Final
Rams roll over Saints for first win
Nov 11, 2007 - 11:21 PM By Ed Cassiere PA SportsTicker Contributing WriterNEW ORLEANS (Ticker) - Marc Bulger and the St. Louis Rams finally won, and they made it look easy against one of the NFL's hottest teams.
Bulger passed for 302 yards and two touchdowns on Sunday, leading St. Louis to its first victory of the season, 37-29, over the New Orleans Saints.
Bulger completed 27-of-33 passes, including touchdowns of 9 yards to wide receiver Isaac Bruce and 3 yards to wideout Drew Bennett, and directed the Rams (1-8) to four other scores in a span of seven possessions.
St. Louis (1-8) entered the contest with an 0-4 record on the road and had been outscored 114-19 away from Edward Jones Dome.
"It feels great to win, regardless of the opponent," said Bulger, who entered the game with a 64.3 passing rating that ranked 31st in the league. "This is an amazing game. For some reason it all came together today. I got a lot of time from the line up front and just made the throws."
On the other hand, the Saints (4-5) entered the game with four consecutive victories after an 0-4 start and had moved to within a half-game of NFC South leader Tampa Bay.
But after Saints halfback Reggie Bush scored on a 7-yard run on the game's opening possession, the Rams dominated.
On the Saints' next six possessions, they went three-and-out twice, and safety Oshiomogho Atogwe and linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa each intercepted New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees.
"We felt we could (win)," Tinoisamoa said, "but to actually do it is still kind of magical right now. I don't even know how to explain it."
St. Louis answered New Orleans' early touchdown with three consecutive scores - Steven Jackson's 1-yard run, Jackson's 2-yard pass to Randy McMichael and Jeff Wilkins' 49-yard field goal - to take a 17-7 halftime lead.
The Rams extended the lead to 34-7 in the second half on Wilkins' 21-yard field goal and Bulger's TD connections with Bruce and Bennett. Rookie halfback Antonio Pittman, released by the Saints prior to the season, set up Bennett's touchdown with a 40-yard run to the New Orleans 1-yard line.
"It's not about the rah-rah or pregame speeches. It's about going out and playing the way the game is supposed to be played," Rams coach Scott Linehan said. "The Saints are a scary team. We knew this game was going to require points for us."
Jackson, in his second game since missing four in a row because of a groin injury, rushed 22 times for 76 yards. Torry Holt caught eight passes for 124 yards, both season bests.
The Saints made it interesting late with three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, but the Rams recovered an onsides kick with 29 seconds remaining to end it.
"We struggled," Saints coach Sean Payton said. "We can't get this one back. We tried to make a game of it, but it wasn't even close like the score indicates."
Brees sandwiched a 1-yard TD pass to tight end Billy Miller and a 7-yard score to tight end Eric Johnson around a 2-yard run by Aaron Stecker during the Saints' comeback.
Brees finished 25-of-36 for 272 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. He was 16-of-22 for 204 yards in the fourth quarter.
The Saints' Marques Colston had his second consecutive 100-yard game, catching eight passes for 129 yards. But the Rams limited Bush to a combined 44 yards rushing and receiving, his second-lowest total of the season.
"We're still fine," Brees said. "We've bounced back from a lot tougher than this. Obviously we wanted to keep the streak going, but at some point it ends, and now we start a new streak.
"We're sitting here at 4-5, and we still have the division (championship) and all of our goals sitting in front of us. Obviously there's not a whole lot of room for error, but we've been there before."
