RAMS CLOSE OUT 2008 SEASON WITH ROAD TRIP TO ATLANTA

Rams Transcripts:
Wednesday: Haslett

Falcons Transcripts:
Wednesday: Smith | Ryan

The Rams travel to the Georgia Dome this week to face the Atlanta Falcons in the 2008 regular season finale for both teams.

The Rams have played the Falcons 74 times, leading the all-time series 47-25-2. The Rams have faced only San Francisco (119), Green Bay (90), Chicago (88) and Detroit (80) more than the Falcons.

Passing

M. Bulger
Rams
2,490 yards

Rushing

S. Jackson
Rams
881 yards

Receiving

T. Holt
Rams
706 yards

Passing

M. Ryan
Falcons
3,280 yards

Rushing

M. Turner
Falcons
1,491 yards

Receiving

R. White
Falcons
1,334 yards

4th Quarter

- The Rams quickly got an 8-yard run from Jackson followed by a 33-yard completion to Holt which set up a 2-yard touchdown run by Jackson to tie it at 24.

- Holt has five catches for 84 yards, tying his best output of the season in receiving yards.

- The Rams’ three offensive touchdowns is only the second time they’ve done that in a game this season with the Dallas blowout win being the other.

- On the first play of Atlanta’s drive, Turner busted loose for what looked like a 76-yard touchdown run but Ron Bartell chased him down at the 2, ripped the ball loose and recovered it in the end zone.

- After a lengthy review, the play stood because of a lack of evidence to overturn it.

- On third-and-9, Bulger threw in the flat to Jackson who made a one handed catch, hurdled a defender and raced for a 12-yard gain and a first down.

- A tough day turned into a great one for Wade three plays into the drive as he intercepted Ryan and returned it 8 yards to Atlanta’s 22.

- The Rams got 11 yards on two carries from Jackson to Atlanta’s 11 but he lost 5 yards on first-and-10 from Atlanta’s 11.

- The offense couldn’t punch it into the end zone but Brown hit a 27-yard field goal with 6:39 to go to make it 27-24 Rams.

- Atlanta wasted no time responding, traveling 80 yards on six plays in just two minutes and 58 seconds. Norwood finished that drive with a 45-yards touchdown run to make it 31-27 Atlanta with 3:41 to go.

- The Rams moved quickly into Atlanta territory, as far as the 29 but Bulger took a sack and threw a pair of incompletions to end the drive and put it away for the Falcons.

- Atlanta took a couple of knees and won 31-27.

3rd Quarter

- The Falcons took the momentum gained at the end of the first half into the opening possession of the third quarter as Ryan hooked up with Roddy White for gains of 24 and 18 yards, the second of which went for a touchdown and a 24-14 lead with 12:20 to go in the quarter.

- Turner chipped in on the drive with runs of 17, 10 and 8 yards to move within striking distance of another 100-yard outing.

- The Rams started their first second half drive on their 20.

- It appeared the Rams were going three and out but a direct snap on fourth down to Travis Minor resulted in a 4-yard gain to give them new life at Atlanta’s 31.

- The Rams were forced to punt after three plays but the defense got the stop and the Rams pieced together a solid drive to get a 31-yard field goal from kicker Josh Brown to cut the deficit to 24-17.

- Jackson went over the 1,000-yard mark twice on the drive, falling under it after he went past it and then getting the yard back.

- A 36-yard pass from Bulger to Jackson set up the field goal.

- On fourth-and-inches, Haslett opted to boot the field goal to make it a one-score game.

- The defense got another stop and the offense has it at Atlanta’s 49 with a first down at the end of the quarter. The Rams trail 24-17.

2nd Quarter

- The second quarter got off to a great start for the Rams as Ryan threw to the right for Harry Douglas. But the ball hit Douglas’ hands and went up in to the air where Jason Craft emerged and grabbed it for an interception.

- Craft returned it 16 yards to Atlanta’s 47 to give the Rams their best field position of the day.

- Cornerback Jonathan Wade took a knee to the back late in the first quarter. His return is questionable and Eric Bassey replaced him in the lineup.

- The Rams couldn’t get anything going, though, punting it away after just three plays.

- The Falcons took over at their 15 to start the ensuing possession.

- The Rams defense got another stop after yielding a single first down. James Hall sacked Ryan on third down for a loss of 6 to force the punt.

- The offense took the momentum from that immediately into its possession as Jackson ripped off gains of 23 and 6 on the first two plays. But the drive stalled as the Rams went away from the run for an incompletion an 11-yard sack on fourth-and-3.

- Atlanta took over at its 45.

