Spagnuolo sees progress in Rams' second loss

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Rams scored their first points and got their first sack of the season against the Washington Redskins.

They're still waiting for their first victory, heading into the home opener against the Packers. New Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo realizes that despite making progress it's a bottom line business for a franchise that has dropped 12 in a row.

"There are no moral victories," Spagnuolo said he told his players Monday. "We should be upset that we lost. I'm disappointed, but not discouraged."

He also told them not to expect incremental improvement every week as a matter of course.

"Be careful not to think just because it was 28-0 a week ago and this week it was a two-point deficit that it's automatic," Spagnuolo said. "It doesn't happen that way. Every week is a new week and we've got a new challenge this week with Green Bay."

Spagnuolo ticked off several positive developments on both sides of the ball from the 9-7 loss at Washington.

The offense had three drives that lasted 10 or more plays and was 6 for 12 on third down after going 2 for 12 in the opener. Marc Bulger hit Laurent Robinson for a 2-yard touchdown pass on a fade route that put St. Louis ahead 7-6 late in the second quarter. The running game got into gear with Steven Jackson gaining 104 yards on 17 carries.

The defense was scrappy and resilient, and allowed only three field goals. James Hall just missed dropping Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell for a safety early in the fourth quarter.

But enough of that. Players are tired of walking off the field dejected.

"Nobody in the locker room is really in the mood to try to find a light in the loss," said offensive lineman Adam Goldberg, who'll likely start in place of Jason Smith (sprained left knee) this week. "It's time to just tighten things up, do what we need to do, and go out and get a W."

The margin for error is slim, with wide receiver Donnie Avery's lost fumble at the Washington 5 early in the fourth quarter costing the Rams dearly.

Spagnuolo decided to play it safe and sit on a 7-6 lead at the end of the first half, even though the Rams were at their 30 with 1:12 to go and three timeouts remaining. He declined to second-guess that decision.

"I thought we were playing well, we had some good momentum," Spagnuolo said. "I played it pretty close to the vest. I think I'd do the same thing."

St. Louis had third-and-2 at the Washington 41 with 9:25 to play and trailing 9-7, a critical juncture. Instead of handing it twice to the 235-pound Jackson running behind the upgraded offensive line, Bulger threw incomplete over the middle on third down and the Rams lined up in a fake punt formation on fourth down that failed to draw the Redskins offsides.

After a 5-yard delay of game call, Donnie Jones punted it into the end zone. The Rams got one more chance, starting at their own 4 with 1:55 to go, and went four-and-out.

Spagnuolo said he considered going for it, but felt good about the way the defense was playing and with Jones' ability to pin down the Redskins so the Rams could get the ball back and put Josh Brown in position for a go-ahead field goal.

"What you don't want to have happen is don't make the first down and then the momentum swings," Spagnuolo said. "We played the field position game in a two-point game."