NFL game summary for 12/09/1973:
Atlanta's wild card chances were jolted when Jim Bakken kicked six field goals, one short of the record he set in 1967, in a 32-10 St. Louis victory. The Falcons took an early 10-0 lead but dropped their second straight when St. Louis sacked the quarterback five times, forced five turnovers and ground out 243 yards on the ground. Terry Metcalf gained 100 yards and Donny Anderson 82 for the Cardinals. Gary Keithley, filling in for the injured Jim Hart, played the entire game.
Team stats coming into this game (NFL ranks in parentheses):
| Team | Rush Yds/Gm | Pass Yds/Gm | Tot Yds/Gm | Turnovers | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | OFFENSE | 107.8 (24) | 197.3 (2) | 305.1 (9) | 23 |
| DEFENSE | 152.0 (18) | 228.8 (26) | 380.8 (26) | 21 | |
 | OFFENSE | 150.0 (9) | 151.8 (9) | 301.8 (10) | 26 |
| DEFENSE | 148.4 (17) | 110.9 (3) | 259.3 (5) | 33 |
Line: Falcons by 17
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Louis Cardinals (4-8-1) | 0 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 32 |
| Atlanta Falcons (8-5-0) | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
( 0- 3) ATL Nick Mike-Mayer 32 yard field goal ( 0-10) ATL Tom Hayes 38 yard interception return (Nick Mike-Mayer kick) ( 3-10) STL Jim Bakken 35 yard field goal (10-10) STL Jim Otis 1 yard rush (Jim Bakken kick) (13-10) STL Jim Bakken 46 yard field goal (16-10) STL Jim Bakken 35 yard field goal (19-10) STL Jim Bakken 31 yard field goal (22-10) STL Jim Bakken 37 yard field goal (25-10) STL Jim Bakken 28 yard field goal (32-10) STL Jim McFarland 32 yard fumble return (Jim Bakken kick)
STL ATL
First Downs: 15 9
Rushes-yards: 60-243 22-89
Yards/rush: 4.0 4.0
Comp-Att-Yd-INT: 2-10-9-1 8-31-78-2
Sacked-yards: 0-0 5-47
Net pass yards: 9 31
Net yards/pass: 0.9 0.9
Total net yards: 252 120
Total plays: 70 (85% run) 58 (37% run)
Yards/play: 3.6 2.1
Fumbles-lost: 5-1 5-3
Turnovers: 2 5
Penalties-yards: 2-9 3-27
Attendance: 48,030
Passing:
STL: Gary Keithley, 2 of 10 for 9 yards (1 int) ATL: Bob Lee, 3 of 16 for 27 yards (2 int); Pat Sullivan, 5 of 15 for 51 yards
Rushing:
STL: Donny Anderson, 25 for 82 yards; Terry Metcalf, 18 for 100 yards; Jim Otis, 16 for 61 yards and 1 TD; Gary Keithley, 1 for 0 yards ATL: Dave Hampton, 11 for 49 yards; Eddie Ray, 7 for 22 yards; Pat Sullivan, 3 for 19 yards; Art Malone, 1 for -1 yards
Receiving:
STL: Jim McFarland, 1 for 7 yards; Mel Gray, 1 for 2 yards ATL: Eddie Ray, 3 for 25 yards; Jim Mitchell, 2 for 27 yards; Tom Geredine, 2 for 10 yards; Dave Hampton, 1 for 16 yards
Kick returns:
ATL: Joe Washington, 6 for 119 yards; Tom Geredine, 2 for 37 yards
Punt returns:
STL: Gary Hammond, 3 for 6 yards ATL: Al Dodd, 1 for 5 yards; Ray Brown, 1 for 1 yard
Interceptions:
STL: Chuck Detwiler, 1 for 0 yards; Larry Stallings, 1 for 0 yards ATL: Tom Hayes, 1 for 38 yards and 1 TD
Punting:
STL: Gary Keithley, 4 for 160 yards ATL: John James, 4 for 185 yards
Field Goals:
STL: Jim Bakken, 6/7 ATL: Nick Mike-Mayer, 1/2
STL: Gary Keithley, 2 of 10 for 9 yards (1 int) ATL: Bob Lee, 3 of 16 for 27 yards (2 int); Pat Sullivan, 5 of 15 for 51 yards
Rushing:
STL: Donny Anderson, 25 for 82 yards; Terry Metcalf, 18 for 100 yards; Jim Otis, 16 for 61 yards and 1 TD; Gary Keithley, 1 for 0 yards ATL: Dave Hampton, 11 for 49 yards; Eddie Ray, 7 for 22 yards; Pat Sullivan, 3 for 19 yards; Art Malone, 1 for -1 yards
Receiving:
STL: Jim McFarland, 1 for 7 yards; Mel Gray, 1 for 2 yards ATL: Eddie Ray, 3 for 25 yards; Jim Mitchell, 2 for 27 yards; Tom Geredine, 2 for 10 yards; Dave Hampton, 1 for 16 yards
Kick returns:
ATL: Joe Washington, 6 for 119 yards; Tom Geredine, 2 for 37 yards
Punt returns:
STL: Gary Hammond, 3 for 6 yards ATL: Al Dodd, 1 for 5 yards; Ray Brown, 1 for 1 yard
Interceptions:
STL: Chuck Detwiler, 1 for 0 yards; Larry Stallings, 1 for 0 yards ATL: Tom Hayes, 1 for 38 yards and 1 TD
Punting:
STL: Gary Keithley, 4 for 160 yards ATL: John James, 4 for 185 yards
Field Goals:
STL: Jim Bakken, 6/7 ATL: Nick Mike-Mayer, 1/2