FLASH RECAP:
Marshall Faulk (above) rushes for 158 yards on 26 carries and Marc Bulger throws for three touchdowns as the Rams (1-5) stun the Raiders (4-1) before an announced crowd of 66,070 at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis on Oct. 13, 2002. Bulger, making his first NFL start because of injuries to Kurt Warner and Jamie Martin, completes 14 of 21 passes for 186 yards with no interceptions. The Rams third-stringer also scores on a 1-yard run.
Oakland has 14 penalties for 107 yards, three turnovers and allows four sacks. "They gave us a thorough butt-whipping," defensive tackle Sam Adams tells reporters after the Raiders suffer their worst loss in 59 regular-season and postseason games. The Raiders are held to one touchdown after scoring 101 points in their previous two games. Sebastian Janikowski kicks 43- and 32-yard field goals and Terry Kirby catches a 2-yard touchdown pass from Rich Gannon for Oakland.
St. Louis avoids equaling the franchise's worst start, when the 1962 Rams opened with six losses en route to a 1-12-1 record.
PRIME-TIME PLAYERS:
RB Marshall Faulk - Gains 105 of his 158 yards rushing in the second half. His tackle-breaking runs of 40 and 32 yards set up two Rams touchdowns in the final quarter. Faulk also catches four passes for 22 yards, including a 10-yard touchdown reception.
QB Marc Bulger -
Completes 14 of 21 passes for 186 yards and three touchdowns.
Bulger throws touchdown passes of 7 yards to Isaac Bruce and 13 yards to Torry Holt in the first half as the 9-point underdog Rams build a 14-0 lead. Bulger, who played at West Virginia, finishes with a 134.1 quarterback rating.
WRs Isaac Bruce & Torry Holt - They combine for nine catches for 150 yards and two touchdowns. Bruce and Holt repeatedly burn Oakland cornerbacks Tory James and Phillip Buchanon.
LB Tommy Polley - Stuffs Oakland running back Zack Crockett for no gain on fourth-and-goal at the St. Louis 3-yard line on the game's opening drive.
SS Adam Archuleta - Contributes a game-high 12 tackles (11 solo).
WR Jerry Rice - Has seven catches for 133 yards on his 40th birthday.
RB Terry Kirby - Has nine receptions for 61 yards, including a 2-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter.
RB Charlie Garner - Rushes 61 yards on 10 carries. Garner has runs of 16, 14, 8 and 7 yards, but he gains only 16 yards combined on his other six carries.
DE DeLawrence Grant - Contributes one of Oakland's three sacks.
KEY STAT:
Marshall Faulk torches the Raiders for 158 yards rushing on 26 carries. In its previous four games, Oakland allowed a combined 238 yards rushing.
GOAT:
Raiders tight end Roland Williams drops a pass on third-and-two from the St. Louis 17-yard line late in the third quarter. On the next play, Sebastian Janikowski is wide left on a 35-yard field goal attempt. Leading 14-6, the Rams score touchdowns on their next two possessions. Williams, who played three seasons (1998-2000) with the Rams, also commits one of four Oakland false start penalties.
TURNING POINT:
The Rams score touchdowns on successive possessions early in the third quarter to build a 28-6 lead. Marshall Faulk scores on a 10-yard pass from Marc Bulger, giving St. Louis a 21-6 advantage. After Grant Wistrom intercepts Rich Gannon at the Oakland 33, Faulk runs for 32 yards and Bulger scores on a sneak from the one.
BY THE NUMBERS:
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0: Touchbacks for the Raiders' Sebastian Janikowski after getting 11 the previous two games.
9: Receptions for Oakland's Terry Kirby.
34: Oakland penalties the past three games, including 14 against the Rams.
150: Combined receiving yards for the Rams' Isaac Bruce and Torry Holt.
THEY SAID IT:
Raiders LB Bill Romanowski
"I'm sure our record motivated them. They are a ball club that had not won a game. We cam into a hornet's nest and we have to respond accordingly. We didn't do that."
"I may not be the strongest arm in the world, but I have enough juice to get it there."
Rams QB Marc Bulger
"I went for it on fourth down and didn't get it. Then I had a fourth and two and missed the field goal. It was just one of those days."
Raiders coach Bill Callahan
DID YOU KNOW?:
No Raiders team has ever opened a regular season with five victories. The 1969 Raiders started 6-0-1 (the tie came in Week 4 after Oakland won its first three games).
The Rams' Marshall Faulk celebrates
after scoring a fourth-quarter touchdown.
By Associated Press
