In last year's NFL playoffs, Marc Bulger threw three interceptions in a bitterly disappointing, and shocking, home loss to Carolina. Bulger was so unreliable, the shakiness caused a radical transformation in Mike Martz, who turned into an arch conservative for the first time in his coaching career.

With a chance to win at the end of the fourth quarter by going for a touchdown, Martz removed the ball, and the trust, and the game, from Bulger's grip. Martz uncharacteristically settled for a field goal. But after Bulger's final interception, the Rams lost in overtime.

Fast forward to yesterday.

The day Marc Bulger made up for all that went wrong during his initial venture into the NFL playoffs, one year ago. The day that Bulger made the bad memories, the doubts, and the ghost of a departed QB superstar all disappear during the course of two late drives that enhanced his reputation.

On this day, with the Rams trailing by three in the fourth quarter, Bulger picked this precise time and situation to take a firm step in his development as an NFL quarterback. Bulger air-lifted the Rams out of trouble, pulled them out of a crisis, and calmly directed a stirring 27-20 comeback victory over the Seahawks.

On this day, there would be no fear, no worry, no pulling in the horns to settle for field goals. On the final two possessions, Bulger got the Rams the field goal to tie and the touchdown they needed to escape Seattle and move forward in the playoffs. To get those 10 points that kept the Rams going, Bulger completed 5 of 7 passes for 80 yards, including the game-winning 17-yard touchdown on a beautiful play-action pass to tight end Cam Cleeland.

Let it be known that Rams are Bulger's team now. He's grown so much in the last year. There would be no repeat of the Carolina caution and conservatism. On this occasion, the football, and fate, were placed squarely in Bulger's hands on a brisk afternoon in the Pacific Northwest.

And Bulger responded the way winners do. With his helmet transmitter on the fritz, with his pass protection breaking down, with his offense in a rut, with the lead slipping away, with all of his timeouts burned, with Seattle's active defense jamming the Rams' running game, with 65,397 fans trying to ruin his concentration with their desperate screams, Bulger floated peacefully into that special zone where leaders steady their nerves and get things done.

"If you could see him on the sideline," Martz said. "If you want somebody to take that last shot at the buzzer to win the game, you want it to be Marc. ... That is his personality. That's one of the things that makes him different and unique than most every other quarterback. He is very special in that respect."

It was the 10th fourth-quarter comeback for a win in Bulger's career, and the fourth such rally this season. And it wasn't easy. Seattle played strong defense for extended stretches. After a sharp game-opening drive that ended in a touchdown pass to Torry Holt, Bulger got knocked around. He completed only nine of his next 21 passes, was sacked five times, and threw a terrible interception.

We looked up, and the Rams' early 14-3 lead was gone, the season was almost over. Just like that, the Seahawks led 20-17. Admit it, Rams fans: you were thinking back to last year. You were thinking back to Bulger's yips against Carolina. You were thinking that maybe he's just a nice guy, a pretty good quarterback, who just can't get it done in the postseason.

Well, Bulger showed us. He showed Seattle. He showed a national TV audience. He showed up, and put up, when it mattered most. And the expression on Bulger's face never changes. Down by 10 points, up by 10 points, it doesn't matter. Unflappable under the pass rush. Unflappable with the clock running down.

"As long a you stay focused you don't start thinking about losing," Bulger said. "You don't start thinking about all the people, all the millions of people at home watching a playoff game. You have to stay focused on what you do. Fortunately I've been blessed that I can stay focused. Sometimes after the game you look back and wonder how you do it. But fortunately, when the adrenaline is going, I can do it."