Columnist Dean Juipe: Rams prove no total is too high

Dean Juipe

Monday, Sept. 25, 2000 | 10:51 a.m.

Dean Juipe's column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. His boxing notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at juipe@lasvegassun.com or 259-4084.

Forty-nine.

Forty-six.

Fifty-seven.

Fifty-five.

Hike?

Well, calling out those numbers may mimic a quarterback's cadence, yet they're really the oddsmakers' over-under totals on the four games that have been played this season by the St. Louis Rams. In each case the number appeared a bit high -- 40 is closer to the NFL norm -- but in each case the actual total surpassed the number on the board in Las Vegas and those taking the over made a return trip to the window.

The Rams are revolutionizing professional football. They're altering the way the bookies think, too.

No total is too ridiculous when it comes to St. Louis' high-powered offense, which was brilliant again Sunday in a 41-20 victory over the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome.

Call it a modernized view of the sport, but the Rams have a simple approach: We will out-score you. And thus far no matter how many points the other team has put on the board, St. Louis has exceeded it.

Denver scored 36 points on the Rams in the season opener but lost 41-36 and the over bettors were ecstatic. Seattle scored 34 on the Rams the following week but lost 37-34 and the over bettors were ecstatic. San Francisco scored 24 on the Rams in Week 3 but lost 41-24 and the over bettors were ecstatic.

Add in the illuminating win over the Falcons and you see a definite trend here: No point total is too high when the Rams are involved.

They're making a mockery of the defense-first concept that has ruled the sport for decades. Heck, they're making football like 21st-century baseball, where the team that wins is usually the one that connects on the most long balls.

Until earlier this season, the NFL record for a team scoring 30 or more points in consecutive games was seven. Thirty is a lot of points, you know.

But the Rams have now played 10 such games in a row and that's taking a machete to the old record. They've obliterated it.

The cool thing about it is that the St. Louis coaching staff is not only cutting-edge creative and the Rams are not only incredibly fast, everyone keeps their swagger to a minimum. That polished professionalism from the defending Super Bowl champions makes them an easy team to appreciate and enjoy.

The Rams may only be 1-2-1 vs. the spread this season and their defense may only be ranked 30th in the 31-team league, but they're a joy to behold with their multitude of pre-set shifts, formations and motion plays. Some experts are already calling them the greatest offensive team of all time.

Kurt Warner is the main reason why, of course. The MVP quarterback has at least two five-letter words in his favor: smart and sharp.

He iced the game with the Falcons with two fourth-quarter bombs for touchdowns that covered a combined 151 yards and he finished the afternoon 12 for 19 for 336 yards and four TDs. Those achievements came in spite of a determined Atlanta rush, in the first half at least, and the fact he has something of a bad back.

The Rams are lively and they're fun, they're what the sport is all about.

They're also making things interesting in Las Vegas.