Rams Lose Another Game, and Warner Too

A bad season just keeps getting worse for the St. Louis Rams.

The defending NFC champions lost quarterback Kurt Warner before losing their fourth consecutive game Sunday, 13-10, to the Dallas Cowboys.

The Rams fell to 0-4 for the first time since 1963, when they started with five consecutive losses and finished 5-9.

“That’s life,” Coach Mike Martz said. “You can’t sit and stew about it. That’s where we are, and what’s important is what we do about it.”

Rookie Billy Cundiff kicked a 48-yard field goal as time expired to win it for the Cowboys (2-2).

The Rams, who went 14-2 last season, must somehow improve quickly just to get back to .500, and they’ll have to do it without Warner, who has a broken little finger on his throwing hand. The team said the injury will be evaluated today to determine whether he’ll require surgery.

“Usually those things take about a month,” Martz said. “But it could be sooner. Who knows?”

Warner broke the same finger in 2000 and it required surgery, knocking him out for five games. If he’s out that long again, there might be no rush. The only 0-4 team to make the playoffs was the 1992 San Diego Chargers.

“I’m not believing that one bit,” Warner said. “We’ve got too good of a team to believe that. I believe I’m going to be back just in time to take us down that stretch run into the playoffs, and on to where we want to go.”

The Rams have no relief in sight. They play at San Francisco next, then play host to Oakland.

Dallas quarterback Quincy Carter, who didn’t earn a vote of confidence from owner Jerry Jones after a shaky first three games, led the Cowboys 41 yards in nine plays in 1:27 to set up the field goal.

“I knew we didn’t need a touchdown to win it; we just needed to keep moving the ball down the field,” Carter said. “Everybody really had to pay attention. I did my part, but also my line did their part, my receivers, my backs. I just thought, as a collective group, that we did a great job handling the two-minute drive.”

The big play to set up the field goal was a 15-yard pass across the middle to Michael Wiley that got Dallas to the Ram 35. After that, Carter hit Ken-Yon Rambo for five yards and then spiked the ball with one second left.

Carter was 26 for 36 for 204 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

“I told him I thought he grew up today,” running back Emmitt Smith said.

Continuing his pursuit of Walter Payton’s career rushing record, Smith had 58 yards in 13 carries. He needs 304 yards to break Payton’s record of 16,726.

The Rams’ Marshall Faulk, who suffered a strained neck in a 26-14 loss to Tampa Bay last Monday night, had 73 yards in 18 carries. He also caught nine passes for 67 yards.