Like pizza and chocolate, the St. Louis Rams' offense is still good even when it's bad.
The Rams struggled for most of the first half against the 49ers, before rolling over San Francisco's inexperienced secondary in the second half.
Kurt Warner completed 23-of-34 passes for 394 yards and two touchdowns in the Rams' 41-24 win over the 49ers Sunday at the TWA Dome.
St. Louis has ripped through the Broncos, Seahawks and 49ers for 1,518 yards in the first three games. By comparison, the Lions and Chargers have only combined for 1,229 yards in their six games in the 2000 season.
Warner has been picked off six times already, but he is on pace to throw for 6,512 yards this season, and the Rams are undefeated, so fans in the Gateway City will likely overlook the turnovers.
The Falcons are the next victims in line for the magnificent Rams, as St. Louis travels to Atlanta next Sunday to face the 2-1 Falcons in the Georgia Dome.
| Week 3 NFL Recap |
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| Packers 6 (1-2), Eagles 3 (1-2) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
12: Penalties committed by the Eagles, costing them 115 yards in field position. |
| Player of the Game |
| Ryan Longwell, K, Green Bay: Overcame a miss at the end of the first half to boot two second-half field goals, including the game-winner with three seconds left. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| Hardly an offensive clinic, the teams combined for only 408 total yards and 31 first downs. The Eagles have scored only 21 points the last two weeks after pouring 41 on the Cowboys in the season opener, and have only 403 yards in the last two after rolling up 425 yards against Dallas. Brett Favre struggled again, throwing three interceptions and passing for only 189 yards. The Packers held Donovan McNabb to 118 yards passing and 20 yards rushing on three scrambles. Green Bay sacked McNabb five times, with Bernardo Harris, Santana Dotson, David Bowens, Tod McBride and John Thierry each getting one. Dorsey Levens looked good in his first action of the season, carrying 24 times for 74 yards and catching two passes for 15 yards. With the win the Packers avoided losing two in a row at home to start the season for the first time since 1988. |
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| Rams 41 (3-0), 49ers 24 (0-3) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
529: Total yards by the Rams, pushing their three-game total to an eye-popping 1,518 yards (an average of 506 yards per game). |
| Player of the Game |
| Marshall Faulk, RB, St. Louis: Ran for 134 yards on 25 carries and three touchdowns and added seven catches for 65 yards. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| The Rams' offensive express keeps chugging along, though the 49ers made it an interesting trip for a while. Kurt Warner completed 23 of 34 for 394 yards and two touchdowns, giving him a league-record 1,221 yards through the first three games, surpassing Drew Bledsoe's record start of 1,166 from 1994. Warner also bested Dan Marino's three-game total of 1,214 yards from 1984 for the best three-game stretch of all time. Warner was picked off twice, giving him six interceptions on the season, after throwing only 13 last season. Jeff Garcia passed for 290 yards and three touchdowns, but his two interceptions were costly. Isaac Bruce caught eight passes for 188 yards and a touchdown, surpassing his previous two-game total of 157 yards.
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| Falcons 15 (2-1), Panthers 10 (1-2) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
1 1/2: Sacks by the Panthers' high-priced defensive line of Reggie White, Eric Swann, Chuck Smith and Sean Gilbert , all by White. |
| Player of the Game |
| Jamal Anderson, RB, Atlanta: Ran for 97 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries, his best game since returning from his knee injury. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| The Falcons beat their division rivals by holding them to 59 yards rushing, well below their 105-yard average. Falcons linebacker Keith Brooking led the defensive effort with 12 total tackles. Chuck Wiley had two sacks and two tackles for the Falcons against his old team, while former Falcon Chuck Smith missed the game with a sore knee. Chris Chandler didn't throw a touchdown pass, but also avoided getting picked off. Steve Beuerlein completed 21 of 37 passes for 241 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. |
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| Jets 27 (3-0), Bills 14 (2-1) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
48.7: Completion percentage for Vinny Testaverde this season (55 of 113). |
| Player of the Game |
| Marcus Coleman, CB/WR, New York: After being burned on defense by Jeremy McDaniel for a 74-yard touchdown, Coleman caught the Hail Mary touchdown to end the first half. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| Testaverde's early-game struggles continued, but the Jets are 3-0 for the first time in 34 years, so no one will be complaining in the Big Apple. What Al Groh might complain about is the play of his secondary, which allowed McDaniel and Eric Moulds to combine for 10 catches for 171 yards and two touchdowns. Curtis Martin allowed the Jets to control the ball for 33:11, running for 84 yards and a touchdown on 29 carries. Martin is averaging only 3.4 yards per carry, but his 70 carries have him on pace for another 350-plus carry season. Sam Cowart had 15 tackles for the Bills. |
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| Buccaneers 31 (3-0), Lions 10 (2-1) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
3: Times in franchise history the Bucs have scored more than 30 points in consecutive weeks. |
| Player of the Game |
