ST. LOUIS -- Observed and heard in the locker room after the St. Louis Rams' 37-27 loss to the New York Giants:

Gaines OK: There was a scary moment late in the third quarter, when Rams cornerback E.J. Gaines collided with safety T.J. McDonald while diving for an interception. McDonald's knee caught Gaines in the head, and Gaines crumpled to the ground, where he was instantly surrounded by teammates and medical staff.

Coach Jeff Fisher said after the game that Gaines would be OK. Gaines has a concussion and a lacerated lip and will go through concussion protocol.

Penalties and miscues: It's been a common combination for the Rams under Fisher, and it reared its ugly head again Sunday. Whether it was a coverage bust, a protection issue or a penalty flag, the Rams seemed to run the gamut on Sunday. They finished with nine penalties for 76 yards, but those included silly mistakes such as jumping offside on fourth-and-short when New York was punting and being offside on a kickoff.

"Mental errors in this league will get you beat faster than physical errors," tackle Joe Barksdale said.

Unacceptable: That was a word used by many around the Rams' locker room after their latest clunker. For a team that had showed signs of turning it around, it offered a not-so-subtle reminder that games such as this are always around the next corner.

"It's just unacceptable," defensive end Chris Long said. "We didn't play well, and it's just unacceptable."