- With Wade back in the game, Atlanta quickly turned to the passing attack as Ryan hit an open Michael Jenkins for a gain of 41 yards to the Rams’ 4.

- After a false start penalty, Turner punched it on off right tackle from 9 yards out to make it 10-7 Atlanta with 4:43 to go in the half.

- The Rams again responded with another excellent drive, traveling 81 yards on 11 plays before Bulger hit Avery for 16 yards and a touchdown to make it 14-10 Rams.

- Jackson went over the 100-yard mark, with 15 carries for 102 yards in the half.

- Atlanta took momentum right back with a big play on the return as Jerious Norwood ripped off a 92-yard return to set up an 8-yard run two plays later for a touchdown and a 17-14 lead with 11 seconds to go in the half.

- At the end of the first half, the Falcons lead the Rams 17-14.

1st Quarter

- The Rams won the toss and elected to receive.

- But the first possession didn’t last long as two Steven Jackson runs netted 1 yard and quarterback Marc Bulger was sacked for a loss of 6 by Atlanta linebacker Stephen Nicholas on third down.

- Donnie Jones hammered a 58-yard punt and the return lost 3 for a net of 61 yards.

- Atlanta took over at its 24 and quickly marched into Rams’ territory on the strength of quarterback Matt Ryan’s right arm. Ryan hit on completions for gains of 22, 8, 15, and 6 before the drive stalled at the Rams’ 21.

- Jason Elam converted a 39-yard field goal with 10:02 to go in the quarter for a 3-0 lead.

- The Rams came back with a powerful response as Steven Jackson sent a message to the Falcons that he does not want to be denied his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard season. Jackson ran for 45 yards on four carries, capping it with a 4-yard touchdown run to make it 7-3 Rams with 6:18 to go in the quarter.

- Bulger connected with Torry Holt for a gain of 14 and Donnie Avery for a gain of 16 on the drive.

- The Rams came up with an onside kick recovery on the ensuing kickoff but linebacker Larry Grant was offsides and the team had to kick off.

- The teams traded punts and Atlanta has the ball at its 42 to end the quarter with the Rams leading 7-3.

Pregame Notes

- Greetings from the Georgia Dome where the Rams are set to take on the playoff-bound Falcons at noon.

- What a turnaround here in Atlanta. And talk about an atmosphere. There’s a buzz that goes with being a playoff team and the Falcons have plenty of it. They have revamped the inside of the dome and the seats are all black and red. It’s a sharp, bright, loud place to be.

- Cornerback Fakhir Brown did not make the trip to town and will be inactive. Jonathan Wade will get the start in his place and has a chance to prove his worth against the likes of Atlanta’s Pro Bowl receiver Roddy White. It’s a tall task but if Wade wants to solidify his value, he needs to have a strong showing.

- Guard Jacob Bell did make the trip but is inactive and will be replaced in the starting lineup by rookie John Greco, another youngster with something to prove.

- Also, Richie Incognito is inactive today. He battled illness on Friday but it’s unknown whether that illness is the reason for his status. Adam Goldberg will start in his stead.

- Other inactives for the Rams include quarterback Brock Berlin, defensive tackle Antwon Burton, tackle Anthony Davis and defensive end Eric Moore.

- Atlanta’s inactives are quarterback D.J. Shockley, safety Lawyer Milloy, cornerback Glenn Sharpe, linebacker Tony Gilbert, tackle Wayne Gandy, center Alex Stepanovich, tackle Quinn Ojinnaka and defensive end Jamaal Anderson.

2nd Quarter

KTVI, FOX 2 is once again “The Home of the Rams” in 2007.  On Monday evenings at 6:30 p.m., check out Rams Weekly where Fox 2 Sports Director Martin Kilcoyne goes one on one with head coach Scott Linehan and a Rams’ player.

Prior to each game, Kilcoyne will be joined by the St. Louis Post Dispatch’s Bryan Burwell, FOX 2’s Rob Desir and FOX 2’s Maurice Drummond for Rams Gameday pregame show, bringing viewers in-depth analysis, player profiles and the latest inside scoop on every Rams game.

Steve Savard - Play-by-Play
2007 will be Steve's 10th year on the Rams' broadcast team and his 8th season as play-by-play man. A native of St. Louis, Steve Savard has called play-by-play for more St. Louis Rams' games than any other broadcaster. Steve is the Emmy Award winning Sports Director for News 4, KMOV-TV in St. Louis. Prior to his broadcast career, Steve was in training camp with the Dallas Cowboys for 2 seasons before a neck injury ended his career in 1987. He also attended Northwest Missouri State University where he was a two-time MIAA Conference First Team Linebacker. Steve is also the co-host of The Coach Scott Linehan Show on Rams Radio.

