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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- It won't matter who the St. Louis Rams
have at quarterback if they keep turning the ball over.
Kurt Warner, out the past five games with a broken finger on his
throwing hand, marked his return to the lineup Sunday with four
interceptions -- one returned 88 yards by Jimmy Hitchcock for the
game's only touchdown -- in the Rams' 16-3 loss to the Carolina
Panthers.
|  | | Jimmy Hitchcock 88-yard interception return for the Panthers was the only touchdown of the game. |
"I made some throws I wish I could have back," Warner said.
"I'm the one out there playing, and when I throw it to somebody
else, that's my fault and no one else's fault."
The Rams (8-5) had seven turnovers while dropping their third
straight. They have a combined 14 turnovers in the three losses,
but seven of them came while Trent Green was filling in for Warner.
"The ball security, we can fix that," St. Louis coach Mike
Martz said. "I can't explain it. I wish I could, but we can fix
it. And I don't think it had anything to do with rust (from
Warner)."
The defending Super Bowl champions, who looked unstoppable
before Warner was injured early in a loss to Kansas City on Oct.
22, struggled in his absence.
The Rams went 2-3 while Green was at the helm, and they eagerly
awaited Warner's return. Before the injury, he had thrown for 18
touchdowns and a then-NFL best 2,445 yards.
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TOM DONAHOE'S BREAKDOWN |
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Question on the Rams: Why can't the Rams score points anymore?
Donahoe: The Rams have been in a slump offensively for the last
several weeks, and it worsened today. Most assumed that with the return of
Kurt Warner, the slump would
end. But it didn't work that way. Warner was far from sharp, throwing four
interceptions in an offense that featured numerous dropped balls and
fumbles. It's amazing that the Carolina Panthers could hold the Rams without
a touchdown. A short while ago all the experts were talking about the Rams
going 16-0 -- and now they are in danger of not even making the playoffs.
Question on the Panthers: What has fueled the Panthers' late-season
run?
Donahoe: Coach George Siefert is proving once again that he is one of
the top coaches in the NFL. The defensive game plan today was superb in
harassing Warner and confusing him with different coverages. Offensively,
the Panthers did an excellent job of controlling the football. Carolina has
now won back-to-back games for the first time this year. Last season, the
Panthers made a late run at the playoffs and came up short. They may find
themselves in a similar circumstance this season.
Tom Donahoe, ESPN.com's NFL analyst, was formerly the Steelers' director
of football operations.
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But last year's Super Bowl MVP was unable to pick up where he
left off.
He was sporadic against Carolina (6-7), looking sharp on short
passes, but badly overthrowing his receivers on long bombs.
Warner, whose previous high for interceptions in a single game
was two, finished 18-for-36 for 189 yards and the four
interceptions.
"I made too many mistakes, and it seemed like every mistake I
made they capitalized on it," Warner said.
In the third quarter, with St. Louis clinging to a 3-0 lead, he
threw inside of Isaac Bruce, who was waiting for him along the
sideline at the 12.
Hitchcock, playing about three feet off Bruce, instead caught
the ball and went up the sideline untouched -- with Warner in
pursuit -- for the 88-yard score.
"I just got a good break on the ball," Hitchcock said. "Then
Kurt Warner was closing in on me pretty fast, but I know that if
you let the quarterback catch you, you are going to get flack from
the guys."
Warner was again picked off four plays later. Throwing on the
run, he again missed Bruce, and Eric Davis came away with the
interception on the 26.
Carolina converted the turnover into a 20-yard field goal by Joe
Nedney and a 10-3 lead with 10:18 left.
It didn't end there for Warner, who was picked off yet again on
the very next play.
After Dre' Bly muffed the kickoff to put the Rams on the 1,
Warner threw a deep bomb intended for Torry Holt, but Carolina's
Doug Evans pulled it away from Holt on the 38.
"We need to hold onto the football, if we do that we win,"
Bruce said. "We haven't hung on to the ball these last few weeks.
I guess we've just go to focus a little bit more because our
mistakes have gotten so big, it's glaring."
Nedney added field goals of 23 and 37 yards to seal the win and
give Carolina consecutive victories for the first time this season.
The Rams, who had scored at least 20 points in 28 consecutive
games, were held to their lowest point total since a 24-3 loss to
New Orleans in 1998.
"Our defense played about as good a game as you can against
arguably one of the greatest offenses of all time," Carolina coach
George Seifert said. "It was just a heck of a win."
The first half was marked by a combined six turnovers -- three
fumbles and an interception of the Rams, and two interceptions of
Carolina QB Steve Beuerlein.
Warner was intercepted early in the second quarter when
Hitchcock picked him off at the 27. Carolina moved the ball to the
2, but couldn't convert when Beuerlein was intercepted on the 1 by
Todd Lyght.
It was the second consecutive Carolina drive to end inside the
red zone with an interception of Beuerlein. He was picked off one
series earlier on the 10-yard line by London Fletcher.
Game notes
Carolina, which leads the NFC in fumble recoveries, had
three Sunday to give them 18 for the season, breaking the franchise
record of 16 set in 1996. ... Grant Wistrom's third-quarter sack
was his 10th of the season, the fourth straight year the Rams have
had at least one player reach that mark. ... Davis' interception in
the third quarter was his fifth of the season, making him the only
active NFL player with at least five interceptions in five straight
seasons.
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ALSO SEE
St. Louis Clubhouse
Carolina Clubhouse
AUDIO/VIDEO
 Coach Mike Martz felt the offense continued to shoot themselves in the foot.
wav: 84 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
A disappointed Kurt Warner couldn't help but take some of the blame.
wav: 166 k
RealAudio: 14.4 | 28.8 | 56.6
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