The St. Louis Rams win their third game of the season in a 28-16 win over the Atlanta Falcons before a less than sellout crowd of 62,051 at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis. Quarterback Gus Frerotte fired three touchdown passes to lead the Rams to victory.
The Rams got on the board on their first possession as Randy McMichael grabbed a Gus Frerotte pass from 1 yard out to cap an 11 play, 75 yard touchdown drive. Jeff Wilkins kicked the extra point to make it Rams 7, Falcons 0.
St. Louis scored again the next time it got the ball, driving 95 yards in 6 plays to score a major. Frerotte fired a 31 yard pass to Torry Holt to finish off the drive. Wilkins again added the extra point, making it St. Louis 14, Atlanta 0. That’s how the 1st quarter ended.
There was only 1 scoring play in the 2nd quarter, and it was the Rams cashing in. Frerotte’s 8 yard pass to Isaac Bruce capped an 80 yard scoring drive in 6 plays. Wilkins’ extra point made it St. Louis 21, Atlanta 0.
In the 3rd quarter, the Falcons appeared to have scored a touchdown as Michael Jenkins ran back a Rams’ punt for a TD, but the return was called back by a penalty. Atlanta ended up settling for 3 as the National Football League’s all-time leading scorer gave the Falcons their first points of the day. Morten Andersen connected on a 41 yard field goal to end a 9 play, 61 yard drive and make the score St. Louis 21, Atlanta 3. The Rams led by that score as the teams went into the 4th quarter.
The Falcons struck just over 3 minutes into the 4th quarter as Chris Redman found Roddy White with a 15 yard touchdown pass to cap a 6 play, 80 yard drive. The conversion attempt was no good and the Rams led the Falcons 21-9. Atlanta scored again with just over 7 minutes to play as Redman found Jenkins for a 5 yard TD pass to cap a 7 play, 72 yard drive. Andersen’s extra point narrowed the lead to St. Louis 21, Atlanta 16.
The Falcons threatened as the game drew to a close, but a Redman pass with under 2 minutes to play was picked off by Oshiomogho Atogwe. It set up the final score of the day, a Steven Jackson 50 yard run for a touchdown to cap 2 play, 50 yard drive. Wilkins’ PAT made the final score Rams 28, Falcons 16
The Rams (3-9) get back into action next Sunday, in Cincinnati, against the Bengals.