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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Kurt Warner shook off a bad first half like a
10-year veteran.
After an awful start, the NFL's leading passer was 10-for-12 for
153 yards in the second half to lead the St. Louis Rams to 43-12
victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.
|  | | Rams quarterback Kurt Warner completed 15 of 27 passes for two touchdowns against the Saints. |
"I kind of told myself at halftime I didn't want to go through
a whole game playing that way," said Warner, who was 5-for-15 for
60 yards in the first half. "It's not the way I play football, so
I took what the defense gave me and tried to go out and play the
way I know how."
Warner's passer rating in the first half was 68.8, and in the
second half it was 146.5. Teammates said his positive attitude
never changed.
"He was very poised," center Mike Gruttadauria said. "His
demeanor was the same."
Marshall Faulk scored on runs of 1 and 6 yards and Torry Holt
added two touchdown catches for the Rams (9-2), who could clinch
their first division title since 1985 with a Carolina loss against
Atlanta on Sunday night.
"The sooner, the better," defensive tackle D'Marco Farr said.
"We've waited a long time for this."
The Rams' average winning margin was 35-10 at home this season
entering the game. They bettered that as they won their seventh
straight game at the Trans World Dome going back to last season.
Saints coach Mike Ditka had a tantrum after New Orleans (2-9)
fell flat following a strong start. The Rams have outscored the
opposition 52-0 in the second half, and Ditka was asked whether he
was the "right man for the job."
"Did I do anything out there wrong?" Ditka said. "Did I drop
the ball? Did I miss the field goal? Did I miss the tackles? I'm
not sure, did I throw the interception?"
Warner's second pass of the game was a 25-yard touchdown to
Holt, but later he had five straight incompletions, and the Rams
led only 15-12. The Rams' biggest weapon in the half was kickoff
returner Tony Horne, who had a 64-yarder to open the game, followed
by 42- and 41-yarders on his next two despite squib kicks.
Two of those returns, plus an interference call on Ashley
Ambrose that gave the Rams 35 yards, were responsible for both of
St. Louis' early scores. Holt's touchdown catches were his first
since the second week of the season, and Faulk added a 1-yard run.
The Saints outgained the Rams 202-78 in the half and held the
NFL's top-rated offense to 11:07 in time of possession and only six
first downs, but could muster only four field goals by Doug Brien.
Brien missed his shortest kick of the day, a 24-yarder that hit the
left upright and blew a chance to tie the game at 15 with 7:19 to
go in the third quarter.
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GAME NOTES |
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The Rams have won six division games for the first time. The NFL went to the division format in 1967.
D'Marco Farr had two sacks in the first quarter, then strained a hip flexor muscle and didn't return. Rams coach Dick Vermeil said there's a chance Farr could make his 76th consecutive start next week at Carolina.
Rams free safety Devin Bush left with injured ribs in the third quarter.
Rams defensive tackle Austin Robbins left with an injured leg in the first quarter, and cornerback Ashley Ambrose sprained his left
ankle in the second half.
Vermeil evened his career record at 72-72. He's 8-2 against the Saints, including 5-0 as head coach at Philadelphia from 1976-82.
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"Looking back on it, it was real crucial," Brien said. "At
the time, it was just a bad kick."
Warner was 5-for-5 for 75 yards on the Rams' first drive of the
second half, capped by Faulk's 6-yard run that made it 22-12.
Robert Holcombe's 3-yard run with 12:15 to go wrapped up a 67-yard
drive, Warner's 24-yarder to Holt came on a 76-yard march, and
James Hodgins tacked on a 1-yarder with 1:14 to go.
Warner finished 15-for-27 for 213 yards with two touchdowns and
no interceptions.
Faulk had only 21 yards on seven carries in the first half, but
finished with 102 on 18 attempts. He has a career-best five
100-yard games this season.
"I think the best thing that happened is we were standing in
the huddle when they were flashing the stats right after
halftime," Faulk said. "That rung a bell, and we went out there
and executed."
Holt has four touchdown passes, but hadn't made it to the end
zone since the second game of the season.
"I think it was a breakout game," said Holt, who caught five
passes for 87 yards. "A couple of my teammates have been saying I
needed one."
The Saints were without Ricky Williams, who missed the game with
turf toe. Billy Joe Hobert was 23-for-41 for 254 yards, but threw
two interceptions in the second half. Andre Hastings caught nine
passes for 113 yards.
Willie Whitehead of the Saints used the throat-slash gesture
after sacking Warner in the first half. The Saints weren't
penalized, but Whitehead is subject to a fine for the action,
banned this week by the NFL.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
New Orleans Clubhouse
St. Louis Clubhouse
Week 12 wrap-ups
Week 12 infirmary report
TJ's Take: Jags back on offensive
PrimeTime Players
Week 12 stats leaders
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Saints coach Mike Ditka talks about his team's 43-12 loss.
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RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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