Rams Continue To Roll

Kurt Warner did it again, this time to the Atlanta Falcons.

Warner threw four touchdown passes Sunday, including two to Torry Holt of 85 and 80 yards, and the unbeaten St. Louis Rams beat the Atlanta 41-20 and scored 30 or more points for an NFL-record 10th consecutive regular-season game.

Warner also threw a pair of TD passes to Isaac Bruce of 14 and 66 yards as the Rams (4-0) increased their scoring average to 40 points.

Warner has already had huge games this season against San Francisco (41-24), Seattle (37-34) and Denver (41-36), throwing for 1,221 yards and six TDs.

"We know that we can score whenever we get the ball," Warner said.

"We didn't get a lot of shots, but we took advantage of them when we did get them," Warner said of his scoring passes to Holt. "He did a great job. We gave him some chances one-on-one and he took care of the rest."

The Rams, averaging 400.3 yards through the air and 506 total yards, wound up with 395 total yards against the Falcons (2-2).

"They're the world champs," Falcons linebacker Keith Brooking said. "You can't make mistakes like we made.

The Rams defense, which was ranked 30th next to last in the NFL coming into the game, pitched in with eight sacks three by right end Grant Wistrom two interceptions and two fumble recoveries, including a 94-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown by safety Keith Lyle. The fumble by Jamal Anderson gave him five this season, and he has lost a league-high three.

St. Louis, which last played at the Georgia Dome in January when they defeated the Tennessee Titans 23-16 to win the Super Bowl, took control late in the second quarter when Warner teamed with Holt on the 80-yard TD pass and run, stunning the Falcons and quieting the home crowd of 58,761 more than 12,000 less than capacity for a 17-10 lead.

"It was a blessing from the sky," Holt said. "I put my lucky shirt on (the one he wore in the Super Bowl the only other time he's worn it) and I was able to make some plays for us."

Warner, who helped the Rams embarrass the Falcons 35-7 and 41-13 last season, was 8-for-13 for 168 yards in the opening half. He connected with Holt on a pass of 12 yards to the 32, and when cornerback Ashley Ambrose missed the tackle, Holt sprinted down the sideline the rest of the way for the go-ahead TD.

Warner threw a 14-yard TD pass to Bruce earlier in the second quarter, and Jeff Wilkins booted a 30-yard field goal in the opening quarter.

The Rams made it 24-13 only 3:02 into the third period when Lyle picked up Anderson's fumble and scored his first-ever NFL touchdown. Only 2:25 later, it was 27-13 on another Wilkins' 30-yard field goal after Atlanta's Darrick Vaughn fumbled the kickoff at the Atlanta 21.

The Rams made it 34-13 3:05 into the final period when Holt beat Ambrose again, this time down the middle on the 85-yard TD, catching the ball on the Falcons 33 and going in untouched again.

The Falcons scored on their next possession on a 37-yard pass from Chandler to Reggie Kelly before Warner and Bruce teamed up on the 66-yard score. Bruce beat Ray Buchanan down the sideline, catching the ball on the Falcons 20 before going in for the score.

The Falcons closed to 17-13 at the half on a 45-yard field goal from Morten Andersen as the clock ran out. He also booted a 37-yarder 2:37 earlier to tie the game at 10.

Atlanta scored first on a 3-yard run by Anderson in the opening minutes after a botched punt return by the Rams when the ball bounced off Dexter McCleon's helmet and was recovered by Atlanta.

Notes