AJC > Sports > Falcons > Blog > Archives > 2005 > October > 13
Thursday, October 13, 2005
Hard to ignore STs
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OK, I know this may drive some of you nuts, but I’m going to drop a blog about special teams.
Michael Koenen’s 58-yard field goal against the Patriots last week can’t be overlooked, especially since it rates at the ninth longest in NFL history and second only to Morten Anderson’s 59-yarder in Falcons’ lore.
Granted, Koenen got a second attempt because the Patriots tried to ice him by calling a time out just before he got off his initial kick, which sailed wide right. But the fact he could refocus and get a little more leg and accuracy into the second kick shows something about this undrafted rookie.
Koenen also is averaging 43 yards a punt and has dropped nine inside the 20. His four kickoffs that have resulted in touchbacks rate him fourth in the NFL in that category, and his ability to kickoff into corners, which is what special teams coach Joe DeCamillis wants, has resulted in opponents starting drives after kickoffs at the 22-yard line on average.
The icing on the cake is that former Georgia Bulldog Todd Peterson is 11 of 11 on extra points and six of six on field goals.
I know some of you view the kicking game like a designated hitter in baseball or defensive stopper in basketball, but the Falcons have made it hard to ignore.
Just following the rules
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Michael Vick practiced Wednesday and said his sprained right knee feels good enough to probably play Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. His mood was much more upbeat at his weekly press conference than it was last Wednesday, when he said he hoped to play but wasn’t sure.
The irony of things is that last Wednesday, when he didn’t practice, he was listed as probable (75 percent chance of playing) and ended up not playing in Atlanta’s loss to New England. This Wednesday, when he did practice, he was listed as questionable (50 percent chance of playing).
Coach Jim Mora said the Falcons and other teams take some license with the way injuries are reported but not in such a way to outright deceive.
“We don’t really look at it or worry too much about it,” Mora said of the injury report. “I don’t know how much you get out of it. What does ‘Questionable’ tell you. It tells you that he might play or he might not. We are all questionable. So it doesn’t tell me anything.I just try to follow the rules.”
