Vermeil Has Gift for Rams: A Long Off-Season

It ended with a big, loud thud for the St. Louis Rams.

Their three-season playoff run, which included two Super Bowl appearances and one championship, came crashing to a halt Sunday in one of the most lopsided losses in franchise history.

Dante Hall returned two kicks for touchdowns and Priest Holmes ran for 132 yards and two more scores, leading Kansas City and Coach Dick Vermeil to a 49-10 victory over the injury-battered Rams.

“It’s embarrassing,” Ram cornerback Dexter McCleon said. “That’s all you can say. There wasn’t anything good that happened today.”

The third-most lopsided loss in team history, combined with San Francisco’s 31-27 victory over Dallas, officially eliminated the NFC’s troubled defending champions (5-8) from playoff contention.

“This is something I’m not used to,” said cornerback Dre’ Bly. “So it’s tough.”

By coincidence, the coach that eliminated the Rams was Vermeil, who coached St. Louis to the Super Bowl title after the 1999 season. Vermeil then retired unexpectedly, only to come back a season later to coach the Chiefs.

“There’s nothing vindictive or personal in regards to beating the St. Louis Rams,” he said.

Nevertheless, he had to return a $2-million consultant contract the Rams had given him upon retiring. And the commissioner ordered the Chiefs to give the Rams a second- and third-round draft pick as compensation.

The 49-point outburst was the second in a row for the Chiefs, who improved to 7-6 with their fourth victory in six games.

The Rams, after starting the season 0-5, had gone on a five-game winning streak behind backup quarterback Marc Bulger. But with Bulger and Kurt Warner injured, they’ve lost three in a row.

Working behind a patchwork offensive line, where only one man was starting in his normal position, Jamie Martin was sacked six times, intercepted twice and lost a fumble that was returned 42 yards for a touchdown by defensive end Duane Clemons.