Marked man

ATLANTA -- With nearly four decades on the books, the Atlanta Falcons are seriously lacking when it comes to a playoff pedigree.

Oh sure, they've had a moment here and there -- most notably, an improbable run to the Super Bowl during the 1998 season. But they'll never be mistaken for the Green Bay Packers or some other franchise with a glorious lineage.

Well, the Packers are done for this season. And Jim Mora couldn't care less about the past.

Atlanta's rookie coach guided his team to the NFC South championship, only the third division title in the franchise's 39-year history. Tonight, the Falcons will be at home in the playoffs for just the fourth time when they host the St. Louis Rams.

"I didn't pay attention to what had been," Mora said. "Let's create an environment, a culture, that we believe will help us be a team that can win consistently through the years. And we're off to a good start."

If the Falcons are going to make any headway in this postseason, look for Vick to lead the way. The league's most unique weapon, he rushed for 902 yards and led the league at 7.5 yards per carry.

The Falcons also have Warrick Dunn (1,106 yards, nine touchdowns) and battering ram T.J. Duckett (509 yards, eight touchdowns), but Vick is the most integral part of the league's top running game. Only two other quarterbacks in NFL history have rushed for more yards in a season.

"Defending them is like defending the option," Rams coach Mike Martz said. "That's something the NFL has not seen before."

The Falcons rolled up 2,672 yards on the ground, averaging 5.1 yards per attempt. The Rams, by comparison, rushed for 1,624 yards -- a staggering 1,048-yard gap.

Of course, the St. Louis offense is built around the deep pass. The Rams have a dynamic group of receivers, led by Torry Holt (94 receptions, 1,372 yards, 10 TDs) and Isaac Bruce (89 catches, 1,292 yards, six TDs). In fact, running back Marshall Faulk caught 50 passes -- two more than Atlanta's leading receiver, tight end Alge Crumpler.

"It's so much fun to watch their offense click," said DeAngelo Hall, the Falcons' rookie cornerback. "It's a shame we've got to go out there and try to stop them, because they're really a work of art."

Atlanta is likely to control the clock, but the Rams aren't the kind of team that worries about time of possession.

"If we can score quick, we will," quarterback Marc Bulger said. "If we can turn this game into a track meet, that will be fine with us. We'll be trying to score on every play."

St. Louis, wracked by injuries and infighting much of the season, has essentially been dealing with a playoff-type atmosphere for the past month.

With two weeks to go, the Rams were 6-8 and couldn't afford another loss. They beat Philadelphia and the New York Jets to sneak in as a wild-card team, then went on the road to beat NFC West champion Seattle in the opening round of the playoffs.

"This is like our fourth week in the playoffs," Bulger said. "It takes a toll on you."

The Falcons have essentially been off for the past month, their playoff positioning and first-round bye assured before the final two games of the regular season. They rested Vick and many of the regulars, lost both games but come into the playoffs as the only team with no injuries to report.

From the enviable position, the Falcons hope this is start of a new era, one that makes people forget their legacy of losing.

"Either we prove we're for real or we don't," Hall said. "If we don't, we're going home."