St. Louis Rams: 3 things we learned

BALTIMORE -- Any excitement over the Baltimore Ravens' thrilling come-from-behind victory over the St. Louis Rams on Sunday was tempered by season-ending injuries to both quarterback Joe Flacco and running back Justin Forsett.

A sack and forced fumble by Baltimore linebacker Courtney Upshaw set up a 47-yard, game-winning field goal by Justin Tucker as time expired to give the Ravens a 16-13 victory over the Rams on Sunday.

The win, however, came at a huge cost.

Flacco could have torn both his ACL and MCL in his knee, which might jeopardize the start of next season. Forsett has a broken arm and his long-term prognosis is uncertain.

In a season where little has gone their way, this is perhaps the biggest blow Baltimore (3-7) could have suffered.

"It's tough," Flacco said. "I don't think it's totally set in yet, but it's the nature of the game, man. Stuff like this happens. You just have to stand tall and get through it."

Upshaw hit Rams quarterback Case Keenum from the blind side, and the ball was recovered by defensive end Lawrence Guy at the Saint Louis 41. Baltimore kept the ball on the ground until the attempt by Tucker, who had just missed a 51-yard attempt on the previous drive.

Flacco overcame a pair of costly interceptions, orchestrating three fourth-quarter scoring drives. He was 27 of 44 for 299 yards and a touchdown. Backup Matt Schaub will start Monday night against the Cleveland Browns.

Forsett suffered a broken right arm when he got slammed to the turf by Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald late in the first quarter.

"Probably one of the hardest (losses) that I've been around since I have been here," said Rams coach Jeff Fisher, whose team fell to 4-6.

What we learned about the Rams:

1. Quarterback Case Keenum, who started in place of the benched Nick Foles, had an uneven performance but likely earned another start if he is healthy. Keenum beat the Ravens as a member of the Houston Texans in Week 16 last season, going 20-of-42 for 185 yards with no touchdowns and an interception. This time, Baltimore pressured him for much of the game, forcing him to throw errant passes. He also lost a pair of fumbles. Keenum was 12 of 26 for 136 yards with a touchdown. Despite the struggles, Rams coach Jeff Fisher said he never considered pulling Keenum. Keenum was evaluated for concussion after game, which could jeopardize his start next week at Cincinnati. If he is available, Fisher will give him another opportunity. "I'm going to give Case a good week of practice," Fisher said. "I expect him to do better than today." Keenum was missing several key pieces of his offensive line with Jamon Brown (fractured leg) out for the season and right tackle Rob Havenstein inactive with a calf injury. Rookie right guard Andrew Donnell suffered knee injury in the second quarter and could not return. St. Louis entered the game ranked 31st in yards per game and last in passing yards (178.7).

2. Rams RB Todd Gurley, the 10th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, emerged this season as one of the top runners in the league. However, he is showing some signs of slowing down. Gurley has been held under 100 yards in each of the last three games. Against the Ravens, he had 66 yards on 25 carries with a touchdown. He also lost a fumble. "The fumble was not Todd's fault," Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. "That was defensive penetration. That was the problem up front." With the Rams struggling to throw the football, Gurley will still get plenty of opportunities. However, the Rams need to make sure he does not hit the proverbial "rookie wall" over the final stretch of the season. "I didn't play well at all," Gurley said.

3. St. Louis' defense has been stellar all season and that unit continues to be the bright spot of the team. Cornerback Trumaine Johnson and safety Rodney McLeod each intercepted Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco. Late in the first half, Baltimore had lost more yards in penalties (99) than it gained on offense (89). The Rams' defense was put in a tough position by dealing with several short fields. In the end, the Ravens were finally able to take advantage. "We felt like we had the win," Rams safety Mark Barron said. "We played with a lead for most of the game. We just made mistakes and they got us." Still, this group looks promising for the future.

Etc.:

--RG Andrew Donnal suffered knee injury in the second quarter against the Ravens and could not return. The Rams were already playing with a makeshift offensive line because of injuries. Donnell's status for next week against the Bengals is uncertain.

--DE Chris Long was back in the lineup after missing the past four games with a knee injury. He was admittedly rusty against the Baltimore Ravens. "I can't wait to hopefully play up to my standards and next week help us win because today I just sucked," Long said.

--RB Tre Mason was inactive for violating team rules, coach Jeff Fisher confirmed after the 16-13 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Fisher did not elaborate on the infraction. Mason has played in seven games with two starts. He has 129 yards on 44 carries.

--DE William Hayes got the start against the Ravens and was effective. He finished with six tackles and also had a tackle for a loss and a quarterback hit.

--WR Wes Welker is still looking to become a bigger part of the game plan. He had a key reception for a first down in the opening quarter and finished with two catches for 13 yards after being targeted four times. Welker also returned a punt for 10 yards as the Ravens tried to stay away from Tavon Austin.

--C Tim Barnes was able to make the start. He has been recovering from a concussion and was deemed healthy enough to play. Barnes was solid in pass protection and did not have any issues with the timing of his snaps.

--DE Robert Quinn (hip/back) was ruled out. He has been dealing with issues since the week 6 bye and has missed two of the past three games. Eugene Sims got the start in his place.

--RB Todd Gurley has been held under 100 yards in each of the last three games. He led the NFL with 144 yards rushing yards per game in October, but has been contained over the past month. Against the Ravens, he had 66 yards on 25 carries with a touchdown. He also lost a fumble.

--QB Case Keenum, who started in place of the benched Nick Foles, was evaluated for concussion after game. This could jeopardize his start next week at Cincinnati. Keenum was 12 of 26 for 136 yards with a touchdown against the Ravens.