Today’s Game

Minnesota at St. Louis

9:30 a.m., Channel 11

* Story line: Time to get out the NFL postseason record book to check the most points scored by one team: 73 (Chicago Bears in the 1940 NFL title against the Washington Redskins). That might be a reach, but those 62 that Jacksonville scored Saturday might be possible. The Rams and Vikings will try to establish the run via Marshall Faulk and Robert Smith, but then the cannons will come out. Who has the bigger game? Minnesota wide receiver Randy Moss or St. Louis’ Isaac Bruce? The Rams have the sixth-best defense and are No. 1 against the run, primarily because teams needed to throw to catch up against them. The Vikings have the 27th-ranked defense, which makes stopping the NFL’s No. 1-ranked offense daunting. Minnesota Coach Dennis Green has been unable to put his team in the Super Bowl despite consistent regular-season success. St. Louis Coach Dick Vermeil lost Super Bowl XV to the Raiders 19 years ago.

* Key offensive stat: The Rams scored 284 points more than their opponents and averaged 35 points at home, where they were 8-0.

* Key defensive stat: Ram defensive end Kevin Carter led the NFL with 17 sacks.

* Potential star of the game: St. Louis quarterback Kurt Warner, the NFL’s MVP, will be playing against a Minnesota secondary that has been forced to employ a former wide receiver, Robert Tate, at cornerback. Warner threw 41 touchdown passes; the Vikings gave up 20.

* But keep an eye on: The Rams led the league in giving up only 74 yards a game on the ground, but were they tested? St. Louis dominated its opponents early, forcing them to throw, which limited the run opportunities. Smith has run for 383 yards with a 5.8-yard average in the Vikings’ last three games, and Minnesota would like to hog the ball and keep the Rams’ offense off the field.

* History says: The Vikings have a 5-1 playoff edge on the Rams, including two NFC title victories (1974, 1976). The Rams’ lone playoff win over Minnesota came in Los Angeles on Dec. 31, 1978.

* Injury update: Both teams come in sound in comparison to most teams at this time of year. The Rams’ most pressing concern is safety Keith Lyle, who is listed as questionable because of a shoulder injury. Minnesota wide receiver Jake Reed is listed as probable because of an ankle injury.

* Line: St. Louis by 7.

* And the winner is: It should be St. Louis, which has played like the best team in the league much of the season. But will the Rams be too uptight, falling behind and allowing Minnesota to dictate the way the game unfolds?

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

LOGS

MINNESOTA (10-6, 1-0)

Minnesota Opponent

17 At Atlanta 14

17 Oakland 22

20 At Green Bay 23

21 Tampa Bay 14

22 Chicago 24

23 At Detroit 25

40 San Francisco 16

23 At Denver 20

27 Dallas 17

27 At Chicago 24

35 San Diego 27

17 At Tampa Bay 24

28 At Kansas City 31

24 Green Bay 20

34 At N.Y. Giants 17

24 Detroit 17

27 Dallas 10

ST. LOUIS (13-3)

St. Louis Opponent

27 Baltimore 10

35 Atlanta 7

38 At Cincinnati 10

42 San Francisco 20

41 At Atlanta 13

34 Cleveland 3

21 At Tennessee 24

27 At Detroit 31

35 Carolina 10

23 At San Francisco 7

43 New Orleans 12

34 At Carolina 21

30 At New Orleans 14

31 N.Y. Giants 10

34 Chicago 12

31 At Philadelphia 38