NOTES : This Time, Falcons Walk Away Smelling Sweet

This time, the visitors’ locker room was awash with rock ‘n’ roll blaring instead of sewer water.

When the Falcons last played the Rams at Anaheim Stadium, the Rams won, 44-24, and a backed-up sewer main left about an inch of foul-smelling water on the floor of Atlanta’s locker room.

The floors were dry Sunday and the Falcons, who bring their own sound system with them on the road, were doing a victory dance after winning, 31-14.

“A year ago out here, we not only got embarrassed but they threw sewer water on us,” Falcon Coach Jerry Glanville said. “We played terrible and then we had to come back into the locker room and stand in it. That was a memory that we promised to keep etched in our mind until we got back here.”

Sunday’s victory gave Atlanta (9-5) a tiebreaker edge over New Orleans (9-5) in the race for the NFC West title. The Falcons split two games with the Saints and have a better divisional record. The Saints’ loss to Dallas was a final by halftime, but Glanville wasn’t scoreboard watching. He was checking out the floor in the locker room.

“We knew what the score was, but we talked more about the sewer water then we did the Saints’ game,” he said.

Try, Try Again: Falcon safety Tracey Eaton blocked a Barry Helton punt in the first quarter that Glanville called the turning point in the game. Eaton had Helton covered before he had any chance of getting off a successful punt. The ball was recovered on the Rams’ 22-yard line and two plays later, the Falcons scored a touchdown to take a 10-0 lead.

“On the punt right before that, I got my finger on the ball or maybe his foot,” Eaton said. “So I really wanted that second one. I just put my head down and went after it.

“I almost ran right by him.”

Sixteen-year veteran tackle Jackie Slater said the “verdict was still out” on whether he would play beyond the 1991 season, but he made it sound as if retiring is more of an option as the losses pile up.

Slater, 36, who is in the last year of the two-year contract he signed after the 1989 season, said he owed it to the Rams to complete the terms of his contract.

But after this season?

“I’ve got two more games to go, and in those games, I’m going to watch myself very closely, very carefully, and examine how I play and my willingness to work,” Slater said.

“After that, I’ll make a decision if I want to return,” he said. “And I guess the Rams will have to decide if they want me to.”

Helton had a whirlwind day--he threw out of punt formation for a 22-yard gain to Ernie Thompson, he had a punt blocked by Jordan, and he actually punted the ball four times for a 41.8-yard average.

Helton, signed last week to replace Dale Hatcher, was cut by the San Francisco 49ers in training camp and hadn’t kicked all season until Sunday.

On his second punt, Helton was mauled.

“That just happened so quickly, I had no chance,” he said. “I think (Jordan) got to it almost before my foot got to the ball. Sometimes, you just don’t have a chance.”

Then, as the Rams set up to punt on fourth and one at the end of the first half, Helton had to keep cool as a Ram player moved before the snap with the fake on.

“I just tried to freeze when the whistle blew and not give it away,” Helton said.

Moving back five yards on the penalty and facing fourth and six, the Rams kept the fake on. The Falcons attacked the kick, and Helton had Thompson breaking open over the middle.

“I would’ve been surprised if he hadn’t been wide open,” Helton said. “With the way they were coming after me--I’m sure they were anxious to get another one after the first block.”

Helton, who threw a touchdown pass off a fake field goal while playing for Colorado in the 1985 Freedom Bowl and won the MVP award, floated it up for Thompson, who took the ball to the Falcon 45-yard line. The drive stalled.