Jackson leads Rams to win over Vikings

Dec 31, 2006, 21:50 GMT

Minneapolis, MN - Steven Jackson rushed for 142 yards and scored four touchdowns as St. Louis routed Minnesota, 41-21, in the season finale for both clubs at the Metrodome.

The New York Giants' 34-28 win over the Washington Redskins on Saturday night eliminated St. Louis from the playoff race but it certainly didn't stop the Rams from toying with a Vikings team that seemingly gave up on rookie head coach Brad Childress.

Jackson ran for three scores and also took a shovel pass in for the Rams (8-8), who finished their season with three consecutive wins.

'We always strive to be a balanced offense,' said Jackson. 'The offensive line play has been great the past few weeks and we kept them off balance.'

Marc Bulger completed 19-of-30 passes for 248 yards and a TD for St. Louis, while Torry Holt had nine receptions for 90 yards.

Rookie Tarvaris Jackson connected on 20-of-34 passes for 213 yards with a TD and two interceptions in his second career start for the disappointing Vikings (6-10), who lost eight of 10 games to end the season. He also added 34 yards on the ground and another TD.

'Our opportunities were there early in the season,' said Vikings running back Mewelde Moore. 'We needed to finish and that's the one thing that we just didn't capitalize on this year.'

The Rams jumped all over the Vikings early. On the third offensive play of the game, Tarvaris Jackson threw a lazy out-pass intended for Billy McMullen. Ronald Bartell jumped the pattern, picked off the pass and coasted 38 yards for the TD to make it 7-0.

The Rams then forced a three-and-out and got things going offensively. St. Louis went 11 plays and 52 yards before stalling at the Minnesota 24. Jeff Wilkins then came on and booted a 42-yard field goal to make it a 10-0 game with 6:44 left in the opening quarter.

The much-maligned Vikings offense finally started moving the ball and got back into the game, momentarily. Minnesota went on a 10-play, 64-yard march, highlighted by Tarvaris Jackson's 19-yard hookup with Bethel Johnson. The rookie quarterback then finished the drive by scrambling in from a yard-out to make it 10-7 with 2:04 left in the first.

The Rams bounced back thanks to Bartell's second interception on the day. After the pick, Bulger played pitch-and-catch with Holt before Steven Jackson finished things by bulling in from four yards out to give St. Louis a 17-7 advantage with 8:12 remaining until the half.

Bulger continued to pick apart the woeful Minnesota pass defense from there. The Rams made it 24-7 with just 1:15 left before intermission when the Rams quarterback hit Steven Jackson on 10-yard shovel pass for a score.

St. Louis kept pulling away in the third quarter. First, Wilkins drilled a 53- yard field goal and Steven Jackson plowed in from two yards out to make it a 34-7 game.

Steven Jackson then capped the blowout for the Rams early in the fourth quarter when he took a simple off-tackle play 59 yards for his fourth TD of the game.

A couple of meaningless late touchdowns by Minnesota accounted for the final margin. First, a pass interference call on Dexter Coakley set up a one-yard TD run by Chester Taylor, with 9:28 left in the game. Then, Tarvaris Jackson threw his second career touchdown pass, a three-yarder to Travis Taylor.

Game Notes

Minnesota wide receiver Troy Williamson, who has struggled with drops all season, was a healthy inactive.

Chester Taylor set the Vikings single season record for rushing attempts in a season with 304.

Minnesota still has a 17-14-2 advantage in its all-time series against St. Louis.

The Rams are 43-1 when they have a 100-yard rusher since 1995.

© 2006 The Sports Network