When we got that schedule, everybody was like, 'That's a terrible time to have the bye.'

"But we were 0-2 and had all kinds of injuries after the first two games. So it came at a perfect time."

After opening with losses to Tampa Bay and New England, the Eagles went 12-2 the rest of the way and won the NFC East.

That's not saying something similar might happen for the Rams, who are 1-7 after snapping their 17-game losing streak with a 17-10 victory Sunday in Detroit.

Still, with the bye coming now, Spagnuolo acknowledged he and his coaches will have a hefty body of work with which to evaluate their team — and themselves — heading into the second half of the season.

"It does give you a chunk of information to go off of, to really study yourself," Spagnuolo said. "This is the only time during the year when I'll look at a bunch of stats and rankings. So in that regard, it's good. ...

"We're going to use (the time) efficiently, from the coaches' and players' standpoint, and hopefully come out of it and be a better team than we were in the first half."

TEAM GETS BREAK

After a day off Monday, the players will practice today and Wednesday, then be dismissed until next Monday. The coaches will get a breather, too. "We'll get 5 minutes in here somewhere," Spagnuolo quipped before adding that he hopes to give his assistants Friday, Saturday and Sunday off.

CLOCK MANAGEMENT

If you thought Spagnuolo was doing cartwheels on the sideline when Steven Jackson broke free for his 25-yard go-ahead touchdown run with 1 minutes, 38 seconds remaining Sunday, think again.

"I looked at the clock to see how much time they were going to have. And I even said to myself, 'I hope he didn't score too soon,'" Spagnuolo said. "I never stop thinking about what you've got to do next, and especially from a defensive standpoint. ... Until it was over, I didn't relax at all. I can guarantee you that."

INJURY UPDATES

Guard Jacob Bell and receiver/returner Danny Amendola will undergo neurological exams this week after suffering blows to the head vs. the Lions.

Spagnuolo reported that guard Richie Incognito (foot) still is wearing an orthopedic boot and that it's too early to forecast the status of defensive end C.J. Ah You (ankle) for the New Orleans game Nov. 15. Ah You, hurt Oct. 25 vs. Indianapolis, didn't play Sunday.

STRONG SHOWING

Cornerback Quincy Butler earned high marks for his first career start in a "base" defense. Butler was in the lineup for Bradley Fletcher, who suffered a season-ending knee injury vs. the Colts.

Butler "challenged those wideouts," Spagnuolo said. "He likes that kind of challenge; he's a competitive guy." Butler had five tackles and knocked away two passes, according to the coaches' film review.

RAM-BLINGS

Rookie linebacker James Laurinaitis led the Rams in tackles for the fifth time. He recorded eight, boosting his team-leading total to 74. ... In addition to getting his first sack, defensive end Chris Long had five tackles. He's tops among the linemen, with 37 for the year, and fourth on the team overall.