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ST. LOUIS (Ticker) -- The road to the Super Bowl again leads through St. Louis. Marshall Faulk became the first player in NFL history to surpass 2,000 total yards in four straight seasons as the Rams wrapped up home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with a 31-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Faulk ran for 168 yards on 20 carries and caught five passes for 58 yards to finish the year with 2,147 yards from scrimmage. St. Louis finished 14-2 -- one game ahead of the Chicago Bears and Pittsburgh Steelers for the best record in the NFL -- and reached 14 wins for the first time in franchise history. In their Super Bowl season of 1999, the Rams finished 13-3. With the Super Bowl set for New Orleans, St. Louis will not play outdoors again this season. The Rams suffered their two losses at home this season, falling to New Orleans in October and to Tampa Bay in late November. Kurt Warner overcame three interceptions to complete 25-of-30 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns. The Falcons lost their final two games and five of their last six to finish at 7-9. The defense set up the Rams' first score as cornerback Dexter McCleon's 43-yard interception led to Jeff Wilkins' 24-yard field goal 4:57 into the first quarter. Warner tossed a 12-yard TD pass to Ricky Proehl with 48 seconds left in the first period to give St. Louis a 10-0 lead. Rookie Jay Feely kicked field goals of 49 and 33 yards in the second quarter, sandwiched around Warner's 15-yard TD pass to tight end Ernie Conwell, to bring the Falcons within 17-6 at the intermission. After Faulk scored on a three-yard TD run with 3:23 left in the third period, Darrick Vaughn returned the ensuing kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown to again pull Atlanta within 11. But St. Louis answered with a five-play, 60-yard drive, taking a 31-13 lead on Warner's eight-yard TD strike to Proehl. |
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