FOR USE AS DESIRED

            NFL-58               10/5/01

 

RAMS ENTER LIONS DEN

 

Every winning NFL team has to be wary of those below them.

 

This Monday night’s NFL matchup is a good example.  The 3-0 St. Louis Rams take their heralded offense and new-look defense to Detroit to face the 0-2 Lions on ABC’s NFL Monday Night Football.

 

The game has “trap” written all over it for the Rams.  It’s on the road against a hungry team with a streak of success at home -- the Lions have won their past three at the Pontiac Silverdome.  It precedes a high-profile Week 5 showdown with the defending NFC Champion New York Giants.  And it’s a Monday-night contest, which makes every team want to put its best foot forward.

 

"Certainly, the players are going to get jacked up just a little bit with the Monday-night situation,” says Lions first-year head coach MARTY Mornhinweg.

 

Be wary, Rams.

 

"This Detroit team is very good on defense and they're better than what their record indicates on offense,” an NFL scout told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch this week.  “Anybody that thinks this is going to be a cakewalk for the Rams is falling into a trap.  This is the kind of team that can trap you if you're not careful."

 

Rams head coach MIKE MARTZ, whose club is coming off a 42-10 victory over Miami, almost admitted as much himself about the challenges a successful team can face.

 

"It's a long season," says Martz.  "And what we're trying to avoid are the peaks and valleys.  We're trying to get to a level of performance and maintain that level of performance.  That's the hardest thing to do in this league, and that's our goal and objective.” 

 

But trap-game or not, the Rams are rolling, led by their “All-World” offense.  As a team, St. Louis averages 303.3 passing yards per game. They also lead the NFC with 410.0 total yards of offense per game.

 

As individuals, they are even more impressive.  Quarterback KURT WARNER leads the NFL in passing yards with 957.  Running back MARSHALL FAULK tops the league with 464 scrimmage yards and ranks second with four touchdowns.  He also leads the NFC in receptions with 22.  The conference leader in receiving yards?  Rams wide receiver ISAAC BRUCE with 269.

 

"I'll tell you what, this is a fine football team," says Mornhinweg of the Rams.  "I'm not sure I've ever seen quite the explosiveness on film that this team has.  They've got fast guys everywhere on the field on offense.  Their defense is extremely fast as well.  They're playing extremely well."

 

The Lions, coming off a bye, boast the conference’s fifth-ranked pass defense (181.5) and will try to tame the Rams’ offense in a game that can turn their season around.

 

"You talk about an opportunity," says Mornhinweg.  "That's what we're discussing as a team.  This is a terrific opportunity for our players.  There are not too many people that give us a chance, and many times those are some of the most rewarding games you end up playing."

 

LIONS-RAMS GAME NOTES:  Rams lead series 39-36-1.  Lions have won past three games in series……Clubs played every year from 1937-76 with the exception of 1943.  From 1949-55, either Lions or Rams won NFL National/Western Conference and three NFL Championships…...Lions are 11-12-1 on MNF all-time, Rams 18-22…..Detroit defeated L.A. Rams 28-23 in only MNF meeting of teams on 12/14/70……Lions are hosting first MNF game since 1998.  Detroit has won past three at home on MNF, outscoring opponents 81-37.