Rams Gain Ground In NFC West Amid Seahawks, Cardinals Losses

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — The Rams received a bye week gift Sunday, as the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals both lost their Week 8 games.

Those losses helped the Rams (3-4) gain ground in the NFC West standings despite not having won a game in a month. (The Rams entered their bye week with three consecutive losses). The Rams still trail the second-place Cardinals (3-4-1) and first-place Seahawks (4-2-1). The 49ers (1-6) are in last place.

Both losses Sunday exposed some unforeseen vulnerabilities for the Rams' divisional foes.

The Seahawks, who have one of the top-ranked defenses in the NFL, were gashed by Saints' backup running back Tim Hightower, who ran for 102-yard on 26 carries.

The Cardinals, meanwhile, were beset by penalties and sloppy play. The Cardinals were penalized 10 times for 88 yards and allowed eight sacks.

In one situation, the Cardinals faced a second-and-44 after quarterback Carson Palmer was flagged for an unsportsmanlike conduct for yelling at an official.

The Rams will host the Panthers on Sunday.

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