Bye, Bye Love: Rams Can Use the Week Off Before Bengals : <i> Dear NFL schedule maker: Thank you so much. Your friend,</i> John Robinson

After three frustrating weeks, the Rams are very pleased to be able to avoid playing a game for almost two weeks.

Other seasons, the Rams probably would have thought a bye this early to be an inconsiderate interference with momentum, an unnecessary hindrance on the road to a fast start.

This year, with players still recovering from long holdouts or injuries, and with the team looking it, the bye in the fourth week of the season looks as sweet as a candy cane at Christmas.

So Monday, as he picked through the rubble of Sunday’s 27-21 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Coach John Robinson found his greatest solace in the knowledge that his 1-2 team absolutely has no chance of losing next weekend.

“I think we need to deal with the problems we have, and an extra week to deal with them, I think, is certainly good for us,” Robinson said.

Pro Bowl cornerback Jerry Gray, who missed the first three games with a knee injury, is eligible and expected to leave the injured-reserve list for the Rams’ next game, Oct. 7 against Cincinnati.

And tailback Cleveland Gary, who missed most of the exhibition season with a back injury and has carried the ball only 12 times this year, could use this extra week of practice to grab the starting job, as the Rams have been hoping he would.

“You want the pain to go away,” Robinson said, acknowledging it is the natural reaction after a loss to want to play again right away. “I mean, you’re in pain, you’re hurt. It’s just not fun. You’re anxious to rid yourself of the pain, to get back out and prove yourself.

“But the problems that we have are problems that must be dealt with in a specific manner on the practice field.”

The Rams were beaten up by the previously winless Eagles Sunday, bullied physically on offense and bedazzled on defense by Eagle quarterback Randall Cunningham.

The Rams’ once-proud ground attack gained a measly 35 yards in 15 carries, and the defense that last year befuddled the Eagles in the wild-card game surrendered 405 yards this time.

“When the schedule came out, I didn’t like that the bye was so early,” tackle Jackie Slater said. “But now I think it’s coming at a perfect time. This is probably what we need.”

Just ask Robinson why his defense, which gave up 25 first downs Sunday, should be any better in two weeks, and he rattles off the reasons.

“If you start at one outside linebacker, Kevin Greene has just been here for (slightly more than two weeks after a holdout),” Robinson said. “We got one defensive end, Doug Reed, who’s just been here two weeks.

“The nose man (Alvin Wright) missed most of training camp (because of a minor injury). . . . (Fred Strickland) missed most of training camp (with an injury). The three young defensive linemen (Brian Smith, Bill Hawkins and Mike Piel) are all playing hurt, (safety Michael) Stewart has missed all of training camp (after holding out). (Cornerback) Mickey Sutton wasn’t here until last week (when he was picked up on waivers).

“Jerry Gray is out of action and not playing. (Cornerback) Darryl Henley is out of action and not playing. (Inside linebacker) Larry Kelm is out of action and not playing (because of a knee injury).

“Those are the reasons. Those things all indicate to me that these people can get better.”

On offense, the Rams hope that a healthy, practice-tested Gary can energize a running attack that has been nothing to fear so far. Neither Curt Warner nor Gaston Green has been able to gain big yardage.