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          NFL Nation

          Tavon Austin up, Rams' defense down in loss to Bengals

          • Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff WriterNov 29, 2015, 04:45 PM ET
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              Nick Wagoner is an NFL reporter at ESPN. Nick has covered the San Francisco 49ers and the NFL at ESPN since 2016, having previously covered the St. Louis Rams for 12 years, including three years (2013 to 2015) at ESPN. In his 10 years with the company, Nick has led ESPN's coverage of the Niners' 2019 Super Bowl run, Colin Kaepernick's protest, the Rams making Michael Sam the first openly gay player drafted to the NFL, Sam's subsequent pursuit of a roster spot and the team's relocation and stadium saga. You can follow Nick via Twitter @nwagoner
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          CINCINNATI -- A look at St. Louis Rams players who were "up" and those who were "down" in Sunday's 31-7 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.

          UP

          WR Tavon Austin: Perhaps inspired by the shooting of his close friend Stedman Bailey earlier this week, Austin gave everything he had in a losing cause Sunday. He was the only consistent source of production for the offense and scored the team's lone touchdown as he finished with 96 yards from scrimmage. There wasn't much else of positive impact from the Rams' side in this one.

          DOWN

          The defense: It's been a long year for a defense that's been on the field as much as this one. The combination of that wear and tear with a talented Cincinnati offense led to the group's second poor performance in the past three weeks as the Rams' defense continued its tumble toward mediocrity once again.

          QB Nick Foles: Yes, we know the quarterback isn't solely to blame for the offense's struggles and we'll get to that in a minute. But in case it wasn't already clear, the Rams don't have a starting-caliber NFL quarterback on the roster. Foles was 30-of-46 for 228 yard with no touchdowns and three interceptions, including a ghastly decision and throw that led to a pick-6 in the third quarter.

          The offensive line: This unit could have been a staple in this spot all season, but the most disappointing aspect of the group -- other than the injuries -- is that there just hasn't been any noticeable improvement as the season has progressed. Foles was under pressure most of the day and running room was nonexistent for running back Todd Gurley in yet another anemic offensive performance.