Robert Smith set a Vikings' playoff record by rushing for 140 yards on 28 carries last week.

"When you have receivers like this, it's hard not to try to get them the ball," said Smith, a seventh-year star from Ohio State who has emerged as the Vikings' top threat.

The Vikings (11-6) are more balanced than they've ever been in Dennis Green's eight seasons as coach as they head to St. Louis for a divisional playoff game against the top-seeded Rams (13-3) Sunday.

Credit Smith, who has fully recovered from a hernia operation that cost him three games at midseason.

Smith ran the Dallas Cowboys ragged Sunday, gaining a team playoff record 140 yards on 28 carries in the Vikings' 27-10 wild-card victory.

Four times in the last five weeks, the Vikings, who have 26 TD receptions between Randy Moss and Cris Carter, have run more than they've passed.

During that span, Smith has averaged 111 yards on 21 rushes for a 5.2-yard average.

"I don't remember any stretch in my career where I've gotten the ball 20, 25 times so many games in a row," Smith said.

The Vikings have ditched many of their multiple receiver sets for a standard two-receiver formation with an extra tight end or fullback, especially rookie Jim Kleinsasser, a devastating, 275-pound lead blocker.

"Our style of play has moved more toward two tight ends and more toward the run formation over the last four games," Green said. "We think that's really our biggest weapon."

The Vikings actually are inviting defenses to concentrate on Moss and Carter nowadays.

"In the playoffs you want to have a balanced attack," quarterback Jeff George said. "If you can run the ball, you're always going to have a chance to win."

Carter said the Vikings had always wished they were this balanced.

"I think in our minds we thought that's what we wanted to do, but I don't think that necessarily occurred," he said. "It's tough when you have the wideouts that we do."

Smith, who had his third consecutive 1,000-yard season, was encumbered early in the season by a double hernia that robbed him of his burst and breakaway abilities while sapping his strength and threatening his signature cutback capabilities.

It wasn't diagnosed until mid-October, when he visited Tampa Bay Buccaneers team physician Joseph Diaco, who operated on him.

Smith returned to action a month later, but didn't return to form until the last month, when he reeled off a 70-yard TD run against the New York Giants.

Smith has averaged 4.9 yards per carry since the operation, almost a full yard more than he did before. He credited new coordinator Ray Sherman, who replaced Brian Billick -- architect of the highest-scoring offense in NFL history -- and showed more patience with the running game.

"Ray's kind of made it his quest, I guess, to have a balanced offense and to stay patient with the run," Smith said. "A lot of times when Brian would get frustrated with the run game and get away from it. Ray for the most part hasn't done that."

Smith is relishing his new role as the Vikings' go-to guy.

"All offensive linemen like running the football, it's a more physical and aggressive type of game that way. And that's why they love doing it and that's fine with me, too," he said.

Carter said it's more satisfying when a workhorse like Smith controls a game than when a playmaker like Moss does.