- NFL
FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
ST LOUIS 7 10 10 10 37
NEW ORLEANS 7 0 0 22 29 FINAL
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: NOR - TD, REGGIE BUSH 7 YD RUN (OLINDO MARE
KICK), 2:15. Drive: 4 plays, 73
yards in 2:15. Key plays: Stecker
13-yard run to New Orleans 40;
Brees 11-yard pass to Colston to St
Louis 49; 37-
Nov 11 4:07 PM
TD NOR ERIC JOHNSON 7 YD PASS FROM DREW BREES (REGGIE BUSH RUN FOR TWO-POINT CONVERSION)
Rams vs. SaintsNov 11 4:04 PM
TD NOR ERIC JOHNSON 7 YD PASS FROM DREW BREES (REGGIE BUSH RUN FOR TWO-POINT CONVERSION)
Rams vs. SaintsNov 11 4:04 PM
TD NOR ERIC JOHNSON 7 YD PASS FROM DREW BREES (REGGIE BUSH RUN FOR TWO-POINT CONVERSION)
Rams vs. SaintsNov 11 4:04 PM- NFL
TD NOR
ERIC JOHNSON 7 YD PASS FROM DREW BREES
(REGGIE BUSH RUN FOR TWO-POINT CONVERSION)
ST LOUIS 37
NEW ORLEANS 29 0:32 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Rams vs. SaintsNov 11 4:04 PM - NFL
FG STL
JEFF WILKINS 44 YD
ST LOUIS 37
NEW ORLEANS 21 1:55 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Rams vs. SaintsNov 11 3:58 PM - NFL
TD NOR
AARON STECKER 2 YD RUN
(TWO-POINT PASS CONVERSION FAILED)
ST LOUIS 34
NEW ORLEANS 21 4:42 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Rams vs. SaintsNov 11 3:48 PM
TD NOR BILLY MILLER 1 YD PASS FROM DREW BREES (REGGIE BUSH RUN FOR TWO-POINT CONVERSION)
Rams vs. SaintsNov 11 3:19 PM
TD NOR BILLY MILLER 1 YD PASS FROM DREW BREES (REGGIE BUSH RUN FOR TWO-POINT CONVERSION)
Rams vs. SaintsNov 11 3:19 PM
TD NOR BILLY MILLER 1 YD PASS FROM DREW BREES (REGGIE BUSH RUN FOR TWO-POINT CONVERSION)
Rams vs. SaintsNov 11 3:19 PM- NFL
TD NOR
BILLY MILLER 1 YD PASS FROM DREW BREES
(REGGIE BUSH RUN FOR TWO-POINT CONVERSION)
ST LOUIS 34
NEW ORLEANS 15 11:36 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Rams vs. SaintsNov 11 3:19 PM - NFL
TD STL
DREW BENNETT 3 YD PASS FROM MARC BULGER
(JEFF WILKINS KICK)
ST LOUIS 34
NEW ORLEANS 7 14:18 LEFT, 4TH QTR
Rams vs. SaintsNov 11 3:12 PM - NFL
END, 3RD QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
ST LOUIS 7 10 10 27
NEW ORLEANS 7 0 0 7 END, 3RD QTR
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: NOR - TD, REGGIE BUSH 7 YD RUN (OLINDO MARE
KICK), 2:15. Drive: 4 plays, 73
yards in 2:15. Key plays: Stecker
13-yard run to New Orleans 40;
Brees 11-yard pass to Colston to St
Louis
Nov 11 3:08 PM - NFL
TD STL
ISAAC BRUCE 9 YD PASS FROM MARC BULGER
(JEFF WILKINS KICK)
ST LOUIS 27
NEW ORLEANS 7 4:43 LEFT, 3RD QTR
Rams vs. SaintsNov 11 2:58 PM - NFL
HALFTIME 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
ST LOUIS 7 10 17
NEW ORLEANS 7 0 7 HALFTIME
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: NOR - TD, REGGIE BUSH 7 YD RUN (OLINDO MARE
KICK), 2:15. Drive: 4 plays, 73
yards in 2:15. Key plays: Stecker
13-yard run to New Orleans 40;
Brees 11-yard pass to Colston to St
Louis 49;
Nov 11 2:20 PM
TD STL RANDY MCMICHAEL 2 YD PASS FROM STEVEN JACKSON (JEFF WILKINS KICK)
Rams vs. SaintsNov 11 1:59 PM
TD STL RANDY MCMICHAEL 2 YD PASS FROM STEVEN JACKSON (JEFF WILKINS KICK)
Rams vs. SaintsNov 11 1:59 PM
TD STL RANDY MCMICHAEL 2 YD PASS FROM STEVEN JACKSON (JEFF WILKINS KICK)
Rams vs. SaintsNov 11 1:59 PM- NFL
TD STL
RANDY MCMICHAEL 2 YD PASS FROM STEVEN JACKSON
(JEFF WILKINS KICK)
ST LOUIS 14
NEW ORLEANS 7 8:37 LEFT, 2ND QTR
Rams vs. SaintsNov 11 1:59 PM - NFL
END, 1ST QTR 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
ST LOUIS 7 7
NEW ORLEANS 7 7 END, 1ST QTR
SCORING SUMMARY
1ST QUARTER: NOR - TD, REGGIE BUSH 7 YD RUN (OLINDO MARE
KICK), 2:15. Drive: 4 plays, 73
yards in 2:15. Key plays: Stecker
13-yard run to New Orleans 40;
Brees 11-yard pass to Colston to St
Louis
Nov 11 1:42 PM - NFL
TD STL
STEVEN JACKSON 1 YD RUN
(JEFF WILKINS KICK)
ST LOUIS 7
NEW ORLEANS 7 2:58 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Rams vs. SaintsNov 11 1:27 PM - NFL
TD NOR
REGGIE BUSH 7 YD RUN
(OLINDO MARE KICK)
ST LOUIS 0
NEW ORLEANS 7 12:45 LEFT, 1ST QTR
Rams vs. SaintsNov 11 1:07 PM
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