AFTER RECORD-BREAKING GAME, RAMS CONSIDERED ARMED AND DANGEROUS.

Byline: R.B. Fallstrom Associated Press 

The St. Louis Rams have a tough act to follow. Their own.

Coming off a logic-defying 59-16 blowout of the Atlanta Falcons, the Rams hope to equal the enthusiasm - if not the point-per-minute production - today when they play host to the Carolina Panthers. Several days after threatening the NFL record books in a victory that was only their third in 10 games, most players still didn't quite have a handle on what happened.

``I wish I knew,'' cornerback Anthony Parker said. ``If I could tell you exactly what happened, I'd go tell coach and he'd tell everybody else.''

The Panthers (6-4) don't know what got into the Rams, either. They do know they have to be on guard for a suddenly dangerous team.

Carolina did to the Rams (3-7) what the Rams did to Atlanta in their first meeting, rolling to a 45-13 victory in Week 6. But two weeks ago the Panthers became the Falcons' one and only victim in a 20-17 loss.

``All you have to do is just put on the tape of the Rams-Falcons game, because that's the same Falcon team that beat us,'' coach Dom Capers said. ``If that doesn't get our guys' attention, nothing will.''

Panthers linebacker Kevin Greene has noticed.

``I'll tell you what, I'm impressed,'' Greene said. ``I don't think it's going to be like last game. These guys have definitely gotten better.''

Rams coach Rich Brooks got his team's attention last week, a week that began with an ultimatum from team president John Shaw to turn the franchise around by the end of the year or else. He fielded zero questions about his job status in his two media sessions this week, but told his players not to make too much of the Falcons game.

``When you win three games in this league, you don't get giddy over much of anything,'' Brooks said. ``I told the team, and I don't mind saying it publicly, that what we did last week doesn't make any difference.

``We need to show it's not an aberration, but a trend.''

The Rams mugged the Falcons for the most points by an NFL team since the Cincinnati Bengals had 61 in 1989, and the most by the franchise since 1967. They rolled up 468 yards total offense and held the Falcons to 292, pulling out of last in the NFL in both categories to 28th and 29th, respectively.

The Panthers, contending for a playoff berth in only their second season, have the capability of knocking them back into the statistical cellar. They're particularly strong on defense, allowing 14.8 points per game.

The Panthers have allowed four second-half touchdowns all year, or what the Rams scored last week. Outside linebacker Lamar Lathon leads the NFC with 9.5 sacks and Greene is close behind with eight.

Last week, the Panthers had four second-half takeaways to rally from a 17-10 deficit to a 27-17 victory over the New York Giants. They've allowed an NFL-low 150 first downs.

``We're going to have a reality check this week,'' Brooks said. ``I believe they're playing better defense than Pittsburgh.''

That's something St. Louis' rookie quarterback must deal with. Tony Banks was a second-round pick this year, broke in as a starter in Game 4 and has steadily improved.

Kerry Collins was the Panthers' first-round pick last year and is 12-9 as the starter since breaking in for Game 3 of 1995.

Collins was limited in practice after injuring his shoulder, but is expected to start. Like Brooks with Banks, Capers doesn't want Collins to be a hero, and he noted the Panthers have only five turnovers in their six victories.

``The No. 1 thing we talked about in the offseason was not trying to win every game yourself,'' Capers said. ``You have to use good judgment when the play's not there.''

Banks is one of five rookie starters for the Rams, and most of them are starting to produce. Banks had two touchdown passes, Lawrence Phillips had his first 100-yard day and Eddie Kennison had a 78-yard punt return for a touchdown and caught a touchdown pass.

``I don't consider myself a rookie anymore,'' said Kennison, who leads the NFL with a 19-yard punt return average. ``I know we have an offense that can make things happen from here on out.''

CAPTION(S):

Photo

Photo: BROOKS