Live from Tampa: Former punter says Falcons weren’t fun
Michael Koenen as a Falcon, here kicking a Georgia peach. (AJC photo by Curtis Compton)
Tampa — Michael Koenen used to punt for the Falcons. Now he works for Tampa Bay. Anwar Richardson of the Tampa Tribune asked Koenen to compare and contrast cities. In shocking revelations, Koenen declared that he prefers Florida oranges to Georgia peaches and that Atlanta has worse traffic.
Asked about Mike Smith, who coaches the Falcons, and Raheem Morris, who coaches the Buccaneers, Koenen said: “The atmosphere is way different … Up there, it’s a lot tighter. There is a little more nervous energy, but here it’s light-hearted and just fun energy.”
Wow. Who knew the coach who bears a passing resemblance to the comic/actor/author/musician Steve Martin wouldn’t be a wild and crazy guy?
Then again, Koenen can afford to crow — a bit. By way of a different comparison, he seems the greatest punter in 21st Century Falcons annals. Koenen left as a free agent and was lavished with a $19.5 million contract by the Bucs. Through two games, Koenen is seventh among NFL booters in yards per punt and third in net punting.
The Falcons, meanwhile, have deployed Matt Bosher, who enlivened last week’s festivities by punting out of bounds on his own 20.20-yard-line. (The Eagles would score to take a 10-point lead.) Bosher’s numbers: Next-to-last in yards per punt, 26th in net punting.
And now you’re asking: Do I, keen analyst, believe this game will be decided by punting, net or otherwise? No. I like the Falcons to win for a rather basic reason: They’re the better team. That said …
It has been raining for the past hour and the field is so wet nobody has ventured out to warm up. (Not even the punters.) This could be one of those slick-ball turnover-rich extravaganzas, which means: Don’t even bother trying to handicap it.
So I won’t. I’ll turn it over to you instead. I’ll be here all game, and I welcome your input. (Oh, and here’s an actual bit of pregame news: Falcons linebacker Stephen Nicholas is inactive; Mike Peterson starts in his place.) Join me, won’t you? See which punter walks off with bragging rights!
By Mark Bradley
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1,825 comments Add your comment
Droppy White
September 25th, 2011
8:49 pm
I’m Baaaccckkk !
ww
September 25th, 2011
8:50 pm
Koenen tackles well in the open field as well. It is funny how both teams struggled today, playing in a wet environment. This problem happens a lot in other sports, when teams go to Florida…everything is wet.
Tony in Johns Creek
September 25th, 2011
8:50 pm
Freddie, I’m watching a Bucs team who’s only claim to fame on offense is a SCREEN PASS to a FULLBACK. WHICH we still don’t know how to defend. They have NO WR and an INACCURATE QB. WE had no pressure on that dingbat. Great, we held a below average offense to what on the ground? They OUTPHYSICALED us b/n the tackles when we knew there was no playmakers on the outside to give us a threat. very poor gameplanning and no pressure on a very average PRO QB.
@ tonyin johns creek
What game was you watching.?The Falcons Defense held the Yucs scoreless in the second half. The Defense played a solid game. Clearly, you haven’t grasped the game of football.
Are you one of those miserable transplant that is off and on the Falcons bandwagon from week to week?
ls1z28chris
September 25th, 2011
8:51 pm
@Greg Mendel
Your entire argument is silly. “Without their star quarterback, your team would have lost.” Great observation. Really. No one has ever previously considered that without top talent at the most important offensive position in football, a team might lose. How did you come up with that brilliance?
You know what, without Matt Ryan the Bucs would have cleaned the Falcons’ clocks. Wait…
The only reason I talk trash about the Falcons right now is because that the nonsense everyone had to go through last year. At week five every Falcons fan on the planet was ready to declare the Falcons Super Bowl champions. Even after the Saints went into Ryan’s house and embarrassed his team, the hype continued. It started before the season even started with Blank paying Sevendust and Samuel L. Jackson for hype songs and slogans. Then players like White started buying into the hype so hard that he spouted off his ignorant mouth about New Orleans. It all smacks of desperation.
I’ll make you a deal. When the Falcons stop paying for buzz and hype, when they let their play on the field do the talking, when their fans do not abandon their team with over a quarter of playoff football remaining, then I’ll stop talking trash about them.
FALCONS BRETT FAVRE STILL CAN PLAY
September 25th, 2011
8:52 pm
WHAT HAPPEN TO ICE?
Tree rollins
September 25th, 2011
8:53 pm
Somebody PLEASE tell Arthur Blank to get off the sideline during the game – what a pompous jerk! It’s the last thing the team needs while they are trying to rally back….
Moorman
September 25th, 2011
8:53 pm
Mavon man, tne eagles were up by 10 points when vick got hurt……..lol
Falconfan 24-7
September 25th, 2011
8:54 pm
@ RB
The Browns has been the worst team in the NFL the last five years. Where is Art Modell when you need him?
