Ex-Ravens Hauschka signed to kick for Falcons
Falcons defensive end # 71 Kroy Biermann got a chance to perform kickoffs with injuries to the Falcons normal specialists. Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com
UPDATE
Kicker Steve Hauschka, who was released earlier this season by Baltimore, was signed by the Falcons on Tuesday.
Also, starting right guard Harvey Dahl (ankle) and left cornerback Chris Houston (hamstring) were placed on injured reserve.
Linebacker Robert James, was elevated to the roster from the practice squad.
Kicker Matt Bryant suffered a hamstring injury against the Bills on Sunday and experienced a death in his family. He remains on the active roster.
Hauschka played in 17 games for the Ravens and converted 10 or 15 field goals and 27 of 28 extra points.
He was cut by the Ravens after nine games this season and four missed field goals.
Bryant pulled his hamstring in the third quarter on Sunday while punting for Michael Koenen, who’d suffered a concussion making a tackle earlier in the game.
THE BRANCH – The Falcons could be further depleted for the all important season finale in Tampa Bay.
Tight end Tony Gonzalez (calf), kicker Matt Bryant (hamstring), punter Michael Koenen (concussion) and left tackle Sam Baker (hamstring) suffered bad injuries against the Bills.
Gonzalez, Koenen and Baker did not return to action.
Bryant did come back to kick an extra point, but clearly couldn’t fully swing his leg. The Falcons likely will have to find a new kicker to close out the season.
Bryant was signed after a kick-off with Paul Edinger. The Falcons also worked out Brandon Coutu, Steve Hauschka, Sam Swank and Shane Andrus in November.
Also, former Cowboys kicker Nick Folk is now available. He was cut last week after missing 7 of his last 11 field goal attempts. Hauschka and Andrus worked out for the Cowboys along with Connor Hughes and Parker Douglass. Shaun Suisham won the Cowboys kick-off.
Now what if the Falcons get into a close game with the Buccaneers and breaking the back-to-back winning streak comes down to a kick?
FALCONS ON TRACK: Linebacker Michael Peterson believes the Falcons are on track to get the winning season.
“The thing is that we have to go out and finish up 9-7,” Peterson said. “I’m sure that the fans, the organization and the city will be really proud.”
SHUT OUT SLIPPED AWAY: The Falcons were hoping to shut out the Buffalo Bills. Rian Lindell’s field goal with 1:58 left in the third quarter were the only points the defense yielded.
After suffering a calf injury in the 1st half, Falcons tight end # 88 Tony Gonzalez is forced to watch the game from the sidelines. Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com
The Falcons last shut out was against Oakland, 24-0, last season on Nov. 2, 2008.
“I’ll take the three, but we still didn’t let them in the endzone,” Peterson said.
BROHM WAS FUNCTIONAL: Buffalo quarterback Brian Brohm was in a tough spot and didn’t get much help from the Bills running game.
“We kind of treated it like we were getting ready for a rookie quarterback,” safety Thomas DeCoud said. “We just had to go off their scheme and think of how they were going to try to simplify it for a guy who hasn’t taken many snaps.”
It was Brohm’s NFL debut. He was signed off Green Bay’s practice squad on Nov. 19.
“He handled the game for it being his first start,” DeCoud said. “They tried to take it out of his hands with the run game.”
3-1 vs. the AFC EAST: The victory over the Bills gave the Falcons a 3-1 record against the AFC East. They also defeated Miami and the New York Jets while they lost to New England.
OWENS ELATED: Cornerback Christopher Owens got his first career interception against Buffalo.
“It was a little bit overthrown and I made a play on the ball,” Owens said. “I got the first one in the record books. It feels good, really good.”
EXPERIENCE HOLDER: Quarterback Matt Ryan was a holder in college, so he was fine with taking over those duties against the Bills when Michael Koenen went down.
“We’re all football players here and sometimes you have to step into some different roles and do some different things,” Ryan said.
Backup quarterback Chris Redman was set to punt, but his services were not needed.
“We did miss that treat,” Ryan said. “Red would have done a great job. He was telling me on the side line that he was the backup punter in high school.”
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150 comments Add your comment
Peep in the Deep
December 29th, 2009
7:23 pm
The Falcons should have picked up Morten Andersen on a one game contract then paid him cash at the end of the game.
