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
dave
September 25th, 2011
10:07 pm
did somebody say m.jenkins dropped too many passes? hello roddy white…
dave
September 25th, 2011
10:16 pm
did somebody say m. jenkins drops too many passes? hello r. white
Mike
September 25th, 2011
10:19 pm
@ Mr. Charlie
While you’re attacking Vick, you should worry about your own QB and the team that was picked to play in the Super Bowl!
PLAYOFFS? PLAYOFFS? Are you kidding me?! PLAYOFFS?
Bradley Blows
September 25th, 2011
10:36 pm
Please leave town Bradley.
Bradley Blows
September 25th, 2011
10:40 pm
MB, do you like Oklahoma City?
Please move there.
Bradley Blows
September 25th, 2011
10:43 pm
How about Memphis? Or Louisville?
All crappy sports writers must leave town immediately. AJC will not have any reporters left, but who cares.
You are a jinx.
Bradley Blows
September 25th, 2011
10:45 pm
MB… Maybe you would prefer a ciy with better weather… How about Fresno? Please leave Atlanta… You suck.
Same old Falcons
September 25th, 2011
10:46 pm
This was another sloppy, gutless performance. Our coaching is abysmal…the draft picks are dismal…good Lord, I need some Pepto Bismol !
Bradley Blows
September 25th, 2011
10:48 pm
Bradley… You are a stain on the memory of Grantland Rice, Louis Grizzard, and Furman Bisher. Please resign and leave Atlanta.
Go jinx some other town with your awful predictions!
Bradley Blows
September 25th, 2011
10:58 pm
Here are a few reasons Mark Bradley sucks:
1) He hates college baseball.
His prediction in the 1991 World Series: “Braves in Six and Pitching is Why”
2) He is Mark Richt apologist.
3) He believes Booby Cox was right to bring in Charlie Leibrandt to close the 7th game of the 1991 World Series.
4) He always predicta the hometown team will win… and they never do.
5) He is friends with Jeff Schultz
6) He writes that tired Thanksgiving list about UGA and GT every year… it ceased being funny 7 years ago.
7) Lewis Grizzard thought he was a peckerwood.
Bradley Blows
September 25th, 2011
11:00 pm
AJC cut me off… The truth hurts!
Bradley Blows
September 25th, 2011
11:03 pm
MB… Your Thanksgiving list about UGA and GT stopped being funny 5 years ago. You stink!
Live from rainy Tampa: Former punter says Smitty isn't Mr. Fun … « Feeds « Local News Feeds
September 25th, 2011
11:30 pm
[...] read from original news source: Live from rainy Tampa: Former punter says Smitty isn't Mr. Fun … [...]
#7!
September 26th, 2011
12:24 am
With mike vick, Atl would be 3-0. Instead, the Atl gave millions to matt ryan and they are 1-2.
Michael M.
September 26th, 2011
7:55 am
they could have Tom Brady, Drew Breeze or Bret Farve out there man and they still be a bunch of losers! haaaaaaaaaaaa !
Michael M.
September 26th, 2011
7:55 am
Its the same song out of Coach Smith, only a different key ! I look for another loss next week against Seattle and then a lop-sided Home Loss against The Pac.
I am starting to be as bad as the Trolls !
I say Stop paying da Bums and ship em outta here ! This is just not acceptable !
Oh yeah, the stats look good on different individuals after this Tampa Loss but it is what it is ! ! !
Just another loss and one step closer to the foot in the grave with no chance of coming back to make a run at anything except the back door !
They lose 3 or 4 more games then a run to the playoffs is outta reach too ! A 10-6 might slip em in there as wildcard but I doubt it. I think my wife said it best because a female can and does see things different than us men do.
She said, well, they going to get paid regardless of whether they win another game or not and as long as they know that, its just like Joe Blow going to work everyday
Michael M.
September 26th, 2011
7:56 am
Blank needs to stay off the damn sideline ! He reminds me of that stupid Jerry Jones on the Cowboys !
cb6352
September 26th, 2011
9:11 am
your problem has always been when you play and pratice in a dome. when you come to a state like florida where it is muggy and hot you wilt like peaches in a blaring sun. also grass does not hep you either. by the way better team? some how the odds maker gave us a 1.5 point lead. i guess they thought the same thing. lol
George
September 26th, 2011
9:22 am
Mike Smith looks like Steve Martin? I want what you are smoking.
Time for a championship in ATL
September 26th, 2011
12:57 pm
Can we PLEASE check the waiver wires for a REAL PUNTER and O-Linemen?
Mr. Thomas Anthony Jones, SR
September 26th, 2011
3:39 pm
He is right Mike Smith can not coach. He should tell our player to quit trying to hurt the opposing players: Vick, Jackson, and Macklin and instead play with class. The object in Football is to win the game and not hurt the opposing players. Football is not Hockey! we demand a first class organization and not a bunch of muggers and henchman. As Chuck Noll was saying the other day we have a criminal element in the league and its starts here in Marthasville (i.e. Atlanta), Georgia. Good players do not try to hurt opposing players. What goes around has apparently come around as we do not even make the playoff in 2011. God does not like ugly. Goodell needs to starts to starts players who are trying to hurt other players and quit worrying about players going out on the town.
chris
September 26th, 2011
4:15 pm
Take it easy Koenen, your stats aren’t that great…
#1 NFC Seed
September 30th, 2011
10:11 am
You know times are rough when a punter can say something and it stings.
bobby
September 30th, 2011
5:26 pm
HE WAS’NT HAPPY HERE OR BITTER THAT THEY LET HIM GO.
REAL DAWG'S N FALCONS FAN
October 1st, 2011
4:50 pm
to heck with the punter,let’s see how much fun tampa has at the end of the year.atlanta has a role model the patriots,the buc’s not so much. the season is 16 games and i’m betting on my falcons .