PRO FOOTBALL / DAILY REPORT : AROUND THE NFL : Rookie Klein Puts on Show for Atlanta

Rookie quarterback Perry Klein scrambled five yards for a touchdown with 37 seconds left Saturday, lifting the Atlanta Falcons past the San Diego Chargers, 21-17, in the annual Hall of Fame exhibition game at Canton, Ohio.

Klein, a fourth-round draft choice from C.W. Post, dropped back on third and goal, then sprinted to the right corner of the end zone. He had earlier completed a pass to rookie Bert Emanuel--a converted quarterback--for a 41-yard touchdown.

Klein’s touchdown run, set up by a late interception, capped what had been a frustrating fourth quarter for the Falcons and gave them their first lead.

“He did a couple of things like a rookie, but overall I was happy,” said June Jones, Atlanta’s coach. “When we worked Perry out, that was the thing we first noticed about him and liked about him, his accuracy on the deep ball.”

Klein, who played at Carson, Palisades and Santa Monica highs, moved Atlanta into scoring range two other times in the quarter. But he barely overthrew a diving Joe Rogers in the end zone with about 10 minutes left and another pass was intercepted by Chris Johnson at the Chargers’ nine with 4:38 to play.

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Pete Stoyanovich kicked a 21-yard field goal with 2:57 to play after the New York Giants fumbled a punt and the Miami Dolphins rallied in the second half for a 20-19 victory in the exhibition opener for both teams at East Rutherford, N.J.

The game featured the NFL’s first two-point conversion. It came on a pass from Dolphin backup quarterback Doug Pederson to tight end Rob Coons and followed a one-yard, fourth-down touchdown run by Irving Spikes.