ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Just in time for the suddenly fragile St. Louis Rams, the easiest part of their soft schedule arrives.

From here on out, there's only one team with a winning record to worry about. Sunday's game against the Carolina Panthers (3-5) begins a five-game stretch against the weak NFC West, where they have a three-game lead.

Plus, the Rams (6-2) don't have to worry about crowd noise anymore, now that they're back at the Trans World Dome. They'll be trying for their sixth straight victory at home, where, for a change, the other side might have to try a silent cadence to avoid false-start penalties.

"I wear a headset, and as soon as you take it off, when they're really going, you put it back on, because it can be deafening," coach Dick Vermeil said. "And I think it'll get better."

Not that the Rams are overconfident. Their 6-0 start came against teams that are a combined 12-40, and they're reeling a bit from consecutive losses at Tennessee and Detroit. Last week they coughed up the lead after Dexter McCleon blew coverage on a fourth-and-26 desperation pass. The previous week they missed a chance to force overtime after rallying from a 21-point deficit.

So no, linebacker London Fletcher won't be caught looking ahead against teams with a collective 22-44 record.

"I couldn't tell you who we play, I just play it Sunday by Sunday," Fletcher said. "That's the only way you can do it. If you get caught looking ahead, the next thing you know you get smacked in the face."

Despite their recent stumbles, the Rams remain No. 1 in the NFL in total offense and scoring. They have the top-rated passer in Kurt Warner, who is on pace to tie Dan Marino's 1984 record of 48 touchdown passes at the halfway point, and running back Marshall Faulk leads the NFL with 1,072 all-purpose yards.

Last week the defense racked up six sacks, all by the front four. Kevin Carter had three of them and is third in the NFL with seven overall.

"When his motor is running properly and his techniques are disciplined, you're not going to block him all the time," Vermeil said. "Kevin is unlimited in potential and it's starting to really come to fruition."

And the two losses haven't exactly slashed their average score, which is 33-15.

"Playing in the NFL, it's not easy to go out and just destroy guys every week," tight end Roland Williams said. "But we definitely want to get it back going."

The Panthers could be dangerous, coming off their first turnover-free game of the season in a 33-7 victory over lowly Philadelphia. Steve Beuerlein had three touchdown passes and the Carolina defense allowed a season-low 249 yards.

Before that, the Panthers dropped three of four. That was uncharted territory for coach George Seifert, who led the 49ers to two Super Bowl victories and five NFC championship games in eight seasons before a two-year retirement.

"It's been different, and there's a certain adjustment," Seifert said. "But you're so involved in getting ready for the next ballgame you can't get too philosophical."

The Panthers hope to get back running back Tshimanga Biakabutuka, out the last two weeks with a sprained right ankle. Biakabutuka is 10th in the NFC with 459 yards rushing.

A larger concern for the Rams might be tight end Wesley Walls, who caught two touchdown passes against them last November. In 1997, Walls set a career high with eight catches for 106 yards, and he also had a two-touchdown day in 1996.

Vermeil doesn't want the Rams to totally lose their edge, so he was a bit of an inspirational speaker this week, both for his players and at his two news conferences. He said he expects the team to hit a peak on Sunday.

"I talk to them almost every day for 15 minutes and then I run out of things," Vermeil said. "I've got a lot of things to say tomorrow, I've got a lot of things to say the next day. "Right now, it's been how fortunate we are and what a great, great position we are in."

CAROLINA Season schedule and results

ST. LOUIS Season schedule and results

September 12 @New Orleans L 10-19 September 19 Jacksonville L 20-22 September 26 Cincinnati W 27-3 October 3 @Washington L 36-38 October 17 @San Francisco W 31-29 October 24 Detroit L 9-24 October 31 @Atlanta L 20-27 November 7 Philadelphia W 33-7 November 14 @St. Louis 1:00pm ET November 21 @Cleveland 1:00pm ET November 28 Atlanta 8:20pm ET December 5 St. Louis 1:00pm ET December 12 @Green Bay 1:00pm ET December 18 San Francisco 4:15pm ET December 26 @Pittsburgh 1:00pm ET January 2 New Orleans 1:00pm ET

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 W 41-13 October 24 Cleveland W 34-3 October 31 @Tennessee L 21-24 November 7 @Detroit L 27-31 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

Records source: STATS, Inc.

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