RAM NOTEBOOK : Gilbert Leaves Game With Injury

ATLANTA — Sean Gilbert, who appeared to be on a mission to keep Atlanta winless this season, limped off the field with the Rams in command, 17-3.

Gilbert, however, never returned, and the Falcons celebrated with a 30-24 victory.

Gilbert had run down running back Erric Pegram, who had caught a screen pass, from behind with 2:40 to play in the second quarter. Gilbert said that he “messed up” his hamstring while making the dive to bring Pegram to the ground.

“I couldn’t push off of it,” Gilbert said. “I couldn’t go back out there.

“It’s 10 days until our next game, so that’s a lot of time to get better.”

Gilbert led the Rams in tackles in the first half with seven, and shared a sack with Fred Stokes.

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Deion Sanders was back. And he let Atlanta know it.

He waved his arms wildly after plays. He urged the crowd to cheer down the stretch. He clasped his hands in prayer and pointed to the heavens after the Rams’ Flipper Anderson caught a pass out of bounds.

The day after his baseball season ended with the Atlanta Braves’ loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League Championship Series, Sanders was back at cornerback for the Falcons.

He whooped, hollered and helped the Falcons to their first victory of the season.

Falcon Coach Jerry Glanville said Sanders’ inspired play brought the disappointing crowd of 45,231 to life in the 70,000-seat Georgia Dome.

“We only had 45,000 but that was the noisiest crowd we have had, and part of that’s because of him,” Glanville said. “The crowd noise was a factor for us, and Deion is the one who got them going.”

Sanders, not known for being humble, shared the honor.

“It wasn’t just me,” Sanders said. “It was the whole team. Did you see that catch Andre Rison made in the end zone? That was all-time. That was in a class by itself.”

Sanders, who struck out as a pinch-hitter Wednesday night, entered the Falcon game to a loud ovation with 4 minutes 1 second left in the first quarter. He played nickel back on the first series.

In the second quarter, he replaced right cornerback Melvin Jenkins, who had been burned by Anderson on the first series for an 18-yard reception and a 56-yard touchdown catch.

The Braves’ Game 6 loss left Glanville smiling. He was in need of cornerbacks.

Starter Bruce Pickens was traded to Green Bay on Tuesday, and cornerback Brian Mitchell injured his knee on Tony Smith’s fair-catch on a punt return in the second half. Another cornerback, Vinnie Clark, was out because of a sore back.

“Without Deion today, we would have been in a lot of trouble,” Glanville said. “We are one cornerback short as it is.”

Sanders was in on nearly every down the rest of the game, finishing with three tackles (two unassisted) and one pass defensed.

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The call: Glanville said he couldn’t tell whether Cleveland Gary was downed by Sanders on a bizarre 60-yard touchdown catch with 27 seconds left in the third quarter.

Gary caught the pass at the Atlanta 48, near the Falcon sideline, and dived over a sliding Sanders. Untouched, Gary got up, shook a tackle by linebacker Jessie Tuggle and outran safety Roger Harper for the score.

“We were disappointed that we didn’t touch him when he was down,” Glanville said. “We should have. I was standing right there, and I couldn’t tell if we did or we didn’t.”

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Missing the call: It appeared that Falcon cornerback Elbert Shelley interfered with wide receiver Flipper Anderson with 2:17 to play in the game, but the officials made no call. On the Rams’ final offensive play of the game it appeared safety Roger Harper was face-guarding Anderson in the end zone, but again there was no call.

The Rams were also possibly shortchanged on two other key plays, including Andre Rison’s game-winning 42-yard touchdown reception. Rison appeared to shove Bailey out of the way before making a spectacular catch, but there was no call.

In the third quarter Anderson was wide open deep. Anderson caught Everett’s pass near the sideline and the official ruled his second foot came down out of bounds, although replays showed he came down with two feet inbounds.

“I’m not going to say anything about that,” Ram Coach Chuck Knox said. “The officials were right there.”

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Jim and Jerry: Ram quarterback Jim Everett refused to sign with Houston after Glanville’s Oilers drafted him in 1986, forcing a trade to the Rams.

And Glanville has gotten the best of the deal so far.

After Thursday night’s loss, Everett is 2-6 against Glanville-coached teams. He is 112 for 233 for 1,486 yards 10 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He has been sacked 19 times.

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Career night: Atlanta quarterback Billy Joe Tolliver’s three touchdown passes was a first in his five-year career. He started in place of Bobby Hebert, who has tendinitis in his throwing elbow.

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Getting their kicks: Tony Zendejas’ 52-yard field goal at the end of the first quarter was his 10th in a row from 50 yards, an NFL record. He has made 16 of 20 attempts of 50 or longer, also an NFL record.

Atlanta kicker Norm Johnson, a former Pacifica High standout, moved into 20th place on the all-time NFL scoring list with a 28-yard field goal in the first quarter. Johnson now has 1,041 career points.

Johnson, slowed by a groin pull, was listed as probable for the game, although the Falcons had signed former Dallas kicker Lin Elliott as a precautionary measure.

Notes

The victory by the Falcons prevented them from matching their worst start since 1986, when they were 0-6. They entered Thursday night’s game with seven consecutive regular-season losses dating to last season. . . . John Stephens, obtained by Atlanta in the trade that sent former Ram Eric Dickerson to Green Bay Tuesday, did not dress for the game.