Rams Safe in Faulk’s Hands
Complex as it may be, the offensive philosophy of the St. Louis Rams got pretty simple Sunday in the waning minutes of a 30-26 victory over the San Francisco 49ers: get the ball to Marshall Faulk.
“You get in the huddle, the play is called, and the pressure is on me,” said Faulk, who handled the ball on nearly every play of a drive that consumed the final 6 minutes 35 seconds.
In all, Faulk accounted for 184 yards--105 on the ground--to lead the Rams to their fifth consecutive victory over the 49ers, who fell behind, 30-16, when Isaac Bruce turned an over-the-middle reception into a 39-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
“Marshall and Isaac made some really big plays when we needed them most,” Coach Mike Martz said. “These guys just wanted the ball bad, and when they got it, they ran with it.”
Meanwhile, the 49ers could hang onto neither their 19-16 halftime lead nor the ball. Terrell Owens dropped four passes; J.J. Stokes dropped two. After the game, Owens fumed at his locker, sitting silently with arms crossed and an angry scowl. He barely spoke to quarterback Jeff Garcia when he approached, let alone reporters.
Asked about the drops, Garcia said: “I think part of it is me, and part is the receivers. It’s just a matter of executing better. I think on some of those plays, I need to make a better pass. There’s really no explanation.”
There were rough spots with Ram receivers too. They were flagged for four blocking infractions in the first 16 minutes.
“We made a lot of mistakes,” said quarterback Kurt Warner, who threw for 321 yards and three touchdowns. “There were a lot of yellow hankies out there on our side, especially early on.
“We kept stopping ourselves and stopping ourselves--stopping our drives. So it’s always gratifying to overcome a lot and win football games.”
The 49ers lost a major component to their offense in the second quarter when running back Garrison Hearst sustained a concussion. He stayed on the field a few plays but did not return after halftime.
