Warner Is a Winner in Debut

The St. Louis Rams’ quarterback situation isn’t hopeless after all.

Untested and unheralded Kurt Warner threw for 316 yards and three touchdowns in his first career start as the Rams opened with a 27-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

The Rams are 23-42 since moving to St. Louis in 1995, but they’ve won four of five season openers in that time, and they spoiled the debut of Raven Coach Brian Billick.

Warner traveled the back roads to get to the NFL, from Northern Iowa to the Iowa Barnstormers of the Arena Football League to the Amsterdam Admirals of NFL Europe. He threw only 11 passes last season and became the starter by default when Trent Green was lost for the season because of a knee injury in an exhibition game.

“I know this is the NFL and a lot of people want to make it a big deal,” Warner said. “But I’ve played football a long time and I felt like I was just playing another game out there.”

Warner also told his teammates this was only the beginning.

“I told them thanks, because they stuck with me,” Warner said. “I’m just going to continue to get better.”

Warner led the Rams to a 17-3 halftime lead, going 18 for 25 for 174 yards and throwing touchdown passes of six yards to Rodney Williams and two yards to Isaac Bruce. His production dropped in the second half and he finished 28 for 44. But he spread the ball to seven receivers and wrapped up his day with an 86-yard drive capped by a 20-yard touchdown pass to rookie Torry Holt with 2:40 to play.

Bruce, limited to 15 games the last two seasons because of hamstring injuries, caught eight passes for 92 yards.