Jim Hanifan - Color Analyst
Arguably the finest offensive line coach in the history of professional football, Jim Hanifan joined Rams Radio after 31 seasons as an NFL Assistant and Head Coach. Jim served as Head Coach for The Big Red for 6 seasons starting in 1980 and has won two Super Bowls, with the Washington Redskins in 1991 and the St. Louis Rams in 1999. In 2003, he released a book co-written with Rob Rains titled Beyond Xs and Os: My 30 Years in the NFL. In addition to his color analyst duties, Jim will also have his own show on Rams Rush Hour at 7:00pm.
 
Malcolm Briggs - Sideline Reporter and Pregame Host
Malcolm has been the sideline for Rams Radio for 8 seasons now. Malcolm is an expert at investigating gameday situations, and is skilled in getting the player perspective. Malcolm attended Kansas State University where he called play-by-play for football, baseball and basketball. Malcolm also serves as the co-host of The Steven Jackson Show.
 
D'Marco Farr - Pregame Analyst
D'Marco Farr played defensive tackle for 7 seasons in the NFL with the St. Louis Rams. Farr's football career started at the University of Washington, where he won a National Championship in 1991. His NFL highlights include playing one year with the Los Angeles Rams before the team moved to St. Louis, representing the NFC in the Pro Bowl in 2000 and culminated with a World Championship in 2000. Upon his retirement from football in 2001, Farr made a successful career switch into broadcasting. He was a regular on Fox Sports Net's hit show "The Best Damn Sports Show, Period." from 2001 to 2003.

Scott Warmann – Studio Anchor
A St Louis native, Scott is heading into his 4th season on the Rams Radio Broadcast.  His first year was the championship season in 1999.  He has spent the last couple of seasons as the studio host.  Scott has also served as the studio host for the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament telecast the last couple of years on Fox Sports Net.  And he is heading into his seventh season as a member of the Gateway Football Conference broadcast team.

Doug Vaughn - Pregame & Postgame Analyst
Doug Vaughn returned to his hometown of St. Louis to join KMOV Channel 4 as a Sports Anchor and Reporter in 1988. Vaughn anchors the 5, 6 and 10 p.m. sportscasts on Fridays, and the 5:30 and 10:30 p.m. sportscasts on Sundays. He is also a Reporter for the 5, 6 and 10 p.m. sportscasts, Monday through Wednesday, and is the main Reporter on News 4's "Sports Sunday," a 60-minute show that highlights local and national sports news. A lover of all sports, Vaughn excelled in baseball and played for two years at St. Louis Community College at Meramec before transferring to the University of Missouri-Columbia during his junior year. Now his baseball is limited to coaching little league teams. Vaughn is a graduate from the University of Missouri-Columbia with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism.

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Weekly Prize

• Week 1: Marc Bulger Autographed Photo (ARV: $20.00)
• Week 2: Rams Fan Pack: includes Rams hat and Rams t-shirt (ARV: $30.00)
• Week 3: Rams Player Autographed Mini-helmet. (Choice of autograph is at the sole discretion of St. Louis Rams) (ARV: $59.99)
• Week 4: NFL Wilson Portfolio (ARV: $30.00)
• Week 5: Steven Jackson Autographed Photo (ARV: $20.00)
• Week 6: Rams Fan Pack: includes Rams hat and Rams t-shirt (ARV: $30.00)
• Week 7: Rams Player Autographed Mini-helmet. (Choice of autograph is at the sole discretion of St. Louis Rams) (ARV: $59.99)
• Week 8: NFL Wilson Portfolio (ARV: $30.00)
• Week 9: Marc Bulger Autographed Photo (ARV: $25.00)
• Week 10: Rams Fan Pack: includes Rams hat and Rams t-shirt (ARV: $30.00)
• Week 11: Rams Player Autographed Mini-helmet. (Choice of autograph is at the sole discretion of St. Louis Rams) (ARV: $59.99)
• Week 12: NFL Wilson Portfolio (ARV: $30.00)
• Week 13: Marc Bulger Autographed Photo (ARV: $20.00)
• Week 14: Rams Fan Pack: includes Rams hat and Rams t-shirt (ARV: $30.00)
• Week 15: Rams Player Autographed Mini-helmet. (Choice of autograph is at the sole discretion of St. Louis Rams) (ARV: $59.99)
• Week 16: NFL Wilson Portfolio (ARV: $30.00)
• Week 17: Orlando Pace Autographed Photo (ARV: $20.00)
• Overall Grand Prize - One (1) Authentic Torry Holt Jersey and One (1) Authentic Isaac Bruce Jersey (ARV: $1,000.00)