Timbo
December 29th, 2009
7:59 pm
No Falcons even sniffed the Pro Bowl. But at least they MIGHT have meaningless back to back winning seasons . . .
JSS
December 29th, 2009
8:02 pm
Even though most are just joking about Andersen, please let the man get his three more years of HOF retired time in so he can rightfully go into the Hall… Maybe if you’re lucky he’ll have a brain seizure and decide to go in as a Falcon… Nah, it is the Falcouns!!! LOL
what....
December 29th, 2009
8:23 pm
Timbo are you as guy as your name. A winning season is not meaningless you moron.
truth
December 29th, 2009
8:25 pm
Timbo any fan who would say a winning season is meaningless is not a fan. You too my friend can leave the building.
cdog
December 29th, 2009
8:39 pm
truth, you already know the answer to that.this age has steriotype a quarterback to be like a drop back passer like the elways, the montanas, the peyton manning etc. vick brought other demensions to the position but because he was black and was unique, a lot of white critics put him down BECAUSE OF JEALOUSY AND ENVY.UNLIKE MATT RYAN, WHO QUIT ON THE TEAM THIS YEAR, he led the falcons to the nfc championship game but that didn’t count because he is black.had a white quarterback been able to do the things he could, the white qb would have been label as the best ever.look at steve young who was surrounded by talent unlike vick. he was an example of this. he was not a typical qb like the elways and others i mentioned but how many times was he criticized like vick? none. he won because he had talent around him. vick won games because vick was talented but because he was black and spoke out, the white media put him down but look what happened, he is going to the playoffs and the falcons are not.regardless of mcnabb or anyone else.thats the way the LORD FIXED IT FOR HIM BECAUSE HE WAS UNJUSTLY DONE BECAUSE OF DUMB ANIMALS AND WHITES BEING JEALOUS OF HIM.SAY WHAT YOU WANT ABOUT HIM, HE HAS PROVEN HIMSELF. HE IS TALENTED AND NO ONE CAN TAKE THAT AWAY FROM HIM.
Sports Geek
December 29th, 2009
8:41 pm
Did the NFL have the best year of the three major sports?
http://thesportsdebates.com/2009/12/28/the-best-league-of-2009-debate-%E2%80%93-the-nfl-wins-in-all-aspects/
truth
December 29th, 2009
9:06 pm
cdog….cdog…….cdog……wake up and come back to reality. If he was sooooo talented why didn’t he do more in Atlanta? And as a black man myself I wish some of you so called brothas would man up and stop blaming the white man for you own created problems. Be a damn man and take responsbility for yourselves. STOP REACHING OUT FOR A DAMN HAND OUT!!!!!!
Squid
December 29th, 2009
9:08 pm
Hmmm… No More UGA players? I wasn’t aware that all Georgia players are busts.
I guess I was blinded by Hines Ward, Champ Bailey, John Kasay, Knowshon Moreno, Matthew Stafford, Dannell Ellerbe, Tim Jennings, Sean Jones, Mohamed Massaquoi, Ben Watson…
Dang Lost my Point…
Oh Yeah, Coutu… Brandon Coutu was an amazing kicker as a dawg, and I can’t imagine him losing a step. He can kick it 60 yards, (his in-game career long is 58), he never missed a PAT in his UGA Career, and hit over 80% of his Field Goals.
Don’t Hate on the Dawgs.
(Squid)
what
December 29th, 2009
9:11 pm
cdog…..heard all that before. No white man or black man for that matter caused Vick to do what he did. Gasp…..are you mad that the Falcons may have their first back to back winning seasons for the first time and Vick can’t take the credit. As I recall he himself said he gave up on the team. Wow a white QB may led us to our first back to back winning season. As it realiy matters who does as long as we do.