| Shaun King, QB, Tampa Bay: Completed 17 of 28 passes for 201 yards and a touchdown, giving him four touchdowns and no interceptions in three games. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| Detroit scored its first offensive touchdown of the season at the end of the 10th quarter, but it came on a Hail Mary pass to Germane Crowell at the end of the first half. The Bucs' defense is playing better than it did last season, but the offensive line is the biggest difference between last year's team and this year's. Randall McDaniel and Jeff Christy helped neutralize the Lions' defensive line, holding their opponent without a sack for the third consecutive game. McDaniel lined up in the backfield as a goal-line fullback on several plays, catching a 2-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter, and dropping a potential second touchdown. The Buccaneers had seven sacks with Warren Sapp recording three, Anthony McFarland getting 2 1/2, Marcus Jones one and Chidi Ahanotu getting credit for a half a sack. Tampa Bay held Detroit to 16 rushing yards, with offseason free-agent signee James Stewart gaining only 13 yards on eight carries. The Lions managed only 168 total yards against the Bucs, and have only 599 yards in their three games. |
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| Browns 23 (2-1), Steelers 20 (0-2) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
1,446: Days since the Browns last won a home game, when they beat the Bengals 26-10 on Dec. 17, 1995, in the final game at Cleveland Municipal Stadium before the team moved to Baltimore. |
| Player of the Game |
| Tim Couch, QB, Cleveland: Completed 23 of 31 passes for 316 yards and two touchdowns. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| Cleveland managed to end its nine-game home losing streak, despite rushing for only 61 yards. Couch spread the ball around to eight receivers, with three ( Darrin Chiaverini, Aaron Shea and Kevin Johnson ) catching four passes or more. The Browns' investment in Courtney Brown paid off in a big way as the top overall draft pick sacked Kent Graham three times and made four total tackles. Cleveland couldn't contain Jerome Bettis, as "The Bus" rolled to 122 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries. The surprising 2-1 Browns have a tough task next Sunday with a road trip to Oakland. |
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| Jaguars 13 (2-1), Bengals 0 (0-2) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
91: Games played in franchise history before the Jaguars recorded their first shutout. |
| Player of the Game |
| Tony Brackens, DE, Jacksonville: Jags' Pro Bowler sacked Akili Smith twice, forced two fumbles and added six tackles. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| A week after his 291-yard receiving game, Jimmy Smith was held to six catches for 41 yards. But the defensive attention on Smith allowed Keenan McCardell to catch 10 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown. Jacksonville averaged only 2.9 yards per carry (29 carries for 84 yards), but the Jaguars limited Corey Dillon to 32 yards on 17 carries. Neither team played an especially sharp game, with Cincinnati converting only 4 of 17 third-down situations, and Jacksonvile succeeding on only 4 of 16 third-down plays. Smith struggled for the second straight game, completing only 18 of 41 passes for 183 yards and two interceptions, pushing his season numbers to 33 of 84 (39.3 percent completion percentage) for 433 yards and four interceptions. |
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| Broncos 33 (2-1), Raiders 24 (2-1) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
10-1: Mike Shanahan's record against the Raiders as head coach of the Broncos. |
| Player of the Game |
| Mike Anderson, RB, Denver: Carried 32 times for 187 yards, upping his two-game totals to 63 carries for 318 yards. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| The Broncos got the tough road win thanks to their punishing running attack. Anderson filled in for the injured Terrell Davis again, and looked brilliant. Anderson is now averaging 5.0 yards per carry, and became only the ninth player to rush for 100 yards in each of his first two NFL games. Joe Nedney made no secret of his disdain for the Raiders for letting him go, and he made them pay for it. Nedney hit all three of his field-goal attempts while Raiders rookie Sebastian Janikowski was only 1-for-2. Brian Griese continued his efficient play, completing 21 of 31 for 213 yards and two touchdowns. The Broncos now sit atop the AFC West and face another division rival next Sunday as the 1-2 Chiefs come to Denver. |
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| Seahawks 20 (1-2), Saints 10 (1-2) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
75.9: Completion percentage in the game for Jon Kitna, who hit on 22 of his 29 passes for 193 yards. |
| Player of the Game |
| Ricky Watters, RB, Seattle: Ran for 105 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries and caught three passes for 19 yards. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| New Orleans got the best in the battle of the Rickys, with Ricky Williams outrushing Watters 107-105, and also catching five passes for 35 yards. Kitna played his strongest game of the season, throwing one touchdown and one interception, but he was sacked four times. Kitna was able to spread the ball around to nine receivers, with rookie Darrell Jackson leading the way with five catches for 59 yards. Seattle's secondary held Jeff Blake to 14-of-23 passing for 159 yards. The Seahawks controlled the ball for 34:47, and managed 22 first downs to only 13 for the Saints. |