Moorman
September 25th, 2011
8:54 pm
Maconman, the eagles were up 10 points when vick got hurt. Thats a fact…..lol
Doyle H argraves
September 25th, 2011
8:55 pm
No running offense + bad running defense = ROAD LOSS
Kudos for DeCoud and Moore getting those INT’s, otherwise could have been 30-13 easy or worse. I am not impressed.
boots
September 25th, 2011
8:55 pm
The only thing that sucks worse than our punter is our O-line. We had the ball 1st and goal on the 5 and could not score a TD. Not good.
FALCONS BRETT FAVRE STILL CAN PLAY
September 25th, 2011
8:58 pm
FALCONS GO GET BRETT FAVRE AND BRING HIM BACK TO ATL?
Tree rollins
September 25th, 2011
8:58 pm
Falcons defense played well enough to win. Offense has totally lost the ability to run with any consistency. Turner looks fat, slow and old. O-line play has regressed since last year.
Falconfan 24-7
September 25th, 2011
8:59 pm
@ Tony
I totally agree with that assessment.
Any NFL team can beat any NFL team on any given Sunday. That’s why they play the game.
Peter King from Sports Illustrated crowned us Super Bowl Champions before we played a down of football. Thanks for the jinx, Sports Illustrated.
Why
September 25th, 2011
8:59 pm
Why does Arthur “Slim Whitman” Blanks stand on the sidelines like he’s a coach? Take your Slim Whitman looking butt and get up in the booth and sit like most of the other owners do.
Tree rollins
September 25th, 2011
8:59 pm
Our punter is a better tackler than he is a punter!
FALCONS BRETT FAVRE STILL CAN PLAY
September 25th, 2011
9:00 pm
MIKE SMITH=MARK RICHT
Tree rollins
September 25th, 2011
9:01 pm
Arthur needs to get off the field – I thought he had stopped that business after the Mora days.
Figure the Odds
September 25th, 2011
9:02 pm
All, when the smoke clears in February. There will only be one Super Bowl Champion.
In the NFL ,that equates to 31 losers and one winner. Go figure.
militant marker
September 25th, 2011
9:03 pm
Ryans arm is weak, it took everything he had to under throw Julio with a pass that should have been an in stride TD. Our O Line has to get better to help him, but some of the onus is on Ryan, last week people were talking about him calling plays and it making a difference, but when he has a stagnant game they wanna blame MM, go figure. The Seattle game is not a gimme and we have to win that one, because Green Bay is going to smoke us at home.
DawgNole
September 25th, 2011
9:04 pm
Bigdave, if you count the total number of championship-less seasons played by each city’s pro teams–five teams in Atlanta’s history–San Diego cannot match it. Yes, Atlanta has one championship, but with more teams than San Diego (as your link points out), it has had many more opportunities to produce a championship than San Diego.
PMC
September 25th, 2011
9:05 pm
This team, who can’t score and can’t grab more than 3 yards per down decided PUNTING wasn’t important.
REALLY? Have you seen Mike Mularky’s offense???
militant marker
September 25th, 2011
9:05 pm
I can’t believe people blaming the D, our “high powered offense” lost this one.
Why
September 25th, 2011
9:06 pm
Tree Rollins… I’m with you , Arthur “Slim Whitman” Blanks needs to get his butt off the sidelines.
dre
September 25th, 2011
9:07 pm
The state of Florida has had a good week: Gators, Bulls, Bucs and Cain won
FALCONS BRETT FAVRE STILL CAN PLAY
September 25th, 2011
9:07 pm
NAWL ARTHUR BLANK LOOK LIKE THE SKINNY GODFATHER
Ivan
September 25th, 2011
9:15 pm
“I can’t believe people blaming the D, our “high powered offense” lost this one.”
Pretty much sums the game up right there. And it starts at the line. Changes have to be made at the line before it’s too late. But that’s just my Captain Obvious remark for the day.
I’ll go ahead and be the odd ball here, but I don’t see how the “coaching” and “play calling” is a problem. This coaching staff is probably the best the Falcons have had. Mike Smith, VanGorder, and Mularkey, can’t go out on the field and catch the ball for White, block for Ryan, bring in the easy Int, and line up on the D line to not jump off sides.
They’re putting this team in the position to make plays and win the game. The players aren’t making them.
Arthur Blank
September 25th, 2011
9:16 pm
I own the Falcons! I can visit my players at will.
Let’s build something together.
Mr Charlie
September 25th, 2011
9:18 pm
Agreed Ivan….As bad as we executed, we had a 1st and goal at the 5 with a chance to take the lead late in the game. Were gonna be fine. I have confidence that they will get it fixed….Just glad I am not a Philly fan, looks like their 100 mil QB is done. He looked like Homer Simpson wondering around the sideline.
