ATLANTA (AP) _ In hindsight, Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Reeves is probably kicking himself for not trying to acquire former Arena Football League quarterback Kurt Warner.

Like most NFL coaches, Reeves was hardly surprised when Warner was left unprotected by St. Louis in the February expansion draft.

The backup signal-caller had virtually no NFL experience -- one game, going 4 of 11 for 39 yards -- although he excelled in the Arena League and in NFL Europe.

Atlanta searched hard for a backup to the oft-injured Chris Chandler prior to the season, but Reeves never considered going after the 28-year-old Warner, a former Northern Iowa standout.

A lot of times, it is just getting that chance," said Reeves, whose Falcons (1-4) play host to the Rams (4-0) at the Georgia Dome Sunday. "I certainly knew nothing about him, and we were as bad as anybody, because we were looking for a quarterback.

"I didn't know anything about him at all."

He and the rest of the league do now.

Thanks in part to his three touchdowns and 275 yards passing in a 34-7 win over the Falcons on Sept. 26 -- their worst loss in three years -- Warner ranks at the top of nearly every statistical category for NFL quarterbacks.

"We have to establish ourselves up front," said Falcons defensive tackle Travis Hall. "We can't afford to let him have all the time in the world. We have to show some pride out there. Last time we were totally embarrassed."

Warner's 14 touchdown passes are an NFL record for quarterbacks making their first four starts. He has completed 72.6 percent (82-for-113) and is averaging 10.7 yards per throw.

"I know every game won't go like the first four games have gone," Warner said. "But I expect myself to play well and if I do what I've been doing, we're going to win some more games."

Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt and Az-Zahir Hakim are Warner's primary receivers.

Warner had his best game last week in the Rams' 42-20 win over San Francisco. He was 20-for-23 for 323 yards and five touchdowns, four to Bruce. In the process, Warner surpassed St. Louis' total number of touchdown passes for all of last year (12).

The Rams, who haven't been to the playoffs since 1989, are the league's last unbeaten team.

"I expected to do well and be successful," Warner said. "I felt confident I could lead us to victories, but as far as the stats go, I had no idea."

If Trent Green hadn't been injured in preseason, Warner would likely be holding a clipboard on the sidelines.

But Green, signed to a free-agent deal after St. Louis traded Tony Banks and let Steve Bono leave, suffered a season-ending knee injury Aug. 28. Warner was thrust into the starting job and has responded magnificently.

His passing rating of 136.0 is far ahead of the NFL-record 112.8 that Steve Young set in 1994. Warner also is on pace to break the record for touchdowns in a season (48) set in 1984 by Dan Marino.

"First off, I always had confidence in him," said Rams coach Dick Vermeil. "Now I have blind confidence in him. Now, when he throws an incomplete pass, it's 'My gosh, what's wrong with you?'

"I met with him this morning for a while and I said, 'I don't know how long this can keep going, but boy, I'm enjoying it,"' Vermeil added.

St. Louis will be without a fully healthy Marshall Faulk, a four-time 1,000-yard rusher still slowed by a hip injury.

The Falcons, a Super Bowl loser to Denver last season, finally got their first win last Sunday, beating New Orleans 20-17.

Tony Graziani, who has started three games since Chandler injured his right hamstring, finished his first NFL game against the Saints. Chandler, who has missed the last two games, practiced on Thursday and his status was upgraded to probable for Sunday. He will likely start.

ST. LOUIS Season schedule and results

ATLANTA Season schedule and results

September 12 Baltimore W 27-10 September 26 Atlanta W 35-7 October 3 @Cincinnati W 38-10 October 10 San Francisco W 42-20 October 17 @Atlanta 1:00pm ET October 24 Cleveland 1:00pm ET October 31 @Tennessee 1:00pm ET November 7 @Detroit 1:00pm ET November 14 Carolina 1:00pm ET November 21 @San Francisco 4:15pm ET November 28 New Orleans 1:00pm ET December 5 @Carolina 1:00pm ET December 12 @New Orleans 1:00pm ET December 19 NY Giants 1:00pm ET December 26 Chicago 1:00pm ET January 2 @Philadelphia 1:00pm ET

September 12 Minnesota L 14-17 September 20 @Dallas L 7-24 September 26 @St. Louis L 7-35 October 3 Baltimore L 13-19 October 10 @New Orleans W 20-17 October 17 St. Louis 1:00pm ET October 25 @Pittsburgh 9:00pm ET October 31 Carolina 1:00pm ET November 7 Jacksonville 1:00pm ET November 21 @Tampa Bay 1:00pm ET November 28 @Carolina 8:20pm ET December 5 New Orleans 1:00pm ET December 12 @San Francisco 4:15pm ET December 19 @Tennessee 1:00pm ET December 26 Arizona 1:00pm ET January 3 San Francisco 9:00pm ET

Records source: STATS, Inc.

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