Rams stumble to first defeat

ST. LOUIS -- When the St. Louis Rams scored on a pair of trick plays early in the game, the New Orleans Saints seemed to be in trouble. Apparently, they were merely pacing themselves.

New Orleans came back from an 18-point deficit with the help of four interceptions by Kurt Warner and beat the Rams 34-31 on John Carney's 27-yard field goal with 1 second left Sunday.

The game-winner was Carney's fifth field goal of the day and gave Warner his first loss at home as a starter after 16 victories.

Sammy Knight had two interceptions for the Saints (4-2), who scored 25 points in the third quarter after trailing 24-6 at halftime. The Rams, who had a total of eight turnovers, had not allowed a point in the third quarter in their first six games.

St. Louis (6-1) is one of only two teams in NFL history to win its first six games in three straight seasons, but each time the Rams have failed to make it seven in a row. They have a bye next weekend, giving them more time to think about the defeat.

"We know we gave it to them," coach Mike Martz said. "I told the players to put it away and move on. It hurts and stings, but we have to move on."

Trouble against Saints

It was the second straight bad game for Warner against the Saints. He threw three interceptions in the Rams' playoff loss in New Orleans last December.

"It's amazing. Not too often do things happen so much in your favor at one point and so much against you in another phase," Warner said.

Warner finished 29-of-47 for 385 yards, a touchdown and the four interceptions. His counterpart, Aaron Brooks, went 20-of-31 for 254 yards, three TDs and no interceptions.

After blowing the big lead, the Rams appeared to be on the verge of overcoming all their mistakes.

Warner led St. Louis on a 12-play, 87-yard drive, capped by an 8-yard touchdown pass to Torry Holt, tying the game at 31-all with 7:20 left. On the next series, Aenaes Williams forced Ricky Williams to fumble and Chidi Ahanotu recovered for the Rams at the New Orleans 40.

But Trung Canidate fumbled it back to the Saints, his second of the game. Chris Oldham's 43-yard return to the Rams 36 with four minutes left helped set up Carney's game-winner.

"We should have scored 40 points," said Saints receiver Joe Horn, who caught eight passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns.

Early trick plays

The Rams dug into Martz's bag of trick plays in the early going, scoring on the second play of the game on a reverse pass. In another trick play about three minutes later, tight end Ernie Conwell ran for a 2-yard touchdown.

"Look at the way they scored," Ricky Williams said. "We knew they couldn't play with us. We're too physical and we're going to come after them."

St. Louis led 21-3 after Canidate's 1-yard run on fourth-and-goal early in the second quarter.

Canidate, the backup for injured Marshall Faulk, finished with only 19 yards rushing after getting 195 yards in his first NFL start last week against the Jets.

The Saints were held to a pair of Carney field goals in the first half, then came to life in the third quarter with the help of the bumbling Rams.

Horn caught two touchdown passes in the third quarter. He began the comeback, somehow popping free on a 46-yard pass play after two Rams knocked into him and each other after the catch.

Knight's first interception set up a 44-yard Carney field goal that cut the gap to 24-16. Dre' Bly fumbled the ball on the ensuing kickoff, setting up Brooks' 6-yard pass to Horn with 9:27 to go to pull New Orleans to 24-22.

The Saints failed on a 2-point conversion attempt when Archuleta tackled Ricky Williams a yard shy of the end zone, but it didn't take them long to take the lead. Willie Jackson beat Aenaes Williams on a deep route, a 49-yard TD pass from Brooks that put the Saints ahead 28-24 with 7:36 left in the quarter.

Warner threw the ball right to defensive end Darren Howard on the Rams' next possession, and had to make a touchdown-saving tackle on the play. Carney's fourth field goal, this one from 23 yards, made it 31-24 with 3:54 left in the quarter.

NOTES: Rams WR Isaac Bruce broke his left little finger in the first quarter but finished the game. He caught seven passes for 179 yards but had a couple of drops. ... Rams LB Don Davis dislocated his right wrist in the second quarter and did not return. ... Saints OT William Roaf (knee) was inactive, ending a string of 47 straight starts. New Orleans TE Cam Cleeland was sidelined with a sprained ankle in the second quarter. ... Rams K Jeff Wilkins was barely wide left on a 40-yard field goal attempt in the first quarter, ending a streak of 30 in a row -- third-longest in NFL history. He hit from a season-best 54 yards in the second quarter. The Rams' Grant Wistrom had a career-best three sacks and a season-best eight tackles. He had just two sacks in St. Louis' first six games.