For the second straight week, Jeff Wilkins’ foot got the Rams out of a road jam. The Rams were able to squeak out a 30-27 win over the Cardinals in overtime at Sun Devil Stadium. After taking a 14-0 lead in the first quarter, St. Louis seemed on their way to a relatively effortless victory, but Arizona–who entered the game with a 3-1 mark at home—showed spunk, and scored ten points in teh second quarter, giving the Rams a 17-10 advantage at the half. The Rams went up 24-10 thanks to Travis Fisher’s interception and 57-yard run into the end zone. But Jeff Blake wasn’t the only quarterback with turnover problems. Despite passing for 329 yards and a touchdown, Marc Bulger had a rough day. He was picked off four times and lost a fumble. Those turnovers led to 20 points for the Cardinals. In fact, Arizona scored 17 straight points to take a 27-24 lead late in the game. But the Rams offense was able to charge 82-yards down the field, running the two-minute drill. The drive included Marshall Faulk lining up in a shotgun with Marc Bulger’s split out as a wide receiver, with 35 seconds to go in regulation. Jeff Wilkins kicked the game-tying field goal on the next play. In overtime, the Rams got the ball first and moved down the field to set up Wilkins’ 49-yard game-winner. Marshall Faulk finished with 100 yards rushing and a touchdown. Torry Holt caught nine passes for 145 yards. The victory gives the Rams an 8-3 record and sole possession of first place in the NFC West.
