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
Not looking good.
September 25th, 2011
4:48 pm
Offense better get going.
J.J.M.
September 25th, 2011
4:48 pm
falcons cant get “explosive” because their line cant block long enough and because ryan doesnt have the arm for it..
Buck Hayek
September 25th, 2011
4:48 pm
yeah – AtlNative – the field is shrinking for the offense when they were supposed to stretch it out.
Mr Charlie
September 25th, 2011
4:48 pm
We have not gone no huddle yet.
"Chef" Tim Dix
September 25th, 2011
4:48 pm
During that possesion Matty Ice called Ackerman for protection.
Rozeman13
September 25th, 2011
4:48 pm
till think BoBo is secretly calling our plays
Ken Myers
September 25th, 2011
4:49 pm
Typical stereotypical media view of punters and kickers being a dime a dozen.
Sid
September 25th, 2011
4:49 pm
the games in Tampa always seem like this……slow, sloppy. After last week, not critical of Ryan…the OLine has to do better.
Bonez
September 25th, 2011
4:49 pm
Presenting the Most unimaginative team in the NFL
Yoooooooooooooooouuuuuurrrrrr Atlanta Falcons
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
J.J.M.
September 25th, 2011
4:49 pm
falcons better pray for a run back
FalconFan
September 25th, 2011
4:50 pm
We look awful. Always doing something stupid to put ourselves in bad position. Looks just like the Bears game.
Thomas Dimitroff is a moron
September 25th, 2011
4:50 pm
Ryan isn’t mobile, doesn’t have strong arm.
But he’s accurate on dink and dunks. If we can’t run, he has trouble
And with this offensive line….
Gulp : EXPLOSIVE!
Mark Bradley
September 25th, 2011
4:50 pm
And now the Falcons foul on the kickoff. Drive starts at 8.
FalconFan
September 25th, 2011
4:51 pm
We’re just not a good team on grass. Whenever we play away and it’s on grass, we always look like this. Always.
J.J.M.
September 25th, 2011
4:52 pm
*yawns*
O'Brien
September 25th, 2011
4:52 pm
Mark,
Where are the explosive plays we heard about?
And what’s up with all these penalties? Last year, we were more disciplined.
Thomas Dimitroff is a moron
September 25th, 2011
4:52 pm
Sometimes Turner doesn’t follow his fullback
Really hurting us
Bonez
September 25th, 2011
4:52 pm
Another predictable play
Mr C
September 25th, 2011
4:52 pm
Another run on first down. I love the explosiveness!!!!
TGT
September 25th, 2011
4:52 pm
I thought the Bucs were terrible against the run?!
Mr Charlie
September 25th, 2011
4:52 pm
FalconFan, I agree. We just looks very slow on grass.
Mark Bradley
September 25th, 2011
4:53 pm
Good call. Run formation, throw to the only wideout on the field.
Mark Bradley
September 25th, 2011
4:53 pm
The first quarter ends. And what a quarter it was not.
Mr Charlie
September 25th, 2011
4:53 pm
OK. All you “Ryan has no arm” guys please explain that throw?
yo Vince
September 25th, 2011
4:53 pm
Our O line is scaring the crap out of me.
Thomas Dimitroff is a moron
September 25th, 2011
4:53 pm
On any other team, receiver would have been wide open, run for another 20 yards
Somehow for us, roddy’s tackled right away
Charles Dimry
September 25th, 2011
4:54 pm
Good point FalconFan.. However , the O-Line can’t block no matter what turf we play on this year..
J.J.M.
September 25th, 2011
4:54 pm
lol that wasnt a deep ball my mom can make that throw
AtlNative
September 25th, 2011
4:54 pm
@Mr. Charlie -
Ok I get it, we can be a dink and dunk, grind it out team. But, haven’t we been drafting and making front office decisions based on being an “explosive” offensive team?
It seems there are mixed messages within the organization….
and what I am starting to get scared of is that Ryan is the weak link in the chain. Granted – the O line is bad, really bad. But then why have we opted to go for skills position, high octane players?
And while I appreciate our 13-3 season, let’s not forget we get beat down (epic beat down if I recall set an NFL record) in the playoffs.
st richt
September 25th, 2011
4:55 pm
Most boring and unimaginative offense in football. Burner turner is like watching paint dry.
Dr. Warren
September 25th, 2011
4:55 pm
AJ Green is overshadowing Julio Jones. In fact, Jones seems merely a shadow so far.
Rozeman13
September 25th, 2011
4:55 pm
Mark,a strong arm was Stafford throwing 30 yard TD backing up ten yards while he throws it
Sid
September 25th, 2011
4:56 pm
Vick already whining…”I don’t know why I don’t get the 15 yard penalty like other QB’s do” and for all those fumbles too.
mountain_jim
September 25th, 2011
4:56 pm
No imagination. Spread the field!
Bonez
September 25th, 2011
4:56 pm
Ryan Defenders swear he has a strong arm lmao
Let them tell it he has an arm like Dan Marino
Thomas Dimitroff is a moron
September 25th, 2011
4:56 pm
In response to Mr Charlie,
Ball was on the 10. Roddy caught it on the 24.
14 yard pass— is that your definition of a long pass?!?
Of explosive?
Mark Bradley
September 25th, 2011
4:56 pm
No huddle!
ijonathan
September 25th, 2011
4:56 pm
J.J.M. — Ryan can throw the deep ball, and he can throw the quick slants, etc. He has an average NFL arm. The problem is, when the deep(er) ball needs to get there more on a line (as opposed to a high lob falling from the sky) or when the slant needs to be fired in there, he struggles.
J.J.M.
September 25th, 2011
4:56 pm
look at stafford numbers
st richt
September 25th, 2011
4:56 pm
Smittys rah rah act is getting old. No substance. Turner hits holes like my grandma.
Bonez
September 25th, 2011
4:56 pm
Another predictable play lol
mountain_jim
September 25th, 2011
4:56 pm
From Falcons forum: “Where are the crossing routes, spread formations, Creating mismatches..Its none of that. Everything is bunched formations, Simple stop routes..Its pretty insane “
Mark Bradley
September 25th, 2011
4:57 pm
Julio Jones to midfield. Bucs were confused by the no-huddle.
Fan of the Game
September 25th, 2011
4:57 pm
I can see why he was just a punter. I could care less what a punter in the NFL thinks. Now Ray Guy was another story. How about Chan Gailey? If you are from Ga. you have to be happy for him. Good guy and off to a great start. He and Dan Reaves have made Ga. proud of both of them.
ijonathan
September 25th, 2011
4:57 pm
Turner’s high YPC coming into this game (6.9?) a bit of a fraud…take out his two big runs and you are left with a guy who tip-toes his way to 2-3 yards most plays.
J.J.M.
September 25th, 2011
4:57 pm
ryan can throw a deep ball? Im ready to see it
ijonathan
September 25th, 2011
4:58 pm
J.J.M…dude…that ball in pre-season that Julio dropped in the end zone was a perfectly thrown 64 or so yards.
Thomas Dimitroff is a moron
September 25th, 2011
4:58 pm
Another short pass to Douglas
KakNiqueTree
September 25th, 2011
4:58 pm
“Keen Anaylst?” Modest as ever hahaha
mike prickta
September 25th, 2011
4:59 pm
da bills