Chuck Town
December 29th, 2009
9:30 pm
Truth, I would just like to say You are the Man with that last comment.
cdog
December 29th, 2009
9:33 pm
truth, i really don’t believe you but if you are BLACK, you have been brained washed by the white media yourself.who said anything about a handout.where did that come from with you?you are not black but if so, you should not be blinded by the hate that was given unjustly to vick.he made a mistake but he was not the first human being to make a mistake.you have done things only you and GOD know about so stop talking yang talk about things you know nothing about.noone is hating on the falcons for anything other than things they did to lose games they could have won.vick never came up until you and some idiot called planb brought up his name.what, regardless of what you have heard before, the fact of the matter is, the whole thing with vick was taken to the next level because of racists haters who is jealous of vick’s talents and demeaner BECAUSE HE IS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN. if a white qb like tom brady had been arrested for so-called animal cruelty, he would not have served or gone through what vick did. alpo would probably had brady doing a dog commercial and laughed the whole thing off.but this was a black man so that was the white media’s chance to get him but look what GOD DID, HE GAVE HIM BACK HIS WELLBEING AND THEN HE WAS RECOGNIZED FOR HIS COURAGE DESPITE HATEFUL MEN LIKE YOURSELVES.GOD BLESSES HIS CHILDREN, VICK IS DEFINITELY GOD’S CHILD. WHAT, I BET YOU HAVE DONE PLENTY ABOMINABLE THINGS BUT NO ONE KNOWS IT BUT GOD SO STOP JUDGING ANOTHER MAN. YOU DON’T HAVE ANY POWER TO JUDGE ANYONE
Chuck Town
December 29th, 2009
10:00 pm
cdog the problem with what you are saying is THERE IS NOT A WHITE QB DUMB ENOUGH TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.I not saying White player do stupid stuff I am sure they do, but you name me the last player who picks his boy up from the airport and drives to the hood to by dope, or kills his pregnant girl friend and stuffs her into a trunk or stand with his homies while they kill someone on a corner. Is out getting a BJ the nite before a Superbowl oops or has killed his girl friends dog.I know the difference from right and wrong so I can judge anyone who doesn’t follow the law.Generations of thugs and don’t drop the race card that is a cop out.and African American BS Black American.Who was born in Africa and moved to America.
BT
December 29th, 2009
10:16 pm
The reason Vickies don`t go blogging on an Eagles blog is, Eagles fans would see right through them and chew them to bits, for being just fans of a player and not of that team.
I am sure true Eagles fans would have absoutley no respect for any of that.
ElderFJC
December 29th, 2009
10:18 pm
Praise the Lord,
Bro James is geting his chance. Go Rob, “Do the Thang”.
A Robert James fan
FJC
truth
December 29th, 2009
10:21 pm
cdog I do understand people of all color make mistakes. However, I also believe after that mistake is forgiven their is still consequences to that mistake. Should he be able to play…….sure. Is he the best thing to ever happen to the NFL………HELL NO!!! It was not fun watching our receivers not knowing what to do because Vick was running around like a chicken with his head cut off. The passing game in Atlanta didn’t improve just because we drafted Matt it’s because the receivers knew that the QB was gonna be just that a QB. Is it wrong for a QB to run no. Is it a problem if that’s all the QB can really do…….YES! Once the one trick pony was discovered it was lights out. He should have taken some lessons from Cunningham, McNair, Mcnabb and Moon. They knew how to use their running skill as another weapon not the only weapon. They knew when to pass first and then if all falls run. You could tell alot of times when Vick came from behind center he had run on the mind.
truth
December 29th, 2009
10:24 pm
cdog for the record I’m not judging anyone. To judge someone without knowing the truth that is the sin. With Vick we know all the truth we need to know……….you shall know them by the fruit they bare. And Vick is baring alot. STOP THE PREACHING IT AINT WORKING!
BT
December 29th, 2009
10:24 pm
FJC, I am not sure James will get too much of a chance this season, it would be nice to the (the beast) play but I think it was a move to secure him for next season and not have him hijacked off the practice squad.
Falcons are buzzards
December 29th, 2009
10:26 pm
No Falcons in the pro bowl.I guess you have to be a pro to play in that bowl.
BT
December 29th, 2009
10:30 pm
We have a winner..the stupidest post of the day…above
Pro bowl is a popularity contest and it`s almost as bad as baseball with it`s failure to represent who actually did what.
truth
December 29th, 2009
10:32 pm
You can leave too BUZZ. The probowl is all you Vick fans can hang on your hat. LOL!!!!! That’s really sad. Vick aint worth two plug nickels as a QB but he sure did make the probowl. BWAA HA HA! Ya’ll crackig me up tonight keep’m coming Vick fans. This kind of stuff makes me sleep better at night.
truth
December 29th, 2009
10:41 pm
Thank you Chuck.
hiramsaint
December 29th, 2009
10:42 pm
a new kicker and another QUALITY move by the galactically stupid smitty squad. BT… so who actually did what on the falcons team? thats what i thought and it all starts with coaching. so many real coaches out there and y’all have smitty and actually think you have something.
