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By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch
Sunday, Sep. 19 2004
ATLANTA - The Rams had spent the better part of the first half watching Michael
Vick run circles around them. Surprisingly, they watched the normally
accommodating Falcons run defense put the clamps on Marshall Faulk.
They stared at 14-0 and 17-7 deficits on the Georgia Dome scoreboard. But after
a 46-yard field goal by Jeff Wilkins late in the third quarter, suddenly it was
17-17 and the momentum was all Rams.
But momentum can be a fleeting thing, especially when you're playing on the
road in the NFL. Just when it looked like St. Louis had gained control of
Sunday's game with Atlanta, things went south for the Rams in the Heart of
Dixie.
The result was a 34-17 loss to Atlanta, a loss that left glaring questions
about the Rams' run defense, run offense, pass blocking, takeaway-giveaway
ratio, play calling. ... Well, you get the point. It's a long list.
"We just didn't do much of anything, really, in any phase of the game," coach
Mike Martz said. "It's hard to identify. They just wanted it more than we did.
They played harder than we did. They were more physical. We got outplayed and
outcoached."
Apparently, effort, attitude and physical play were at the crux of Falcons
coach Jim Mora's pregame speech to his team. According to Falcons wide receiver
Peerless Price, Mora told his team: "Just close the gate, lock 'em in here, and
don't let 'em out until you kick their (butts)."
The Falcons pretty much played that way in front of an enthusiastic sellout
crowd, and the Rams couldn't match their energy level - particularly in the
fourth quarter when the Rams were outscored 17-0.
"That's the life of playing on the road in the NFL," Rams wide receiver Isaac
Bruce said. "We've got to make sure that when we're on the road, that we treat
it like we're at home. And try to make sure that we have as (few) mistakes as
we possibly can, and put the ball in the end zone."
But there were a lot of mistakes, including 10 penalties and two turnovers.
Only two touchdowns, despite 100-yard receiving games by Bruce and Torry Holt,
and an impressive 102.2 passer rating by Marc Bulger.
And several close plays down the stretch that went the Falcons' way.
None was bigger than Brady Smith's strip and fumble recovery against Bulger in
the end zone that resulted in an instant Atlanta touchdown and a 31-17 Falcons
lead.
Martz generally takes a high-risk, high-reward approach to offensive football,
and this time that approach backfired as the Rams attempted a deep pass to
Bruce from the St. Louis 1.
"We had one-on-one (coverage), and we were going for a home run," Bulger said.
"Isaac beat his guy and it was just a matter of giving Isaac a little bit of
time. And that's sometimes the risk you take when you're throwing from your own
end zone."
Smith raced around Rams left tackle Orlando Pace from his defensive end
position. Pace tried to push Smith wide, and nearly succeeded, but Smith
somehow reached back with his hand, swatted the ball out of Bulger's hand and
picked up the fumble in midair for an Atlanta TD.
"I was just getting ready to release the ball," Bulger said. "I don't know what
happened behind me. Another half-second, and we might have a touchdown the
other way ... and we're sitting here maybe talking about a different game."
Just a few plays earlier, Atlanta turned a near interception by Rams cornerback
Jerametrius Butler into a 33-yard reception by tight end Alge Crumpler.
The Rams were in zone coverage when Butler swooped in for the interception. But
the ball deflected off Butler's fingertips, and Crumpler grabbed it and ran all
the way down to the Rams 36.
"I felt I should've had the ball," said Butler, playing with two dislocated
fingers from last week's game. "Vick put a lot of air under it. I just didn't
make a play." Crumpler's big gain led to Warrick Dunn's second 2-yard TD run of
the game, snapping a 17-17 tie with 12 minutes 36 seconds to play.
But even before that sequence, a key third-down stop by Atlanta seemed to turn
the momentum Atlanta's way. At this point in the game, St. Louis was having its
way with the Falcons' pass defense.
On third and inches from the Atlanta 25, Faulk took a handoff from Bulger and
headed off left tackle. But Falcons defensive tackle Ed Jasper came in
untouched from the backside and pinned Faulk for a 2-yard loss - forcing the
Wilkins field goal.
"We got it blocked at the point," Martz said. "We had a breakdown on the back
side, and that's just the way it goes."
Jasper got through untouched, with Rams right guard Adam Timmerman blocking
another Falcons tackle to the inside. Jasper said he noticed this blocking
technique on counter plays from film study.
"I was able to back-door him," Jasper said. "It just so happened on that play,
everything worked out like I dreamed about it happening."
With only inches to go for a first down, why not try a quarterback sneak?
"C'mon," Martz replied testily. "If we don't get that first down because of the
quarterback sneak, and they jammed it up inside, then you'd be whining about
something else. No, we had the right call. We've just got to do a better job of
blocking it."
Atlanta tried a quarterback sneak on third and one on its ensuing possession,
with Vick gaining 1 yard for the first down. The 33-yard tipped pass to
Crumpler came on the next play.
It was that kind of day for St. Louis. At 1-1, there was disappointment but not
despair in the Rams' locker room.
"You always have some games where you don't play your best," safety Adam
Archuleta said. "We've been here before, and we've just got to rebound. There's
14 games left. It's early in the season. We've just got to go back to work like
we always do, correct our errors and just keep getting better and better every
week."