Little Jimmy
September 25th, 2011
9:18 pm
Hey Matty Ice… can you possibly put any more air under the ball?!?! If you can’t throw it 40 yards, stick with 20.
Mr Charlie
September 25th, 2011
9:19 pm
In all of my days watching the NFL, I have never seen a bigger quitter than MV7. At least J Harrington could finish a game. Did you see Vick on the sideline? He looked like he was 70 years old, his entire body hurt.
Mr Charlie
September 25th, 2011
9:21 pm
If Ice had the arm of Vick, we would have 2 superbowls. He does lack physical talent, but he more than makes up for it with his intelligence. I think we all can agree on that.
Mr Charlie
September 25th, 2011
9:22 pm
If VIck had the Brains on Ice, he would have reached the expectations that everyone had for him….Unfortunately, he came from a culture that breeds and embraces stupidity. What a shame.
TRUTH HURTS
September 25th, 2011
9:22 pm
If Mike Vick doesn’t get hurt, the falcons would be 0-3 right now. I don’t know what it is, but the falcons have taken a step back. I know every team has responded differently from the post lockout, but they have to get it together. We have the talent, we have a good enough game plan half the time; the problem has been “NO HEART.” I was hoping we’d got over t last year the not getting up for games on the road. WTF!!
Peerless Price
September 25th, 2011
9:23 pm
Told yall u suck, and i still dont like yall……..
Mr Charlie
September 25th, 2011
9:24 pm
Ifs and Buts don’t get you far in the NFL. The truth is, ICE 1, Vick 0. Yea, I know it hurts.
Loserville USA
September 25th, 2011
9:24 pm
We lost the game at the line of scrimmage today. Horrible O-line play. In fact it’s been horrible since last January.
Run the damn ball. That’s who we are!
Mr Charlie
September 25th, 2011
9:25 pm
I love it…No truth statement starts with the word “if”.
Mr Charlie
September 25th, 2011
9:25 pm
I love it…No truth statement starts with the word “if”.
Artie Blank
September 25th, 2011
9:27 pm
Looks like a fool on the sidelines….Jerry Jones copycat….year 46 of not winning a SB….must be tough….LMAO….who dat……
Mr Charlie
September 25th, 2011
9:27 pm
The “Truth” is, Vick did not finish the Falcon game, he quit….I noticed he did not finish again today….THAT is the effin truth, not ifs or buts.
Mr Charlie
September 25th, 2011
9:29 pm
The truth is, IF Vick did not get knocked out of the game, he turns it over 2-3 more times…We win by 20.
Macon Falcons fan
September 25th, 2011
9:39 pm
A”Mavon man, tne eagles were up by 10 points when vick got hurt……..lol”
So Vick plays defense, too.?
MB
September 25th, 2011
9:40 pm
CUT THE VICK TALK, VICK DID NOT PLAY DEFENSE WHEN WE WON. THE FALCONS MUST HAVE URGENCY ALL 4 QUARTERS. FIRE MULARKEY. THEY USE JULIO ONLY AT THE END OF THE FOURTH WHEN THE BOSS, (BLANK) IS ON THE FIELD. WOW!!! WHY WAIT TILL THE END OF THE DAM GAME MAN???
Macon Falcons fan
September 25th, 2011
9:41 pm
“If Mike Vick doesn’t get hurt, the falcons would be 0-3 right now.”
Bullsh*t. The Eagles have no clue on defense as demonstrated against NYG.
Jordan
September 25th, 2011
9:42 pm
http://isportsweb.com/2011/09/25/bucs-beat-birds-16-13/
Dr M
September 25th, 2011
9:46 pm
What??? IF VICK DID WHAT??? IF?? WTF?? VICK DOES NOT PLAY DEFENSE GUYS. AND WHY DO THE FALCONS WAIT TILL THE END TO GO DEEP TO JONES????
Mystikal
September 25th, 2011
9:47 pm
NOT giving up on team yet. We are not as bad as game against Chicago and not as good as last year’s record (just really overachieved). Our team is not in sync. The o-line looks totally thrown together. Pass protection was always an issue, now we seemingly can’t run block either. The secondary has been an issue going back to last season and still is. The d-line can’t get any real pass rush and with the defense as a whole if one side is getting it done the other is breaking down. After looking at the schedule I have us going 10-6 this year. If that gets us into the playoffs….
Pete
September 25th, 2011
9:50 pm
The myth of the goody-two-shoes, vanilla, great team chemistry is missing one important ingredient.
WINNING FOOTBALL GAMES.
I think they will go down in history as being the most “over prepared” NFL team without knowing how to win.
Pure Vanilla.
Yawn.
Pete
September 25th, 2011
9:52 pm
I can’t wait for Ryan’s boring, predictable comments in his post game interview.
Same ole, same ole.