RAM NOTES : Defense Forces Falcons to Pass on Run

ATLANTA —  Call it a match made in, well, not heaven.

The Falcons, with the second-worst rushing offense in the league, opened Sunday’s game trying to run against the Rams, the worst team in the NFL at stopping the run.

They had some success early, but the Rams adjusted their defense and forced Atlanta back to its passing game.

“We wanted to go and take the football right at them,” Falcon Coach Jerry Glanville said. “It’s not usually our style of play, but we wanted to set a physical tone by running the ball.

“But their coaching staff is smart enough to know where we were going and how we were getting there, so they made their adjustments and it got to be tougher to get in there. They forced us back into throwing it and catching it.”

Glanville says he got just what he expected from the Rams--a fierce battle to the end--and a 17-0 lead did nothing to change his expectations.

“We had a chance to blow the game open, but that’s the way Chuck Knox teams always are,” he said. “If you don’t make every play count, they will always be there at the end. We missed a couple of opportunities, and because of that and the way he coaches, it was a tight game at the end.”

Flipped out: The Rams lost their 12th consecutive coin toss, and veteran tackle Jackie Slater, the guy who calls heads or tails for the Rams when they are on the road is now 0 for 8.

The odds of losing Sunday’s flip before the game were 4,095 to one. Next week’s chances are about the same as Chuck Knox smiling during his review of Sunday’s game film.

Moe-Joe-Rison: The din in the dome was replaced by an eerie silence in the third quarter when Atlanta quarterback Chris Miller went down with a knee injury. But the Falcons said they had no doubt former San Diego quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver could do the job.

“We were concerned when Miller went out, of course, but (we) all knew that Billy Joe could step in and do the job,” said nose tackle Moe Gardner.

All-Pro receiver Andre Rison said the instant Tolliver showed up in the huddle, he knew everything would be all right.

“He’s a great leader,” Rison said. “He took charge and did the job.”

Tolliver shrugged and credited the rest of the offense.

“I’ve been in these situations before,” he said. “I think the team responded well. I don’t think it mattered who (was) in there on that last drive the way our guys played.

“Our receivers could catch BBs in a hail storm.”

Tolliver completed six of nine passes, as the Falcons drove 81 yards to score the winning touchdown.

Sushi and espresso: A yuppie menu that would wow an Orange County crowd is available--and served by waitresses at your seat--at the Georgia Dome.

If you prefer beer and dogs with your football, you can find that, too. But if your tastes lean more toward Chardonnay and California rolls, this is your kind of football stadium.

Loss weekend: How many times can a team suffer a close defeat and still look on the bright side? The Rams are beginning to wonder.

“We did the best we could do, we just came up short,” tailback Cleveland Gary said. “It’s always tough when you get that close and come up short.

“I’d like to think we’re all winners, and winning is a great feeling. We’re making progress each week, but I guess at some point we’ve got to stop making progress and put some victories up on the board.”

The early returns: The special teams didn’t help the Rams win the battle for field position in the early going Sunday. Atlanta’s Tony Smith returned the opening kickoff 60 yards, setting up a seven-play, 36-yard touchdown drive that put the Falcons ahead, 7-0, after less than five minutes had been played.

After the Rams stalled on their second possession, Smith returned Don Bracken’s punt 45 yards to the Ram 21-yard line. The Falcons moved the ball to the six before Smith fumbled and Anthony Newman recovered.

Injury update: Receiver Flipper Anderson, as expected, was deactivated for the game and replaced in the starting lineup by Aaron Cox, who caught one pass for 13 yards and suffered a minor injury to his left knee.

In addition, Jeff Chadwick aggravated his back injury late in the first half, which resulted in what quarterback Jim Everett called his receiver “rotation.” Vernon Turner and tight end Travis McNeal both saw much more playing time than usual, and Chadwick had six catches for 58 yards.

Everett said the offense had to put Anderson’s injury out of its mind, and he noted that the Falcons were without the redoubtable Deion Sanders, who dressed but did not play--though he was rather active as a towel-waver--because of a sore foot.

“We were limited on that part, and of course they were limited in not having Deion,” Everett said. “You go with the guys you’ve got.”

The Rams also listed fullback David Lang (right ankle) and safety Anthony Newman (left thigh bruise) with minor injuries after the game.

Lyght’s not out: Although Ram cornerback Todd Lyght blamed himself for the loss because he gave up the game-winning pass to Michael Haynes, his teammates said Lyght should not carry all of the responsibility.

Lyght, appearing in his first game since a four-game stint on injured reserve after suffering a dislocated right shoulder, also gave up a 38-yard scoring pass to Haynes earlier in the game.

“You’ve got to understand, Todd was out for a while . . . “ Chadwick said. “He’ll get it together, I know. He’s a good corner. He went against somebody who’s got some big speed . . . Todd was there, but the guy made a nice grab in the end zone.”

Of Lyght’s comment, Notre Dame teammate Pat Terrell said: “Is that what he said? It’s no one person’s fault. We made some big plays and we made some bad plays. . . .

“He’s a competitor. He’ll be fine. It wasn’t Todd’s fault. Todd played a good game. Those guys get paid, too.

“I think this will make him play that much harder next week.”

All over but the singing: After the Rams failed on fourth and six with 10 seconds left, the Ram offense stayed on the field and lined up for another play as if they didn’t know they were supposed to give up the ball on downs.

But Everett said there was a little bit more going on: “I knew it was fourth down, but you never know what (the officials) are going to do.”

The officials, however, did not allow the Rams a fifth down, and the game was over.

Times staff writer Tim Kawakami contributed to this story.