The Falcons’ playoff rushing yardage Saturday night was strictly Bear-like.
That would be the 1940 Bears.
Atlanta’s ground attack of 327 yards ranks fourth all-time in NFL postseason annals. The Bears’ 382 yards on the ground at Washington in 1940 is tops.
The Falcons steamrolled the St. Louis Rams 47-17 to advance to the NFC title game next Sunday against the winner of Sunday’s Minnesota-Philadelphia game.
Atlanta coach Jim Mora said he does not care which opponent his team faces.
“I’m just happy we’re playing,” he said.
The Rams were looking for all the comforts of home when they brought their “Greatest Show on Turf” to the cozy environs of the Georgia Dome.
But Michael Vick and the Falcons taught the Rams some indoor relative humility. Vick completed 12 of 16 passes for 82 yards and two touchdowns. More impressively, he rushed eight times for 119 yards (14.9 yard average). Warrick Dunn scooted for 142 yards and two touchdowns on 17 tries (8.4 average).
“We ran the ball pretty well tonight,” Mora deadpanned. “I think that’s a credit to our entire offensive team.”
Atlanta’s Allen Rossum established an NFL postseason record with 152 yards on three punt returns, including one for a 68-yard touchdown.
The Falcons earned their first-round bye and a home playoff game by winning the NFC South. The winning team in this series of former NFC West rivals has scored 30-plus points in 14 of the last 16 games.
Vick, the league’s pre-eminent all-purpose quarterback, wasted little time asserting himself, scrambling, then sprinting 47 yards to the Rams’ 21-yard-line during the Falcons’ opening drive.
Two plays later, Vick fired a dart to tight end Alge Crumpler for an 18-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead just three minutes into the game.
Vick, who rushed for more than 100 yards in the Falcons’ 34-17 victory over the Rams on Sept. 19, said St. Louis tried a new defensive strategy Saturday night.
“But it backfired,” he said.
The Rams, who were without the services of injured wide receiver Isaac Bruce, answered immediately with a five-play, 81-yard drive, capped with a 57-yard play-action pass from Marc Bulger to Kevin Curtis to tie the score 7-7.
Atlanta defensive linemen Patrick Kerney, Rod Coleman, Brady Smith and Ed Jasper had a league-high 48 sacks during the season. But Bulger managed to complete 11 of 17 first-half passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns. Coleman finally reached Bulger for a sack midway through the third period.
Atlanta, the NFL leader in rushing yardage during the season, used another big play to regain the lead 14-7. This time it was Dunn bursting through the line and outsprinting the Rams’ secondary for a 62-yard score.
Dunn gave the Falcons a 21-7 advantage with his second touchdown, this one from 19 yards out to culminate a 13-play, 80-yard march early in the second period.
Bulger passed 28 yards to Torry Holt in the deep corner of the end zone to pull St. Louis within a score at 21-14. But Atlanta once again was revived when Rossum scored his punt return TD with 59 seconds left before halftime.
“They made a few special-teams plays that allowed them to only have to go 20 yards to score,” Bulger said. “Give them credit. They are a good team. Their coaching staff had them ready to go.”
Jeff Wilkins boomed a 55-yard field goal on the final play of the half to make the score 28-17.
Vick threw his second touchdown pass early in the quarter, connecting with Peerless Price on a 6-yard play for a 35-17 lead.
Jay Feely’s 38-yard field goal made it 38-17 with six minutes left in the third quarter.
The Rams’ Curtis led all receivers with seven catches for 128 yards and a score.
“I’d trade it all for a win,” Curtis said.
