Chandler Starts For Birds

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

September 23, 1999 / 9:13 PM EDT / CBS Sportsline

For the second consecutive day, quarterback Chris Chandler participated in all of the drills and operated the Atlanta first-unit offense on Thursday, and the 11-year veteran will start Sunday when the Falcons meet the St. Louis Rams at the Trans World Dome.

Chandler missed the Monday night game against Dallas with a strained right hamstring as the defending NFC champions fell to 0-2. The hamstring is not yet 100 percent rehabilitated, but Chandler said it is good enough for him to be able to do most things with only a modicum of pain.

"You know the (strain) is still there," Chandler said. "There are some motions I make, even sometimes just handing the ball off, where it tugs a little. But it's a lot better than last week and, given our situation, I want to get back in there and help us get things turned around."

The Falcons, already without running back Jamal Anderson, who suffered a season-ending knee injury just six minutes into the loss at Dallas, can ill afford to be without Chandler. Counting the '98 playoffs, Atlanta is 22-10 in games Chandler started and just 1-4 in games he did not start.