NOTEBOOK : Officials Keep Busy Sending Their Flags Flying the Falcons’ Way
Jerry Glanville’s teams in Houston often led the league in penalties and many were of the personal foul and unsportsmanlike conduct variety that go along with the intimidating, aggressive style of play he teaches.
But his new team, the Atlanta Falcons, hurt themselves repeatedly during Sunday’s 44-24 loss to the Rams with just-plain-dumb penalties.
The Falcons were penalized 10 times for 93 yards. Three times in the first quarter, Falcon defensive players lined up in the neutral zone. They also were flagged for three pass interference infractions. And, on a third-and-three situation in the third quarter, Atlanta had 12 men on the field.
“We had the wrong penalties at the wrong times today,” Glanville said.
Henry Ellard wasn’t the only wide receiver to have a record-breaking game Sunday.
Atlanta’s Andre Rison set a team record with his fourth consecutive 100-yard receiving game. He caught five passes for 161 yards, including touchdown catches of 71 and 14 yards.
Rison has gained 136, 154 and 172 yards in his previous three games.
Judge and jury: Back judge Al Jury called the Falcons for defensive holding on a play in front of the Atlanta bench midway through the third quarter, drawing the ire of Glanville.
The emotional Glanville had to be restrained by Falcon linebacker Robert Lyles, which might not be much of a surprise. What was unusual, however, was that the supposed-to-be-calm-and-collected official, Jury, had to be held back by a group of his colleagues.
Most of the Rams were happy to go home Sunday with a smile and a sense of satisfaction, but nobody in blue and gold was ready to proclaim the end of the struggle.
“We played all phases of the game today,” said linebacker Kevin Greene, who had one sack Sunday. “We had a good game plan.
“I’ve always maintained that it wasn’t a question of talent during our slide. It was a matter of being mentally prepared. We got it together and the physical part was there.
“This is not everything, but it’s a good win and a good start. I’m not thinking playoffs, I’m just thinking one game at a time.”
That’s pretty much the way receiver Flipper Anderson looked at it, too.
“It’s a start,” he said. “It definitely gets our spirits up and gives us some confidence. It’s a matter of getting back on the right track, but we’re not out of it yet.”
Atlanta offensive tackle Chris Hinton thought he was wading through a river as he walked up the ramp to the Falcons’ locker room.
About three inches of water flooded the dressing room when a sewer overflowed after halftime. Stadium workers mopped the water out of the locker room and pushed it down the ramp.
Hinton didn’t find the smell too pleasant.
“A backed sewer?” Hinton said as he smacked his helmet against the wall. “What kind of (crud) is that?”
Road woes: The Falcons lost their sixth consecutive game against the Rams at Anaheim Stadium. The Rams’ only loss to the Falcons at Anaheim Stadium was in 1984, when Mick Luckhurst kicked a 36-yard field goal late in the game to pull out a 30-28 victory.
The Rams, who have swept the Falcons the last two years, lead the overall series, 35-10-2.
Deion Sanders, on the Falcons’ pass defense, which is ranked 26th in the NFL:
“We knew the Rams were going to throw the ball today. We let them go and get away in the first half. We got out of sync and we were not as physical as we should be. We’re no dynasty, no 49ers. But we’re a good bunch of guys and athletes and we’ll get it together. It’s up to us to make the plays.”
