Ram Notebook : Return of Bartkowski to Atlanta Dampened by Falcons, Downpour

It rained on Steve Bartkowski’s homecoming parade Sunday, figuratively and literally. The downpour that arrived in the second quarter didn’t dampen his spirits as much as the Rams’ 26-14 loss to the Falcons, though.

“It was strange coming back here, but when the football is kicked off it’s just another game,” said Bartkowski, who played 11 seasons with the Falcons. “I didn’t feel I had anything to prove. I just wanted a chance to play and was glad the Rams gave me the chance. We dropped a notch today, but it’s a long season and I think we’ll come back strong.”

When Bartkowski first stuck his head out of the runway an hour before the game, the fans in Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium gave him a rousing ovation.

The mood changed a bit by the time the game started, though, and began to reflect a less-than-cordial banner in one end zone that read: “Crush Bartkowski’s Skull.”

Add Bartkowski: The Ram quarterback headed straight for his Atlanta counterpart, Dave Archer, and the two embraced at midfield.

“He told me, ‘Stay healthy and have a good game,’ ” Archer said later. “And I wished him all the luck in the world.

“I don’t know about you guys, but Bart scared the hell out of me every time he dropped back to pass. He threw a lot of balls today that should have been caught.”

It’s a mutual-admiration society between former pupil and former teacher.

“Archer played really well,” Bartkowski said. “I’m probably the happiest guy for him outside of his dad.”

He’s No Dummy Dept.: Floyd Dixon, Atlanta’s 5-9, 170-pound rookie receiver, made a couple of nice moves to elude would-be tacklers on a 20-yard pass play in the fourth quarter. But when he found himself trapped near the sidelines and surrounded by charging Ram defensive backs, he meekly walked out of bounds . . . backward.

Thanks, I Needed That: With 2:22 to play, the Rams signaled for a timeout. Referee Gordon McCarter flipped on his mike and announced: “Rams call timeout, their first.”

The crowd immediately erupted into a chorus of “Twooooo, Twooooo, Twooooo . . .”

McCarter nodded and turned his mike back on. “Correction,” he said, “Rams’ second timeout.”

The Rams were penalized twice because offensive linemen were not lined up on the line of scrimmage. They were called for the same thing against Tampa Bay last Sunday and Eric Dickerson had a 36-yard touchdown run nullified as a result.

Guard Dennis Harrah said that the officials have warned the Rams in past weeks that the rest of the linemen must have their helmets in line with numbers on the center’s back. And Harrah insists that the Rams have moved up to comply with the rule.

“I was trying to convince him (the official) he was wrong,” Harrah said, “but it was like trying to convince your wife that you’re right.”

One for the Home Folks: A crowd of 51,662 braved the weather to see the Falcons, and Atlanta managed to win its first game in the last eight when more than 50,000 fans were in attendance.