 snapped a three-game losing streak in the debut of cornerback Jalen Ramsey. ''We're back on track,'' said linebacker Dante Fowler, who had three sacks and a forced fumble. Coach Sean McVay was impressed by Ramsey's ability to prepare for the game following Tuesday's trade from Jacksonville. ''I can't say enough about his ability to digest the game plan,'' McVay said. ''I think it's just a real credit to our defensive coaches and then Jalen's ability . . . to come in on short notice with such short practice time and do what he did. It was a good boost to our team, to be sure. '' The Falcons (1-6) suffered their fifth straight loss and had quarterback Matt Ryan leave the game with an ankle injury. Ryan's right leg bent awkwardly as he was sacked by Aaron Donald and fumbled early in the fourth quarter. Ryan limped off the field and was escorted to the medical tent on the sideline. He walked to the locker room, still favoring the ankle, with 7:36 remaining in the game. Coach Dan Quinn said he did not know the severity of Ryan's injury. Ryan wore a walking boot in the locker room and was not made available for his usual postgame news conference. Donald was credited with a sack, forced fumble and recovery on the play. It was the Rams' fifth sack of Ryan, matching the five sacks by Atlanta's defense this season - none in the last four games. Matt Schaub replaced Ryan and threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Austin Hooper with 2:36 remaining. The final insult for Atlanta came with only 11 seconds left, when Kenjon Barner fumbled a punt return when hit by Troy Reeder and Darious Williams recovered in the end zone for a touchdown. Ryan's injury was the latest and perhaps most damaging dose of bad news for the woeful Falcons. Quinn's job security appears shaky at best as he quickly runs out of time to avoid a second straight losing season. Quinn, who took on the added role of defensive coordinator following a 7-9 finish in 2018, revealed after the game that he began assigning some defensive play-calling duties to assistants in last week's loss at Arizona and continued to share that role on Sunday. ''I'm always looking to do anything that's best for the team,'' Quinn said. ''My ego is never bigger than the team. '' Quinn said he doesn't believe he has lost the team or the season. ''I never think you're out of the fight,'' Quinn said. ''You shouldn't think that way as a team member and I certainly don't think that way as a coach. '' Atlanta's frustrations showed in a third-quarter fight between running back Devonta Freeman and Donald that led to Freeman's ejection. The two locked up after Ryan's pass off Mohamed Sanu's hands was intercepted by Cory Littleton deep in Atlanta territory with the Rams leading 20-3. Freeman had his hands on Donald's facemask before throwing a punch at the much bigger Donald, which appeared to make little if any contact. Umpire Terry Killens finally pulled Freeman away from Donald, taking Freeman to the ground in an apparent unintentional body slam before quickly helping Freeman to his feet. Each player drew unnecessary roughness penalties, and Freeman was tossed for throwing the punch. The turnover left the Rams at the Atlanta 16 for a short drive capped by Goff's 1-yard scoring run. With running back Ito Smith already out with an injury, Freeman's ejection left Brian Hill and return specialist Kenjon Barner as the options at running back. Goff completed 22 of 37 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns. Blake Bortles took over on the Rams' final possession. Atlanta's offense struggled even before Freeman's exit. The Falcons were limited to 224 yards. As expected, Ramsey shadowed Falcons standout Julio Jones much of the game. Jones had six catches for 93 yards in his first matchup with Ramsey. Ramsey moved into a revamped secondary. The Rams placed cornerback Aqib Talib and safety John Johnson on injured reserve this week and traded cornerback Marcus Peters to Baltimore. That left safety Eric Weddle as the only holdover starter. The new mix held up well. Ryan completed 16 of 27 passes for only 159 yards with an interception. Goff threw a perfectly placed 13-yard touchdown pass to Todd Gurley early in the second quarter. He added an 8-yard scoring pass to Gerald Everett in the third quarter. Everett, an Atlanta native, celebrated by doing the ''Dirty Bird'' dance made famous in the Falcons' 1998 Super Bowl season. INJURY REPORTSmith was carted off the field late in the first quarter with head and neck injuries following a helmet-to-helmet hit from Rams linebacker Cory Littleton. There was no flag. Smith did not return. UP NEXTThe Rams will remain in Atlanta to practice at Georgia Tech for a few days before flying to London for next Sunday's game against Cincinnati. The Falcons will play the Seahawks in another home game next Sunday. Seattle leads the series 10-8, including two playoff games won by Atlanta. ---More NFL: https://apnews. com/NFL and https://twitter. com/-NFL)
