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Byline: Matthew Kredell

The St. Louis Rams need to score 215 points Monday against the rival San Francisco 49ers to reach the 500-point plateau for a record fourth consecutive season.

St. Louis scored 526 points during its run to the Super Bowl championship in 1999, 540 in 2000 and 503 last season. This year, the Rams have scored 285 points, tied for 24th in the league at an average of 19 a game. St. Louis scored 13 points against the 49ers in a Week 5 loss.

--Scoring up: Despite a lack of help from the Rams, scoring already was at an all-time high entering the final week of the season. Through Week 16, there were 10,463 points scored by NFL teams. The previous record was 10,324 in 1999.

--Offensive season: Other stats explain the scoring outburst. Touchdowns are already at a record total with 1,199.

Passing is the biggest reason for the upswing. With 3,656 gross passing yards this weekend, the record of 113,254 in 1999 will be broken. The average passing yards a week is 6,850. Completion percentage is at an all-time high, 59.8 percent compared to last year's previous best of 59 percent.

Also, the records for 300-yard passing games, 3,000-yard passers and 1,000-yard receivers could all fall this week.

--Cold feet: It might have seemed like an excusable defeat with a backup quarterback starting, but Tampa Bay's loss to Pittsburgh on Monday could have major ramifications on the season.

The Bucs won't get home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and could be forced to play in chilly Green Bay or Philadelphia for the NFC championship.

Tampa Bay has never won a game when the temperature is below 40 degrees at kickoff. In their 26-year history, the Bucs are 0-21 in the cold.

--Aints return: Just when New Orleans seemed to be on the rise, the team that made wearing paper bags over fans' heads famous is back to its bungling ways.

The Saints' loss last week to Cincinnati, a team that had won just one game over expansion Houston, was shocking. Not even Cincinnati receiver Chad Johnson had the temerity to predict a victory over the Saints.

The loss will cost New Orleans a playoff spot unless the Saints beat Carolina and Atlanta loses to Cleveland today.

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