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| Chiefs 42 (1-2), Chargers 10 (0-3) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
630: Total yards for the Chargers after three games, an average of only 210 yards per game. |
| Player of the Game |
| Elvis Grbac, QB, Kansas City: Completed 20 of 33 passes for 235 yards with five touchdowns and one interception. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| The Chiefs turned to some untapped resources for their offensive explosion -- rookie wide receiver Sylvester Morris and rookie running back Frank Moreau. Morris caught six passes for 112 yards and three touchdowns, while Moreau carried 18 times for 58 yards and a touchdown. Moreau's ground efforts allowed the Chiefs to hold the ball for 35:09 and wear down the Chargers' normally hearty defense. Kansas City totaled 348 yards and 25 first downs while holding San Diego to 185 yards and 10 first downs. Moses Moreno completed only 11 of 22 passes for 107 yards before being replaced by Ryan Leaf. The Chiefs sacked Moreno five times and got Leaf once, with Eric Hicks and Dan Williams each getting two sacks, and John Browning and Chester McGlockton each getting one. |
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| Giants 14 (3-0), Bears 7 (0-3) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
185: Advantage in total offense for the Giants (407) over the Bears (222). |
| Player of the Game |
| Tiki Barber, RB, New York: Carried 17 times for 86 yards and a touchdown, and caught six passes for 58 yards. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| The Bears' offensive struggles continued as they managed only 48 yards rushing. The loss was only the fourth in the past 17 home openers for the Bears. Chicago last lost its first three games in 1998, when it dropped seven in a row to open Dave Wannstedt's final season as coach. Kerry Collins threw for 249 yards on 24-of-33 passing. The rejuvenated Collins is now 62-of-87 (71.3 percent) for 641 yards and three touchdowns for the season. But the Giants truly are a ground team this season, after running for 172 yards against the Bears, to push their season total to 562 (187.3 per game). Cade McNown completed 23 of 36 for 202 yards and one touchdown, but was sacked four times. Brian Urlacher starred for Chicago's defense in his first career start, recording one sack and 13 total tackles. The Giants didn't allow a touchdown pass to Marcus Robinson, though he made nine catches for 84 yards.
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| Vikings 21 (3-0), Patriots 13 (0-3) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
169: Rushing yards for Daunte Culpepper this season, putting him on pace for 901. |
| Player of the Game |
| Robert Smith, RB, Minnesota: Ran for 91 yards and one touchdown on 29 carries and added two catches for 12 yards. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| The Vikings certainly are the most surprising undefeated team after Week 3, though the three victories were against opponents with a combined 1-7 record. Culpepper completed 19 of 28 passes for 177 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, and also ran for 59 yards on 12 carries. The Patriots kept Cris Carter and Randy Moss out of the end zone, and actually limited Moss to two catches for 20 yards. But Smith's running and Culpepper's timely scrambling allowed the Vikings to hold the ball for 39:08. Kevin Faulk played well for the Patriots, carrying 13 times for 80 yards and catching three passes for 31 yards. The Vikings have a bye next Sunday before traveling to Detroit in Week 5. |
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| Dolphins 19 (2-1), Ravens 6 (2-1) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
61,361: Career passing yards by Dan Marino, whose No. 13 was retired at halftime of the Dolphins' 13-point win. |
| Player of the Game |
| Zach Thomas, LB, Miami: Anchored the league's top defense with 13 tackles. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| The Dolphins had another superb defensive effort, though the rainy weather in South Florida helped out on Sunday night. Miami has allowed only 19 points in three games this season, the lowest total in the league. Lamar Smith carried 22 times for 63 yards and a touchdown, and caught three passes for 47 yards and a touchdown. Jason Taylor had six tackles and two of the Dolphins' six sacks. The Ravens had 12 miscues in the game, with six sacks, four penalties, one interception and three fumbles (though they recovered all three) all contributing to the loss. Baltimore's Jamal Lewis had the best game of his young career, with nine carries for 76 yards and two catches for 22 yards. |
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| Cowboys 27 (1-2), Redskins 21 (1-2) |
| Review |
Key Stat |
Game Summary and
Game Recap |
24: Touchdowns by Emmitt Smith on Monday Night Football to rank second behind Jerry Rice (32). |
| Player of the Game |
| Randall Cunningham, QB, Dallas: Completed 10 of 23 passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns, and added 32 yards rushing on three scrambles. |
| CNNSI.com's Breakdown |
| Dallas continued its domination of Washington, winning its sixth straight and 10th in the past 14 meetings between these hated rivals. With the win the Cowboys avoided their first 0-3 start since 1989, the first season under Jimmy Johnson. Smith ran for 83 yards and one touchdown on 24 carries, while Stephen Davis got 91 yards and two touchdowns on 25 carries for the Redskins. Smith now has 414 carries for 1,924 yards and 21 touchdowns in 19 career games against the Redskins. Washington outgained Dallas 334-332, but the Redskins' six penalties for 82 yards proved costly. The disappointing 1-2 Redskins travel to the Meadowlands next Sunday for a crucial division matchup with the 3-0 Giants. |
