Ram-Falcon Game Was Missing Some Real Kick

Talk about starting the game off with a bang.

The Atlanta Falcons’ Darrick Vaughn returned the opening kickoff 96 yards for a touchdown against the St. Louis Rams on Sunday. On the next play, the Rams’ Tony Horne returned the kickoff 103 yards to tie the score, 7-7, with only 36 seconds elapsed.

It was the first time in NFL history that a game started with back-to-back kickoff returns for touchdowns.

Vaughn took Jeff Wilkins’ kick at the four and went straight up the middle. He was untouched until Wilkins got a hand on him, barely, around the 40, then ran easily to the end zone.

On the ensuing kick, Horne took the ball three yards deep in the end zone, and also ran up the middle. He made a move around Gerald McBurrows near the 25, stumbled and nearly fell, then ran untouched down the left side.

It was Horne’s fourth touchdown on a kickoff return and his first this year. Three of those have come against the Falcons.

Wilkins injured a quadriceps muscle on the opening kickoff. He kicked the extra point after Horne’s score, squibbed a kickoff, then had to leave the game. The Rams had no backup, so they couldn’t try field goals or point-after kicks the rest of the way.

Martz asked for volunteers to kick off, and backup wide receiver Chris Thomas did a decent job, squibbing most of his kicks to around the Atlanta 20.

“That’s my fault,” Martz said of the absence of a backup. “How stupid am I? Shoot, that’s ridiculous.”

The Rams didn’t miss a beat without Wilkins, converting four of five two-point tries the rest of the way. And without the field-goal option, the Rams twice converted fourth-down plays in Atlanta territory and eventually scored touchdowns.

AIKMAN LOSING HIS TOUCH?

Cowboy quarterback Troy Aikman threw a team record-tying five interceptions in a 19-14 loss to the Giants at East Rutherford, N.J.

“I’ve never had a day like that,” said Aikman, whose 12-year credentials are highlighted by three Super Bowl championships, virtually every Cowboy passing record and a recent run of concussions.

“I’ve never had a day with five interceptions. It started on the first play and got progressively worse as the day went on,” Aikman added. “I take full responsibility for this loss.”

Despite Dallas’ 2-4 record and those calling for Randall Cunningham to replace Aikman, Cowboy owner Jerry Jones expects Aikman to start next week at home against Arizona. Cowboy Coach Dave Campo said he never considered lifting Aikman.

“You get down on yourself,” said Aikman, who has thrown seven interceptions in the last two games. “You get disappointed in yourself. I expect more out of myself. As far as losing confidence as far as what I can do, that won’t ever happen.’

The only other time Aikman threw four interceptions was in 1989, his rookie season, against Green Bay.

Four interceptions Sunday came in the first half, all on bad throws, including a game-opening bomb that Jason Sehorn picked off. Sehorn broke a rib on the play and left the game.

It’s just another in a series of poor games for Aikman. His season so far:

* Sept. 3, Philadelphia 41, Cowboys 14--Aikman completes 13 of 31 passes for 135 yards with one TD, two interceptions. Passer rating--39.0

* Sept. 10, Arizona 32, Cowboys 31--Completed 24 of 34 passes for 243 yards, with three TDs, no interceptions. Passer rating--120.1

* Sept 18, Cowboys 27, Washington 21--Completed 10 of 23 passes for 185 yards, with two TDs, one interception. Passer rating--82.7

* Sept. 24, San Francisco 41, Cowboys 24--Completed 18 of 31 passes for 250 yards, with two TDs, one interception. Passer rating--92.1

* Oct. 1, Dallas 16, Carolina 13--Completed 15 of 23 passes for 131 yards, no TDs, two interceptions. Passer rating--43.9

* Sunday, N.Y. Giants 19, Cowboys 14--Completed 22 of 42 passes for 211 yards, one touchdown, five interceptions. Passer rating--35.0

* Season--102 of 184 for 1,155 yards, nine touchdowns, 11 interceptions. Passer rating--38.5.

YOU CAN’T GO HOME AGAIN

Much has been made of the fact that visiting teams have won more than half (50 of 99) of the NFL games played so far.

But is that a trend or simply the fact that good teams win and bad teams lose wherever they play?

Cincinnati, San Diego and Chicago, a combined 1-19, are 0-10 at home. Pittsburgh, which was 2-6 at home last season, is 1-2 at Three Rivers Stadium and 2-1 on the road--nobody has figured out that one, particularly in a stadium that’s usually tough for visitors.

Minnesota and St. Louis, a combined 12-0, are 7-0 at home.

But there are some strange records.

Detroit is 2-2 in the Silverdome, 2-0 on the road. Teams with domes are usually the reverse.

Same with New Orleans--1-2 at home, 2-1 on the road.

Final observation: It will even out by year’s end.

WHO’S THE GOAT OF THIS STORY?

Members of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will try to lift the spirits of a 10-year-old girl whose pet goats, named after her favorite football players, were mauled to death by two dogs at New Port Richey, Fla.

“We plan to get all of the guys who shared the names with the goats to autograph a football for her,” Buccaneer spokeswoman Jenny Townley said. “They are going to write her a letter telling her to keep her chin up and try to make her feel better.”

Lauren Gardiner’s pets were named for quarterback Shaun King and kicker Martin Gramatica; another goat named for receiver Keyshawn Johnson survived Wednesday’s attack.

“I heard I was dead,” Gramatica said. “I think it’s awesome she named one of them after me.”

*

--Compiled by HOUSTON MITCHELL

-- UNPUBLISHED NOTE --

This story has been edited to reflect the following correction to the original published text: Troy Aikman’s passer rating is 38.5, not 65.8.

-- END NOTE --