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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A broken little finger on his right hand
will keep NFL passing leader Kurt Warner out 4-6 weeks, say the St.
Louis Rams.
Nonsense, says Warner.
|  | | Before leaving the game, Rams QB Kurt Warner had his worst half of the season -- 15-for-25 for 185 yards. |
"I'm going to be at home praying to try to get back next
week," said the NFL's top passer, who was injured right before
halftime of Kansas City's 54-34 victory over the previously
unbeaten Super Bowl champs. "I'm not saying I'm going to be out
for four weeks."
Warner, last season's NFL and Super Bowl MVP, was hurt on what
Rams coach Mike Martz said was the key play of the game. Trailing
27-14, the Rams (6-1) had driven to the Kansas City 8. But the ball
was fumbled on the center snap and Kansas City (4-3) recovered.
Although backup Trent Green passed for 205 yards and three
touchdowns, the suspect defense coughed up 37 points in the second
half as the Rams lost in Game 7 after starting 6-0 for the second
straight year.
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TOM DONAHOE'S BREAKDOWN |
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The Rams saw their chances for an unbeaten season go by the board today. But more significantly, the Rams showed again -- as they have most of the season -- that they have difficulty stopping anybody on defense.
There were planty of fireworks in this game. Most people came to see the Rams and their fireworks, but instead they got a dose of Kansas City's big-play offense.
Both starting quarterbacks were knocked out of this game.
But even a healthy Kurt Warner wouldn't have been able to pull this one out. With the strong start the Chiefs had, it would have been tough for Warner to engineer a comeback in the second half.
The Rams put themselves into a terrible hole early with two interceptions and a blocked punt and just could not work their way back into the game.
Every time the Rams made a move to try to get back in it, the Chiefs answered with a significant drive and score of their own.
This game featured the pass (both teams threw for over 300 yards), but a significant difference was this: St. Louis had four turnovers (including three interceptions).
Kansas City had been trying to operate the running game by committee this season. But today the start and the bulk of the work went to Kimble Anders, their most veteran back -- and he responded (13 carries, 102 yards).
Fortunately for the Rams, they have a competent backup quarterback in Trent Green, so for however long Warner is out, at least offensively they should be in pretty good shape. But they have some serious issues to address defensively.
Tom Donahoe, ESPN.com's NFL analyst, was formerly the Steelers' director of football operations.
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"We thought we had the momentum moving our way right before the
half and we fumbled that ball. That took the wind out of our
sails," said Martz.
"Football is a game of momentum. I think the critical play was
when we fumbled right at the end of the half."
The Chiefs lost quarterback Elvis Grbac to a bruised right elbow
on their last play of the third quarter. But he was luckier than
Warner, and hopes to be back next week.
"The X-rays were negative," said Grbac, who was 18-of-30 for
266 yards and two TDs. "I can move it around a little bit and
we'll see what it does the next couple of days."
The 54 points were the most the Chiefs have scored at Arrowhead
Stadium and the game total of 88 was second-most in team history.
"We're obviously a lot bigger than they are," said Chiefs
coach Gunther Cunningham, who walked around the locker room hugging
every player. "There were a lot of collisions out there."
While losing to Tennessee 24-21 last year in the seventh game,
also their first game of the year on grass, the Rams fell behind
21-0 in the first quarter.
In this one, they trailed 20-0 before a raucous sellout crowd of
79,142.
"I said all week that we could match up with them," said
cornerback James Hasty, who intercepted Warner's second pass of the
game and got the runaway started. "It was nose-to-nose. It was a
street battle, really."
Green came into the game trailing 34-14 after the Chiefs scored
on their first possession of the second half. Grbac was replaced by
43-year-old Warren Moon, who was 3-for-3 for 78 yards and one TD.
Warner, the NFL's top-rated quarterback leading an offense
averaging more than 500 yards, was 15-for-25 for 185 yards, with
one TD and interceptions in two of the Rams' first three
possessions.
In their first three possessions, the Chiefs got the ball on the
St. Louis 25, 49, and 36, and came away with Frank Moreau's 2-yard
touchdown run and field goals of 20 and 34 yards by Todd Peterson.
Mike Cloud then scooped up a blocked punt on the 6 and half
crawled, half ran into the end zone, shocking the Rams and probably
even themselves with a 20-0 lead with almost three minutes
remaining in the quarter.
The Rams recovered early in the second quarter with an 80-yard
drive capped by Marshall Faulk's 1-yard run on fourth down. But the
Chiefs came right back with a 71-yard march, aided by a 47-yard
pass interference penalty on Todd Lyght and capped by Grbac's
9-yard pass to Tony Gonzalez.
That made it 27-7, then Tony Horne's 34-yard kickoff return
helped set up Warner's 18-yard touchdown pass to Torry Holt.
Grbac's 30-yard TD pass to Derrick Alexander put the Chiefs on
top 34-14 on their first possession of the second half. But Green
connected with Roland Williams for a 31-yard score before Greg
Wesley intercepted Green's pass and ran it back 28 yards, leading
to Kimble Anders' 6-yard TD run.
Horne's 66-yard kickoff return led to Green's 22-yard TD pass to
Isaac Bruce, then Moon threw 31- and 39-yard completions to set up
a 4-yard TD run by Anders that put the Chiefs on top 47-28.
"It was a scoring orgy," said Chiefs center Tim Grunhard.
A few minutes later, Anders' 69-yard run from scrimmage set up
Moon's 8-yard TD pass to Troy Drayton. The Rams' last TD came on
Green's 4-yard pass to Bruce.
Warner became the third starting quarterback knocked from the
game this year by the Chiefs, who also took out Tennessee's Steve
McNair and San Diego's Moses Moreno.
"It's a habit I hope we can continue," said linebacker Lew
Bush..
Game notes
The late Missouri Gov. Mel Carnahan was honored with a
moment of silence before the game. Carnahan would have been at the
game, but was killed Monday night in a plane crash. ... The Rams
were the only NFL team never to lose a regular-season game in
Arrowhead Stadium. ... The 20-0 first quarter broke the Rams'
record of scoring in the first quarter in 31 straight games. ...
The Chiefs have had 100-yard receivers in five consecutive games
for the first time. ... Kicker Pete Stoyanovich, signed by the Rams
last week after being cut by the Chiefs, was booed while kicking
extra points and laughed at when one kickoff got only to the 20.
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ALSO SEE
NFL Scoreboard
St. Louis Clubhouse
Kansas City Clubhouse
Clayton: Rams call on Carson for ailing defense
Chiefs put on own fireworks display
Rams' Warner leaves game with broken finger
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Kurt Warner knows anything can happen in an NFL game.
wav: 202 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Mike Martz recaps St. Louis' loss to Kansas City.
wav: 190 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Elvis Grbac and the Chiefs were in a very offensive frame of mind.
wav: 52 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
Rams QB Trent Green hopes to shake the rust off in practice.
wav: 42 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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