Perhaps the third will be the charm for the Atlanta Falcons, but they’re going overseas to find out.
The Falcons (3-5) reportedly agreed to a contract with Zane Gonzalez, who worked out for the team on Tuesday as Atlanta prepares to depart for its International Series game in Berlin against the Indianapolis Colts (7-2).
The Falcons have lost three consecutive games and collectively Atlanta kickers are 13 of 17 on field-goal attempts.
Distance is the most commonly referenced shortcoming for Gonzalez. From 40-49 yards, he is 33-of-46 and from 50-plus he has 11 field goals and eight missed attempts.
But his career long of 57 yards came on Halloween 2021 at Atlanta while kicking for the Carolina Panthers.
Misses have been a part of the story for Gonzalez, who was 38th in the NFL with a FG percentage of 71.4 in six games with the Washington Commanders last season. In 69 career games, Gonzalez hit 96 of 120 (80%) field goals. He has converted 146 of 153 PATs since being selected by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round of the 2017 draft. He did not appear in an NFL game in 2022 or 2023.
Gonzalez made his only attempt and all three extra points in Washington’s Dec. 29 overtime win against the Falcons last season.
The signing came after the Falcons placed kicker Parker Romo on waivers.
With a chance to tie the score at 24 against the New England Patriots with 4:40 left in Sunday’s game, Romo missed the extra point and Atlanta lost the game by that margin.
“At the end of the day, you’ve got to make that kick and give yourself a chance,” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said Monday. “That’s the game. … We’ve got to get it fixed and it has to be fixed now.”
Kicking woes have plagued the Falcons since their season-opening loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, when Younghoe Koo missed a game-tying 44-yarder. Atlanta lost the game 23-20.
–Field Level Media
