Rams Turn It on, Not Over
The St. Louis Rams showed just how dominating they can be when they don’t turn the ball over.
Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk and Co. thoroughly overwhelmed the Atlanta Falcons, cruising to a 35-6 victory Sunday.
Warner threw four touchdown passes and had his seventh 300-yard game of the season. Three of his scoring passes went to Faulk, who got his 100th career touchdown.
Clearly, this wasn’t the same Ram team that lost to Tampa Bay on Monday night.
“When we play football like we did today, I like our chances against anybody,” said Dre Bly, who returned an interception for a touchdown.
St. Louis (9-2) lost to the Buccaneers, 24-17, largely because of turnovers. There were three fumbles, then Warner was picked off on the final two possessions.
The Rams came to Atlanta leading the NFL with 32 giveaways --20 in the last four games. At the end of the day, they still had 32.
“If you bring it to their attention, and tell them they’ve got to protect that ball better, keep that ball squeezed, then they do it and it’s done,” Coach Mike Martz said. “That’s the kind of guys they are.”
It didn’t hurt to be playing the Falcons (6-5), who came in as a surprise playoff contender but have been thoroughly dominated by the Rams for three years.
Warner and the league’s most explosive offense were coldly efficient against Atlanta, which had won three straight and four of five to eclipse its victory total from each of the last two seasons.
None of that mattered against St. Louis. The Falcons have been outscored, 197-75, in losing five consecutive games to their NFC West rival.
“We are real disappointed,” Coach Dan Reeves said. “We didn’t stand up to the test.”
Not against Warner, who completed 17 of 23 passes for 342 yards. His career numbers against the Falcons are staggering: 83 for 127, 1,377 yards, 15 touchdowns and two interceptions in five games.
“We really don’t have any concerns,” Warner said. “Obviously, we’re trying to rid ourselves of [turnovers]. But bottom line, we’ve got to continue to make plays. We have to stay on the attack and be aggressive.”
Faulk had touchdown catches on plays of 19 and nine yards before a 65-yard play in the third quarter made him the 13th player in NFL history to score 100 touchdowns. He tied Franco Harris on the career list.
Faulk had six catches for 128 yards. He ran 12 times for 70 yards.