Falcons are buzzards
December 29th, 2009
10:49 pm
BT—The falcons must not be very popular are they since the fans do the voteing.And if they go by who actually did what maybe thats why no falcons were selected.Get a clue dummy it not like were going to the superbowl or even the playoffs.That should tell you a lot about this team and how they played. nobody played good enough to make the pro bowl.
BT
December 29th, 2009
10:49 pm
hiram,
Gonzo over Witten any day.
They had similar number of catches and yards ect but Gonzo had 6 TD`s to Wittens 1.
Curtis Lofton is a tackling machine at MLB with 128, that`s 2nd in the league.
Those 2 Falcons were deserving.
BT
December 29th, 2009
10:50 pm
Buzz Gonsalaz actually led in fan ballots, now you go get the clue, moron.
hiramsaint
December 29th, 2009
10:52 pm
not deserving enough apparently!
Falcons are buzzards
December 29th, 2009
10:54 pm
BT–did they make the pro bowl. idiot
hiramsaint
December 29th, 2009
11:00 pm
vernon davis sends his best to gonzo…enjoy the playoffs and oh yeah… maybe next year
cdog
December 29th, 2009
11:00 pm
chuck town, you are just plain hateful, racist and ignorant. you’re just what i’m talking about, white sterotypes who are mindless and should keep your mouth close just like your mind. i guess with your ignorant,mindless way of thinking, all black do these things and whites don’t do these? its just what i’m saying about judging wrongfully.whites do evil things also whether you believe it or not.just look at the shape of our world.thats why jesus will be coming back to deal with the evil in the world today. no race is beyond sin.you can’t say all african americans do these things.all races sin.truth, you should have been a defensive coordinator against vick.you can tell things most d.c in the nfc couldn’t. well any time you hate someone like you do vick, you’re not going to see good in them because the devil has decieved you to hate. i feel sorry for you.you can still repent as a person to jesus. if vick was not worth a nickel as a qb, why was he the first player picked in the draft? why did he make the pro bowl? why did he lead the falcons to the nfc championship game? you don’t do this by luck or accident of course you wouldn’t know nothing about that you see..are you truth, perfect and withiout sin ever in your life? answer, easily no. so leave vick alone.vick if he was not a good qb, why is he on an nfl team and you are not or never was?
cdog
December 29th, 2009
11:10 pm
WOW,IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT A TERRIBLE QB ON A NFL ROSTER ITS CHRIS REDMAN.ONLY WILL THE FALCONS CARRY HIM.
Goldenglove002
December 29th, 2009
11:11 pm
How does Gonzalez not go to the Pro bowl? Thats just embarressing for the NFL that someone of his caliber who has a great season doesn’t make this game. I guess it’s just like the All-Star game in baseball, never really the BEST players.
And it seems like Lofton is really underrated/unknown around the country. He almost won Defensive rookie of the year last year and no one seemed to care. Probably Matt Ryans fault for being the same draft class and being who he is. Conclusion: Matt Ryan owes Curtis a trip to Miami
8hr Cialis
December 29th, 2009
11:33 pm
What?!! Gonzalez or Lofton didn’t make it to the pro bowl?
Falcons are Pros
December 29th, 2009
11:42 pm
Enter your comments here
Ken Strickland
December 30th, 2009
1:51 am
CDOG & CHUCKTOWN-Both of you are perfect examples of the POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK.
And CDOG, how many times does someone have to tell dumbass individuals like you that;
(1)no White person made the decision for MVick to get involved in illegal dogfighting. IT WAS HIS DECISION YOU DUMBASS!
(2)it wasn’t a White person that got caught dealing the drugs that led to the discovery of the illegal dogfighting. IT WAS HIS BLACK COUSIN YOU DUMBASS!
(3)it wasn’t a White person that revealed MVicks involvement in the illegal dogfighting enterprise. IT WAS HIS BLACK COUSIN YOU DUMBASS!
(4)it wasn’t a White person that testified against Vick and provided the evidence to both state and federal prosecutors which led to his convection. THEY WERE ALL BLACK RELATIVES AND PERSONAL FRIENDS THAT WERE INVOLVED IN THE ILLEGAL DOGFIGHTING ENTERPRISE WITH HIM YOU DUMBASS!!!