Of the Post-Dispatch
Sunday, Sep. 19 2004
ATLANTA - The Rams had spent the better part of the first half watching Michael
Vick run circles around them. Surprisingly, they watched the normally
accommodating Falcons run defense put the clamps on Marshall Faulk.
They stared at 14-0 and 17-7 deficits on the Georgia Dome scoreboard. But after
a 46-yard field goal by Jeff Wilkins late in the third quarter, suddenly it was
17-17 and the momentum was all Rams.
But momentum can be a fleeting thing, especially when you're playing on the
road in the NFL. Just when it looked like St. Louis had gained control of
Sunday's game with Atlanta, things went south for the Rams in the Heart of
Dixie.
The result was a 34-17 loss to Atlanta, a loss that left glaring questions
about the Rams' run defense, run offense, pass blocking, takeaway-giveaway
ratio, play calling. ... Well, you get the point. It's a long list.
"We just didn't do much of anything, really, in any phase of the game," coach
Mike Martz said. "It's hard to identify. They just wanted it more than we did.
They played harder than we did. They were more physical. We got outplayed and
outcoached."
Apparently, effort, attitude and physical play were at the crux of Falcons
coach Jim Mora's pregame speech to his team. According to Falcons wide receiver
Peerless Price, Mora told his team: "Just close the gate, lock 'em in here, and
don't let 'em out until you kick their (butts)."
The Falcons pretty much played that way in front of an enthusiastic sellout
crowd, and the Rams couldn't match their energy level - particularly in the
fourth quarter when the Rams were outscored 17-0.
"That's the life of playing on the road in the NFL," Rams wide receiver Isaac
Bruce said. "We've got to make sure that when we're on the road, that we treat
it like we're at home. And try to make sure that we have as (few) mistakes as
we possibly can, and put the ball in the end zone."
But there were a lot of mistakes, including 10 penalties and two turnovers.
Only two touchdowns, despite 100-yard receiving games by Bruce and Torry Holt,
and an impressive 102.2 passer rating by Marc Bulger.
And several close plays down the stretch that went the Falcons' way.
None was bigger than Brady Smith's strip and fumble recovery against Bulger in
the end zone that resulted in an instant Atlanta touchdown and a 31-17 Falcons
lead.
Martz generally takes a high-risk, high-reward approach to offensive football,
and this time that approach backfired as the Rams attempted a deep pass to
Bruce from the St. Louis 1.
"We had one-on-one (coverage), and we were going for a home run," Bulger said.
"Isaac beat his guy and it was just a matter of giving Isaac a little bit of
time. And that's sometimes the risk you take when you're throwing from your own
end zone."
Smith raced around Rams left tackle Orlando Pace from his defensive end
position. Pace tried to push Smith wide, and nearly succeeded, but Smith
somehow reached back with his hand, swatted the ball out of Bulger's hand and
picked up the fumble in midair for an Atlanta TD.
"I was just getting ready to release the ball," Bulger said. "I don't know what
happened behind me. Another half-second, and we might have a touchdown the
other way ... and we're sitting here maybe talking about a different game."
Just a few plays earlier, Atlanta turned a near interception by Rams cornerback
Jerametrius Butler into a 33-yard reception by tight end Alge Crumpler.
The Rams were in zone coverage when Butler swooped in for the interception. But
the ball deflected off Butler's fingertips, and Crumpler grabbed it and ran all
the way down to the Rams 36.
"I felt I should've had the ball," said Butler, playing with two dislocated
fingers from last week's game. "Vick put a lot of air under it. I just didn't
make a play." Crumpler's big gain led to Warrick Dunn's second 2-yard TD run of
the game, snapping a 17-17 tie with 12 minutes 36 seconds to play.
But even before that sequence, a key third-down stop by Atlanta seemed to turn
the momentum Atlanta's way. At this point in the game, St. Louis was having its
way with the Falcons' pass defense.
On third and inches from the Atlanta 25, Faulk took a handoff from Bulger and
headed off left tackle. But Falcons defensive tackle Ed Jasper came in
untouched from the backside and pinned Faulk for a 2-yard loss - forcing the
Wilkins field goal.
"We got it blocked at the point," Martz said. "We had a breakdown on the back
side, and that's just the way it goes."
Jasper got through untouched, with Rams right guard Adam Timmerman blocking
another Falcons tackle to the inside. Jasper said he noticed this blocking
technique on counter plays from film study.
"I was able to back-door him," Jasper said. "It just so happened on that play,
everything worked out like I dreamed about it happening."
With only inches to go for a first down, why not try a quarterback sneak?
"C'mon," Martz replied testily. "If we don't get that first down because of the
quarterback sneak, and they jammed it up inside, then you'd be whining about
something else. No, we had the right call. We've just got to do a better job of
blocking it."
Atlanta tried a quarterback sneak on third and one on its ensuing possession,
with Vick gaining 1 yard for the first down. The 33-yard tipped pass to
Crumpler came on the next play.
It was that kind of day for St. Louis. At 1-1, there was disappointment but not
despair in the Rams' locker room.
"You always have some games where you don't play your best," safety Adam
Archuleta said. "We've been here before, and we've just got to rebound. There's
14 games left. It's early in the season. We've just got to go back to work like
we always do, correct our errors and just keep getting better and better every
week."
