[AP photos]
The Rams' Marshall Faulk stretches the ball over the goal line for a fourth-quarter touchdown. He rushed for a career playoff-high 159 yards.

By RICK STROUD, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published January 28, 2002

ST. LOUIS -- For a while, it looked as if the show would not go on Sunday under the big top of the Edward Jones Dome.

Rams coach Mike Martz rejoices after his team reached the Super Bowl for the second time in three seasons.

The Rams trailed the Philadelphia Eagles at halftime in the NFC Championship Game.

For a team that always hits its mark, this was the NFL equivalent of trapeze artists falling into nets, jugglers with unsure hands and clowns forgetting their facemasks.

But when you have the Greatest Show on Turf, there always is a way to replace spills with thrills.

Turning to their best performer, running back Marshall Faulk, the Rams scored 16 unanswered points in the second half to beat the Eagles 29-24 and win their second NFC title in three years.

The Rams are a 14-point favorite in Super Bowl XXXVI against the AFC champion New England Patriots. St. Louis beat the Patriots 24-17 in Week 10 this season.

"I was like, okay, let me see how this team reacts to this," Rams defensive end Chidi Ahanotu said. "It was a place we weren't used to being. The only positive was it was going to give this team a little motivation to come out and turn it up another level, and they did that. So that was a great test of character."

Faulk rushed for a personal playoff record 159 yards and two second-half touchdowns.

He also carried the ball 31 times, including seven straight while the Rams clung to a lead in the fourth quarter.

Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb, disappointed with the result.

"It's tough. I know I'm getting the ball, they know I'm getting the ball," said Faulk, who also caught four passes for 13 yards. "The best man wins. That's what it is. All the pushing and shoving and hard hits, there's not much room for error."

In fact, the Rams found themselves in an unusual position Sunday, trailing the Eagles and quarterback Donovan McNabb 17-13 at halftime.

McNabb, who had been sensational in the postseason and carried a 92.9 rating into his first championship game, connected on a 12-yard pass to receiver Todd Pinkston to give the Eagles their first lead 46 seconds before heading to the locker room.

"We had 30 minutes to play and we were down by four and we just felt to win this game, we had to get the ball to Marshall," Rams coach Mike Martz said.

Faulk's running and ball control played right into the hands of the Rams' rested defense, which sacked McNabb three times and limited his forays from the pocket to four runs for 26 yards.

Defensive coordinator Lovie Smith watched his team play the cover two zone he brought from the Bucs to perfection, plastering the Eagles receivers whenever McNabb broke containment and pressuring him with speed rushes on the corners.

"Our base plan was to rush four guys. We were just going to try to run him down," Smith said of McNabb. "We have fast defensive ends; we didn't think he had played defensive ends like ours. We just wanted our linebackers, once he crossed the line (of scrimmage), to take off."

McNabb appeared reluctant to make plays with his feet and stuck mostly to the pocket.

He rallied the Eagles within five with his 3-yard run with 2:56 left, capping a 48-yard drive in nine plays. For a change, the Rams played it safe and turned the game back over to its defense. That's right: defense.

McNabb's final chance to lead the Eagles to a winning drive came with the ball at his 45 and 2:20 left. But a short pass to Freddie Mitchell, a 1-yard run by Duce Staley and an incompletion to Mitchell left the Eagles facing fourth and 7 at the Rams 48.

Rams wide receiver Torry Holt (88) breaks up an interception by the Eagles' Al Harris in the second quarter.

Enter cornerback Aeneas Williams, the 11-year veteran from Arizona. Sticking to Mitchell in man coverage, he stepped in front of McNabb's desperate pass and intercepted to seal the victory.

"We had some type of man defense, we knew McNabb was capable of buying some time with his legs," Williams said. "This time we knew he had to throw it, and I just wanted to get close to my receiver so when he threw it I could intercept it if I had the opportunity."

The Rams were surprised at McNabb's unwillingness to try to make plays with his legs.

"He was definitely trying to be a pocket passer today," Ahanotu said of McNabb. "I think when you see him do that, he's not as successful."

No quarterback has been as successful as the Rams' Kurt Warner, and the two-time MVP overcame a rash of nagging injuries, illness and a painkilling shot Sunday to complete 22-of-33 for 212 yards and a touchdown.

Warner was asked how this NFC title compared to '99.

"I don't know, it's really hard to compare them," Warner said.

"Ninety-nine was really a dream season the way it all played out and nobody expected us to do anything. This year may be a little more rewarding because we were really the team everybody wanted to beat from the get-go."

Now the Rams show travels to the Superdome in New Orleans. The Martzi-Gras continues.

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