Monday, October 04, 1999Rams' fortunes on the rise
Now 3-0 behind new QB Warner
BY JOE KAY
The Associated PressThe Rams' 38-10 victory over the Bengals Sunday shed their distinction as the NFL's worst team of the '90s. And as the decade winds down, the Rams (3-0) are anything but bad.
“Everything's going so well right now,” said Kurt Warner, the first quarterback in the last 50 years to throw three touchdown passes in each of his first three starts. “We just want to continue to roll with the confidence we've got now.”
The Rams have opened 3-0 for only the second time in the '90s, with a defense that has given up just 27 points and a quick-strike offense buoyed by Warner's amazing debut.
Warner, a former Arena Football League passer who got his big chance when Trent Green was lost for the season with a knee injury, completed 17 of 21 passes for 310 yards without an interception.
“We were hoping he wouldn't be as accurate as he was, but he's hot,” Bengals cornerback Artrell Hawkins said. “For a guy who played Arena Football, he's a full-fledged NFL quarterback.”
“There's no way I could have done what I've done by myself,” Warner said of his three-TD spree. “We have so many guys who are special, and a different one comes to the forefront each week.”
This week, it was Hakim's turn. The second-year receiver had touchdown catches of 9 and 51 yards in the first half and an 18-yarder in the third quarter. He essentially decided the game with his 84-yard punt return three minutes into the second half, pushing the score to 28-3.
“I kept the ball from the punt return,” Hakim said. “Hopefully, the touchdowns keep rolling.”
Hakim wasn't alone in tearing apart the Bengals' confused zone and soft man-to-man coverages. Isaac Bruce had six catches for 152 yards and rookie Torry Holt had four catches for 58 yards.
Afterward, the Rams' locker room was filled with cheering, singing and talk of a home game next week against San Francisco.
“It's a huge game,” Bruce said. “It's a team we haven't had a lot of success with. One thing I can tell you: There won't be a letdown. If there was going to be a letdown, it would have been this week.”
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Rams' fortunes on the rise