Aug. 12, 2006
ATLANTA, Georgia -
By Len Pasquarelli, ESPN.com
In this age of specialization, the Atlanta Falcons may have actually discovered a jack-of-all-kicking-trades.
Second-year punter Michael Koenen, all but an afterthought when the Falcons sought to replace veteran field goal kicker Todd Peterson this spring, may have given himself a huge leg up on the placement job Friday night by converting all four of his field goal attempts, including a game-winning 40-yarder as time expired.
The Falcons may have found their replacement for kicker Todd Peterson in second-year punter Michael Koenen.
The Falcons weren't ready, after only one preseason game, to award the job to Koenen, who attempted two field goals as a rookie in 2005. But the thought of having Koenen handle all three kicking jobs -- placement attempts, kickoffs and punts -- is suddenly percolating with the Atlanta coaching staff.
"I still have reservations about it," coach Jim Mora said after the Falcons' 26-23 victory over New England. "I can't say he won the job [yet]. I liked what I saw, but I'm concerned about having a guy do all three of the jobs. I'll take another week or so to see how he is, see how he feels. The last thing I want to do is wear him out. But with his ability to affect the game, like he did [Friday], it's something we have to think long and hard about."
In part, because Koenen kicks the ball long and hard and, it seems, with improved accuracy.
Koenen, 24, was signed by the Falcons last spring as an undrafted free agent and he won the punting and kickoffs jobs in training camp, beating out veteran Toby Gowin. Because Peterson's range is limited to about 43-45 yards, Koenen attempted two long field goals during the season, converting a 58-yard try and missing a 55-yarder. The 58-yard conversion was the longest in the NFL in 2005 and the second-longest in franchise history.
In his principal role as punter, the former Western Washington University standout averaged an impressive 42.3 yards gross, had a 36.9-yard net average, and dropped 23 punts inside the opponents' 20-yard line. Koenen also demonstrated great leg strength on kickoffs, with 14 touchbacks.
Still, in considering candidates to supplant Peterson -- a 12-year veteran the Falcons opted not to re-sign, even though his 92.0-percent field goal conversion rate was the NFL's fourth best in 2005 -- Koenen was viewed as a long shot. And why not? After all, Koenen had converted only 43 of 74 field goal tries, an anemic 58.1 percent success rate, in college. The leaguewide coversion rate in 2005 was 81.0 percent.
During the spring and summer, the Falcons signed five free-agent kickers: E.J. Cochrane, Zac Derr, Tony Yelk, Seth Marler and Carlos Martinez. The only one remaining from that group is Yelk, who handled some kickoff chores on Friday night and converted an extra point.
There is still a chance that the Falcons, who have maintained they want a younger kicker who will hold the position for the long-term, could sign a veteran place-kicker. But for now, the job might be Koenen's to lose. His field goals on Friday came from 40, 44, 45 and 50 yards and all cleared the bar with room to spare. No one has ever questioned Koenen's leg strength, but he seems to have dramatically enhanced his accuracy.
"If it happens, awesome," said Koenen, discovered by special teams coach Joe DeCamillis during a kicking camp last spring. "It's a lot to handle, and I'd really have to take care of myself, but I'm up for it."