Oct 17, 2019ATLANTA There is no guarantee that a Super Bowl appearance will generate long-term momentum. Just ask the Los Angeles Rams, who return to Atlanta as a . 500 team with three straight losses only eight months after their Super Bowl appearance. Or check in with the Atlanta Falcons, whose 2016 Super Bowl season seems a distant memory. The Falcons have lost four straight, leaving them on target for a second straight losing record. The Rams (3-3), who play the Falcons (1-5) on Sunday, had a busy week while retooling their secondary. The big addition was cornerback Jalen Ramsey, one of the league's top players at his position, who was acquired from Jacksonville. Also this week, the Rams placed cornerback Aqib Talib and safety John Johnson on injured reserve and traded cornerback Marcus Peters. The Rams gave up three draft picks, including two first-rounders, for Ramsey in a dramatic attempt to generate renewed momentum for another playoff run following their Super Bowl loss to New England. Coach Sean McVay said Ramsey provides ''all the traits that you look for in a corner. '' While Ramsey prepares to play, the Rams may have to rely on a bunch of relatively untested defensive backs against Matt Ryan and Julio Jones, including cornerbacks Troy Hill and Darious Williams and safety Marqui Christian. The Falcons' frustrations may have peaked when usually reliable Matt Bryant missed a potential game-tying extra point in last week's 34-33 loss at Arizona. Only a dramatic turnaround would save the Falcons from their second straight losing season. The losing streak has increased the pressure on fifth-year coach Dan Quinn. Quinn said his players ''want to get it right. '' ''They're hurting, the fans are hurting, everybody is,'' he said. ''If you're around the team, you know how much they care and how much it means to them. More than anything, they want to get it right. When we haven't done that, it stings. '' Here are some more things to know about the Rams-Falcons matchup:THEN THERE WAS ONESafety Eric Weddle is the only starter from last week's loss to San Francisco who will return in the Rams secondary. He has to lead the new mix of starters. ''That's why you have me, quite honestly,'' Weddle said. ''I've been through this many a time. Revolving door, whether it's safeties, corners, it's my job to get everyone on the same page and play at a high level. '' NO DEFENSEQuinn fired all his coordinators after last season and named himself defensive coordinator. That hasn't produced the results he wanted. The Falcons rank last in the league in scoring defense and sacks. ''There's nothing where we can say we're hitting the mark in any way,'' Quinn said. JUST VISITING, Y'ALLThe Rams will remain in Atlanta and will practice at Georgia Tech next week before flying to London for their Oct. 27 game against Cincinnati. Quarterback Jared Goff said he thinks the time away from home will be ''somewhat galvanizing. '' ''When you're off on the road, and all you do have is each other, you have that us against the world type of deal,'' Goff said. ''It does tend to bring a team together and you hope you go out and get this win this weekend and build from there. '' RYAN ON A ROLLRyan, who leads the NFL with 15 touchdown passes, can become the first player in NFL history to pass for at least 300 yards in each of the first seven games of a season. Ryan also has cut down on mistakes. After throwing six interceptions in the first three games, he has only one in the last three. LINE CONCERNSDavid Edwards, a rookie fifth-round pick from Wisconsin, is expected to be the Rams' starting left guard after Joe Noteboom was lost for the season with a knee injury. Edwards has yet to take an offensive snap. He has played sparingly on special teams. The Rams must trust Edwards because backup guard Jamil Demby apparently has not impressed the coaches. The line was the offense's strength last year, but it has been a liability this fall with Edwards the third new starter. The line has had less-than-dominant play by tackles Andrew Whitworth and Rob Havenstein. --- Sports Writer Greg Beacham in Los Angeles contributed to this report. ---More NFL: https://apnews. com/NFL and https://twitter. com/-NFL
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