ST. LOUIS - Marshall Faulk ran for three touchdowns to help the St. Louis Rams (news) beat the Minnesota Vikings (news) 48-17 in a battle of division leaders Sunday, his third straight 100-yard game after going 10 games without one.
He missed five games earlier this year with a broken left hand and surgically repaired right knee and returned to the lineup three games ago averaging a puny 2.8 yards a carry.
The Rams (9-3) solidified their NFC West lead — they're tied with the Eagles for the best record in the NFC — and won their 12th straight game at home. The North Division-leading Vikings (7-5) are sinking fast after a 6-0 start.
Faulk had 108 yards on 17 carries and scored on runs of 18, 5 and 7 yards. He has 127 touchdowns, passing Hall of Famers Walter Payton and Jim Brown for fourth on the career list.
The Rams had a pair of one-play touchdown drives created by turnovers. Faulk broke free off left tackle for the game's first score, and Marc Bulger scored on a 12-yard scramble after Tyoka Jackson intercepted a Daunte Culpepper pass that was tipped by Tommy Polley, making it 34-17 in the third.
The defense scored a third quick touchdown when Aeneas Williams scooped up a fumble by Culpepper and returned it 90 yards in the fourth quarter. Williams' 12th career touchdown was set up by the third of four sacks by Leonard Little, returning to the lineup after missing a month with a torn pectoral muscle.
Bulger also was impressive with his arm, limiting mistakes after throwing 10 interceptions in the previous four games. He shook off a second-quarter pickoff by Brian Williams that led to a Vikings touchdown and was 15-for-20 for 222 yards and one touchdown, again emphasizing Torry Holt.
The NFL's leading receiver battled Randy Moss to a standstill, catching eight passes for 102 yards — his eighth 100-yard game of the year. Moss caught a 15-yard touchdown pass in the first quarter and had 10 catches for 160 yards.
The Rams' special teams also contributed. Jamie Duncan blocked the Rams' first punt since 1996, a string of 119 games, to set up Faulk's first touchdown. Eddie Johnson bobbled the ball and took extra stutter-steps before letting the ball go.
And coach Mike Martz pulled off another trick play, with Isaac Bruce's 41-yard end-around pass to Dane Looker setting up Faulk's second touchdown.
Besides his touchdown pass to Moss, Culpepper kept the Rams' defense guessing in the first half with three carries for 65 yards, including a 42-yarder and an 18-yard carry to the 5 to set up Moe Williams' 1-yard fourth-down plunge that tied it at 17 with 51 seconds left before the half.
That was it for the Vikings. Starting at the Rams 19 with 47 seconds left, Bulger hit Faulk for 30 yards and Holt for 18 to set up Jeff Wilkins' 51-yard field goal on the last play of the half.
Culpepper was 33-for-47 for 330 yards and one touchdown, but was sacked eight times.
:::>^..^<::: ~*~The Journey is more important than the end or the start~*~ :::>^..^<:::
Sacked 8 times? Oh man, the Rams better win the superbowl this year. But they won't. No team, that ever destroys a minnesota team, ever wins the superbowl. Ironic...
I'm a packers fan! Go favre!
Please pardon my pseudo-intellectuaphilisophicalismysiticality.
Originally posted by sayzak21 Sacked 8 times? Oh man, the Rams better win the superbowl this year. But they won't. No team, that ever destroys a minnesota team, ever wins the superbowl. Ironic...
Didnt we beat you guys the year we did win the bowl? I thought we did....
In fact Im pretty sure we did.
Uh Oh for you!
HEY LARKE......I was at the game...okay...not officially at THE game, but I was watching it and I was there in my mind. I was also at the Bills Game...they won too!
Its my new thing.....(but if it doesnt work next week...Ill get another new thing)
Of course thats just my opinion....I could be wrong. (Dennis Miller)
"You might be the toughest little whacker. . .but in my world, you're about as worrisome as a cloudy day." (Dutch Dooley)
Originally posted by sayzak21 Sacked 8 times? Oh man, the Rams better win the superbowl this year. But they won't. No team, that ever destroys a minnesota team, ever wins the superbowl. Ironic...
I'm a packers fan! Go favre!
Hang on...
1999 season, NFC Divisional Playoff Game, Rams won 49 - 37 vs. Minnesota Vikings. And it wasn't even that close, Vikes scored in garbage time.
Oh yeah, the Rams won Super Bowl 34 two weeks later...
11-30-2003 09:41 PM
