There’s No Place Like Dome for Rams

Marshall Faulk saw a potential disadvantage to becoming the first player in NFL history with four consecutive 2,000-yard seasons: The man he passed might not be pleased.

Faulk had 226 yards rushing and receiving Sunday, helping the St. Louis Rams lock up home-field advantage in the NFC playoffs with a 31-13 victory against the Atlanta Falcons, who finished 7-9.

“If I see Jim Brown at a golf tournament, he’ll probably cuss me out,” Faulk said.

Entering the game, only Faulk and Brown had compiled three consecutive 2,000-yard seasons from scrimmage. Faulk left Brown behind with a 21-yard catch in the second quarter and finished with 168 yards in 20 carries and four catches for 58 yards for a total of 2,147.

“I go out there and I play as hard as I can and I try to make every play work,” Faulk said. “What I’ve done the last four years is a result of it.”

Kurt Warner also reached a milestone, recording the second-highest passing-yardage total ever. Ricky Proehl caught two of Warner’s three touchdown passes as the Rams (14-2) set a franchise record for victories.

The NFC West champions, trying to reach the Super Bowl for the second time in three years, have a first-round bye.

Both of the Rams’ regular-season losses came in the Dome at America’s Center, but they didn’t want to slow down their high-flying attack with a cold-weather playoff game. So Coach Mike Martz left his biggest stars in almost the entire the game, removing Faulk with about five minutes to go and allowing Warner to finish.

The Rams, who also surpassed 500 points for the third consecutive season, had to win to secure home-field advantage after Chicago defeated Jacksonville, 33-13, earlier Sunday. They pulled away from a 17-6 halftime lead on a three-yard scoring run by Faulk and an eight-yard touchdown pass from Warner to Proehl in the third quarter.

Proehl stepped in after Isaac Bruce injured his lower back in the first quarter and made a spectacular sliding grab on his 12-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter.

The St. Louis defense controlled rookie quarterback Michael Vick, who was sacked seven times in his second career start. Vick replaced the injured Chris Chandler.

“We got him seven times and we should have had him about a dozen times,” defensive end Grant Wistrom said.

Vick was hounded by blitzes all game and was 12 for 30 for 176 yards with one interception.