ST. LOUIS -- Quarterback Kurt Warner is expected to be ready for the St. Louis Rams' playoff run, but is being told to avoid talking for a week after taking a blow to the throat in the regular-season finale.

Warner's voice was raspy following the 31-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. He said he took a knee or elbow to the throat early in the game -- he wasn't sure when. He played the rest of the way, completing 25 of 30 passes for 280 yards and three touchdowns, though he did throw three interceptions.

And he was the lead blocker on an end-around in the game's waning seconds.

Warner and coach Mike Martz downplayed the injury.

"They gave him some steroids, I think, to keep the swelling down, but he's fine," Martz said.

Warner said, "Doesn't seem to be anything too serious but it makes me sound a little funny."

Later, team doctors discovered some bleeding of the vocal cords, Team spokesman Rick Smith said it was a throat contusion and Warner was told by doctors not to talk for seven days.

Martz said Warner was expected to be ready for the playoffs. The Rams finished the regular season 14-2, the best record in the NFL, and earned a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. St. Louis will play its first playoff game Jan. 19 or 20.

"We are taking this precaution with consideration of the bye week before the playoffs begin," Martz said in a brief written statement.

This season, Warner recorded the second-highest passing yardage total ever with 4,830, second only to Dan Marino's 5,084 yards with Miami in 1984. Warner also completed 68.6 percent of his passes and threw 36 touchdown passes, both sixth-best in NFL history.

In Warner's three years as a starter, the Rams became the first team to ever have three straight 500-point seasons. In those three seasons, Warner passed for 12,612 yards and 98 touchdowns.