Inside Job for Rams
Kurt Warner is so good indoors, even the Miami Dolphin defense couldn’t stop him.
Warner threw four touchdown passes and Marshall Faulk scored three times to lead the St. Louis Rams to a 42-10 victory Sunday.
Miami (2-1) was supposed to pose a stiff test, but the Rams (3-0) rolled up 451 yards in offense--99 on a third-quarter scoring drive.
Warner has never lost at home, going 16-0 in the Dome at America’s Center. He was 24 for 31 for 328 yards and no interceptions.
“We are not used to teams moving the ball like that on us,” Dolphin cornerback Patrick Surtain said.
The Dolphins were ranked eighth in the NFL on defense, and their reputation was probably better than that.
“He is that good, let’s face it,” Ram Coach Mike Martz said, referring to Warner. “People need to start realizing that you don’t line up against a defense like that and do what he did.”
In the first two games, both outdoors and on the road, Warner had four touchdown passes but three interceptions. The Rams lost three in a row at home last November, but Warner was out because of a broken finger.
“I played in a dome in college. I played inside in Arena Football. I just love playing inside,” Warner said. “It’s my element, it’s what I’m comfortable with.”
Perhaps even more impressive than the 99-yard drive that made the score 28-10 was Warner’s one-yard touchdown pass to Faulk on the last play of the first half, making it 21-10. Warner delivered the ball while in the grasp of linebacker Scott Galyon, and after the pass, he was slammed to the turf by Jermaine Haley and Brock Marion.
“It never hurts quite as much when you get a touchdown out of it,” Warner said.
Warner opened the game going eight for eight for 68 yards on a 10-play drive capped by a three-yard touchdown pass to Ricky Proehl, giving him 13 consecutive completions in a span of two games. Warner connected with Torry Holt in stride on a 45-yard score in the fourth quarter.
“I’ll refer to him as Marino,” Dolphin defensive tackle Daryl Gardener said. “Randy Johnson, Dan Marino: He threw nothing but strikes.”
Faulk, who scored an NFL-record 26 touchdowns last season, has four in the first three games. He finished with 88 yards in 19 carries and six catches for 72 yards, also scoring on a 10-yard swing pass in the first half and a one-yard run.
“Forty-two points is nice, but we strive for perfection,” Faulk said.
Miami’s Jay Fiedler was 19 for 27 for 204 yards and two interceptions.
The Dolphins’ lone touchdown came on a 24-yard touchdown pass from Fiedler to James McKnight.