Rams Try to Muffle Falcons : Pro football: Recent record, however, indicates Rison’s ‘guarantee’ of victory may be valid.

Arizona Coach Buddy Ryan’s tough talk provided the bulletin-board material last week for the Rams, who lead the NFL in over-sensitivity.

And the Rams’ motivational fodder for today’s game against the Atlanta Falcons was delivered last Sunday when somebody stuck a microphone in front of Falcon wide receiver Andre Rison.

Coming off a 31-28 overtime loss to the Lions at Detroit, Rison guaranteed a victory over the Rams, adding: “You can print that straight to L.A.”

“He forgets we still have to play a game,” Ram free safety Anthony Newman said.

Wide receiver Jessie Hester wondered: “Has Andre retracted any of that statement yet?”

Yes, the Rams are 1-0 and talking tough after beating Arizona, 14-12, last Sunday and spoiling Ryan’s debut as Cardinal coach.

Although the Rams have a chance to be 2-0 for the first time in six years, their recent history against the Falcons does little to invalidate Rison’s prediction.

The Rams have lost six of their last seven games against the Falcons and haven’t won in Atlanta since the 1989 opener, when Chris Miller, now the Rams’ starting quarterback, was with the Falcons.

Miller returns to the Georgia Dome for the first time since signing a three-year deal with the Rams in the off-season. One of his biggest concerns is the Georgia Dome’s artificial turf, on which he twice injured his left knee, each time requiring surgery.

“It’s a real sticky surface, like Velcro,” Miller said. “It just doesn’t get worn down much. The first time I hurt it (against the Rams in 1992) I was just running from Newman, trying to make a little cut, and when I planted, my knee popped.”

Playing on Anaheim Stadium’s natural grass last Sunday, Miller and the Ram offense produced only one touchdown and failed to move the ball in the third quarter, when they could have pulled away from the Cardinals.

Miller completed six of 16 passes for 131 yards and has yet to throw a touchdown pass in a Ram uniform. Tailback Jerome Bettis, who set a goal of 2,000 yards before the season, gained only 52 against the Cardinals. And has anybody sent out a search party for tight end Troy Drayton?

But there was good news for the Ram offense last weekend: Detroit gained 352 yards in total offense, and tailback Barry Sanders rushed for 120 of that total. It would appear that the Falcon defense is vulnerable.

“I can’t say I was concerned about the offense just this week,” Ram Coach Chuck Knox said. “I was concerned about it back in the preseason, trying to find the right mix on the offensive line. We need to get it fixed in a hurry. You can’t leave your defense out there as long as we did last week.”

The Ram defense was on the field for 76 plays and 38 minutes against Arizona, but held a pathetic Cardinal offense to 230 yards. Defensive end Robert Young had two of the Rams’ five sacks, and the pass rush expects to be a key factor against the Falcons.

The Rams will have to make adjustments to contend with Atlanta quarterback Jeff George and the Falcons’ run-and-shoot offense. They will probably replace middle linebacker Shane Conlan with cornerback Robert Bailey, giving them an extra defensive back for pass coverage.

“We’re going to have to be patient because they’re going to get their yards,” said Joe Vitt, Ram assistant head coach. “We’re going to have to limit their star players’ productivity.”

That won’t be easy considering that:

--Rison has scored eight touchdowns and averaged 17.5 yards a catch in eight games against the Rams, and had two touchdown catches in last year’s 30-24 victory in Atlanta.

--Tailback Erric Pegram averaged 156 yards rushing and receiving in two games against the Rams last season. The Ram coaches and players thought enough of Pegram to vote for him in Pro Bowl balloting.

--George, acquired from Indianapolis in an off-season trade, completed 29 of 37 passes for 281 yards and three touchdowns against Detroit. He has thrown 239 consecutive passes without an interception, the best current streak among active players and third-best all time.

“Jeff has a Dan Marino-like release and is very accurate,” Vitt said. “He can slide and move in the pocket to buy time and can get the ball in some real short areas. He’s the only quarterback in the league who has so many throws (overhead, sidearm) in his arm as he does.”

Rison was George’s main target in the loss to the Lions, catching 14 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns. The Falcons lost free-agent receiver Michael Haynes to New Orleans and Mike Pritchard to Denver in the off-season, making Rison even more of a threat.

“They’ve made a smooth transition with the receivers they do have (from) the ones they’ve lost,” Vitt said. “But there’s no question they’re featuring Rison and Pegram.”

RAMS

TODAY’S GAME

* Opponent: Atlanta Falcons.

* Site: Georgia Dome, Atlanta.

* Time: 10 a.m. PDT.

* Records: Rams 1-0, Falcons 0-1.

* TV: Channel 11.

* Radio: KMPC (710).

* Rosters: C16.