Benjamin Hochman: Rams’ success is a reprieve for fans

After talking with the big man upstairs, Father Leo Spezia talked to the big men downstairs.

Presumably doing double duty on a Sunday, the Rams’ team chaplain emerged from the winning locker room, wearing a white collar and a wide smile.

“They made some mistakes, young team, but they bounced back and didn’t give up,” Father Leo said after speaking to the team. “And the fans were behind them today, and I think that’s really important, especially with things going on the way they are, with the possible stadium or not staying.”

At this point, Father Leo and friends might be the only ones who can save the Rams. Sadly, I don’t think St. Louis has a prayer to keep this particular franchise. Never has there been a need for a Hail Mary more in football. It all just stinks.

Yet after Sunday’s results, here’s the latest cruel twist to St. Louis the Rams are actually, finally good.

It would be so much easier if the Rams were just, you know, the Rams. Instead, they defeated the defending conference champs St. Louis 34, Seattle 31 in overtime.

The Rams’ Nick Foles reminded us that quarterback is the most important job in all of sports, and he can play that position not just competently, but potently. And the defense! A ravenous, Ravens-like defense at the Edward Jones Dome, one that allowed only 16 points, one that won the game by stuffing Marshawn Lynch on fourth down.

Asked about the Rams fans the scattered tens of thousands at the Dome, and those watching at home defensive end Robert Quinn said: “Hopefully people don’t quit on us just yet; we’ve got a lot more to prove.”

Psychologically, it’s already been tough enough to deal with the impending move, and now St. Louisans have to deal with the tease that the Rams are an impending playoff team.

There are many St. Louis Rams fans, sure, but this year, for the first time, fans have had to break it down: Yes, I’m a fan of St. Louis, but am I still a fan of the Rams? Do I want to pay my hard-earned money to go watch and support a franchise that’s trying to move?

I’m sure many of you experienced this Sunday: That giddy moment when you pull on your Rams jersey or you walk through the stadium doors or settle into the soft spot on your sofa and it hits you dang it, they’re trying to leave St. Louis! Why should I even go through this?

But even if it’s reluctant, we still care. You remember you’re fans of St. Louis, and those guys out there played so hard Sunday for your city (Sack City, at that). You love football. You love that delirious feeling of indecipherably screaming after a touchdown. You hold on to the fact that there’s still a chance the Rams could stay. You know you can only worry about the present. And you feel connected to the past, too, because you felt that tingle in your body when Orlando Pace was introduced at the Dome during the game and when the one fan reached up to the suite to shake the great lineman’s hand, you felt as if that fan were shaking Pace’s hand for all of St. Louis.

This is still a football town, even if it won’t be a Rams town.

Also, there’s a sentiment out there that it’s important to show up to games if only to show the NFL that St. Louis cares about football. My uncle, a lifelong St. Louisan, had this idea: Someone should organize a huge watch party one fall Sunday, and host it at the site of the potential new stadium. Make it an event. Have St. Louis’ staples of food, drinks and bands. And have huge screens to watch all the other NFL games, in efforts to show the NFL that St. Louis does care about football but doesn’t want to support a team that doesn’t care about St. Louis.

It’s not the worst idea. But the problem is, we want to watch the Rams this fall if they’re winning. We’ve invested so much into fandom that we’ve got to see this through, we’ve got to be on board if these guys are going to indeed be good.

“We’re a contender,” said the Rams’ Aaron Donald, who made the final tackle of the game. “Sky’s the limit for this team.”

Here’s what I liked:

The poise of Foles, seldom forcing a play. He threw it out of bounds when necessary and gambled when it was optimal notably when he was being sacked in the fourth but tossed the ball over to Benny Cunningham for 7 yards.

The resilience, when the Seahawks took a 24-13 Rams lead and flipped it into a 31-24 Seattle lead ... in the fourth quarter, too.

Those plays when Tavon Austin became Tavon Awesome.

And this fact: Be it Foles, Quinn or coach Jeff Fisher, numerous Rams weren’t satisfied with “just” winning the game; on the contrary, they said there is much to improve upon, an honest and humble perspective after beating a team that played in the past two Super Bowls.

“We did a great job when adversity hit, because it did, several times,” Foles said. “We stuck together and leaned on each other, and that’s what it’s going to take to win in the NFL. And to me, that’s Ram football.”

Wait, Rams football has an identity?

When the game ended and what a cool way for a game to end! Fisher jogged (possibly floated) toward the stands, hands raised, thumbs up.

It’s been quite a summer for everyone who cares about the St. Louis Rams. For Fisher, it’s tough enough just to be a head coach in this league, let alone with L.A. looming.

And for a day, they were winners. And they didn’t beat just any team. They beat the Seahawks.

A half-hour later, I privately asked Fisher to describe that moment with the fans.

“Our fans, our fans were in it,” the coach said. “They were into it, it was great. And that’s what we said: ‘We’re going to play good football, so come watch us,’ and they did. ...

“It’s an emotional game. And it’s a long game. Overtime wins are special. They’re different. They’re special. It’s over, you win.”

Fisher snapped his fingers to make his point just like that, it can be over.

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