PRO FOOTBALL: DAILY REPORT : RAMS : Lyght Is Absolved by Knox

Cornerback Todd Lyght, who was playing in his first game after sitting out four because of a shoulder injury, was beaten on two touchdown passes Sunday, including the winning catch by Atlanta Falcon receiver Michael Haynes.

Lyght felt as if he had lost the game for the Rams, but Coach Chuck Knox scoffed at the notion.

“I don’t hang any defeat on any one player,” Knox said. “I can go back over the course of a ballgame and make a whole list of things that contributed in one way or another to what happened. Turnovers, a third-and-one failure, a dropped interception that we could have had for a touchdown.

“You can go back through the whole thing. I don’t blame anybody. It’s a combination of things.”

Jim Everett threw four touchdown passes Sunday and Cleveland Gary rushed for 144 yards, but kick returner Vernon Turner believes the Rams’ chances for success hinge on lesser-known players such as David Lang, who turned a short pass into a 67-yard touchdown play.

“We don’t have any superstars on this team,” Turner said. “Everybody has got to participate if we’re going to win. If you’ve noticed, someone different has been stepping up each week. This week, it was David Lang who had the great game. Next week, hopefully, it’ll be someone else.”

The Rams were unable to get into position for a winning field goal at the end of the game, but they did drive 81 yards to score a touchdown with six seconds left in the first half.

“Before the half, the execution on the two-minute drill was about as good as you’re ever going to see it,” Knox said. “As far as handling the clock at the end of the game, you’re not going to see it any better than that.”

With 1:54 to play, the Rams punted. They used all three timeouts as the defense held and they got the ball back with 1:12 remaining. But they were pinned on their 11-yard line and could advance only to their 46.

“We got only a 26-yard punt,” Knox said. “Had we gotten a punt that’s out there, we’re going to get the ball back at better position. Let’s just take 11 yards. Now, we’re looking at a 10-yard completion, out of bounds, and a 55-yard field goal.”