If you think QB MRyan quit on the team, what in the hell do you call what MVick did when he got caught funding and participating in an illegal act? On top of that, he lied to everyone about his involvement, especially the 2 people that could have helped him the most, the commissioner and ABlank?
On the other side of the issue, I find it ironically self serving when the media and public vilify certain professional athletes as though they’ve committed mass murder, yet serial killers, rapist and bombers, mass murders, child molesters and internet predators are publically treated as if the crimes they’ve committed are misdomeanors.
There’s racism, ignorance and stupidity on both sides of the issue and track, so stop pointing fingers. Remember, ALL RACISTS AREN’T WHITE, AND ALL N!GGERS AREN’T BLACK.
truth
December 30th, 2009
8:21 am
AMAN!!!! CDOG!!!! AMAN!!!!! LOL!!
truth
December 30th, 2009
8:22 am
I NEVER SAID I HATED VICK AS A PERSON!!! AS A QB……………HATED IT!!
Dwayne
December 30th, 2009
8:25 am
Amen Ken!!
truth
December 30th, 2009
8:41 am
I’m with you Dwayne. My amen for cdog was pure sarcasm.
truth
December 30th, 2009
8:50 am
cdork…..please prove to me that defensive cords. didn’t figure vick out his last two years. PLEASE DO AND I’LL SHUT UP!!! Tampa showed the entire league how to defend Vick. It was simple, contain the edges and dare him to throw the ball. Now Vick could make you pay if you let him out on the edge. However, the next problem we had with Vick when he did get around the edge was hope the fumble phantom wouldn’t show up. Heck count how many times he fumble the ball WITHOUT A DEFENSIVE PLAYER EVEN CLOSE!!! Hit and miss greatness is Vick in a nutshell and that kind of player will never be a consistant winner(as far as a team is concerned)but we all know when Vick got his 130 million the words team and loyalty was not part of Vick’s vocabulary. His thug friends and thug life was now the most important thing.
truth
December 30th, 2009
8:55 am
Sure he can change and be a different person in Philly and that’s ok but for what he did to my team…..I will never forget that. Forgive him sure but I will never accept how he almost destroyed this team. Not to mention we had to consider the cap space his dumba** ate up the last two years. Thank goodness that hinderance will not be apoun the team this year when it comes to signing free agents. So to answer the question why did TD not get more free agents this year, just remember the Vickster hindered that. C YA!!!
PMC
December 30th, 2009
9:03 am
I like the Hauschka pickup even if it’s for one game. Yes he’s spray and pray sometimes but so was Prater.
Still, It would be cool to bring back the Great Dane…. we could have paid him in wine and cigars. That photoshop of him crossing the Delaware with Washington is still a classic.
Ivan
December 30th, 2009
9:26 am
Ahh Atlanta. The team is one game away from making Falcons history, and its city doesn’t show any apreciation for it. The Falcons have a Hall of Famer on its roster, who has set Team records for a Tight End in one year. Yet, the city cheered the other team the day he set the record. Oh, I could also mention this Quarterback they have…..
Blank, give the city of racists and idiots what they want and move the team where its Fans will enjoy.
truth
December 30th, 2009
9:42 am
100% agree Ivan. Alot of newbies showed up in 2001 and proved their loyalty to one player and now that that player is gone all they care to do for the Falcons is beat’m down for something their player did. I just don’t understand.
Timbo
December 30th, 2009
12:43 pm
what…. , yes, my name is very very guy . . .
Timbo
December 30th, 2009
12:45 pm
truth, what does back to back winning seasons get you? Not even a stale cracker . . .
DePlane
December 30th, 2009
10:24 pm
Blog ate my post!
what
December 31st, 2009
9:45 am
Sorry Timbo I didn’t mean to offened you. I meant to say are you as GAY as your name.
Falcons Fan
December 31st, 2009
7:37 pm
9-7! 9-7!!!! 9-7!!!!!!!
This year would be considered a success if we can pull out this last game. IF we had a decent kicker earlier in the year, we’d be fighting for a wild card birth… Oh well, 9 and 7! One more time now, 9 and 7!
MV#777
January 2nd, 2010
2:53 pm
WHAT GOES AROUND….
COMES AROUND……
LOL………..