Koenen triples his work load
Michael Koenen of the Atlanta Falcons is hoping to pull off a triple play that hasn’t been done in the NFL since 1981: one guy handling the field goals, punts and kickoffs.
The Falcons are trying to determine if they want to go down this path, but Koenen made a compelling argument last week when he kicked four field goals in the first preseason game. There wasn’t a chip shot in the bunch – they ranged from 40 to 50 yards – and the last one sailed through the uprights on the final play of the game, giving Atlanta a 26-23 victory over the New England Patriots.
“If someone says you can’t do something, then you want to do it,” Koenen said. “You want to have a challenge.”
Koenen’s quest is hardly the norm in the increasingly specialized NFL. One must go back 25 seasons to find a player who handled all three jobs on a regular basis: Frank Corral of the Los Angeles Rams, who had 89 punts, kicked off 70 times and attempted 26 field goals.
Since then, no team has called on one kicker to do triple duty except on an emergency basis or other unusual circumstances.
Deputies arrest Eaton’s wife
The wife of former NFL defensive tackle Chad Eaton has been arrested for investigation of domestic violence after punching him in the face, causing a bloody nose, King County sheriff’s deputies said.
Tina Eaton, 5-foot-4 and 130 pounds, was arrested Sunday for investigation of fourth-degree assault after she told deputies she hit her 6-foot-5, 300-pound husband because she thought he had been unfaithful with another woman, sheriff’s Sgt. John W. Urquhart said.
Eaton, 34, a Puyallup, Wash., native, played for Washington State University and spent nine seasons in the NFL.
Owens makes it to field
Terrell Owens ditched the bike and got back onto the field for Dallas.
He did keep them waiting, though.
Owens, who missed 14 straight practices because of a hamstring problem, was the last player on the field in Oxnard, Calif. He did ride the stationary bicycle on the sideline, where he’s spent the last two weeks, but this time just for a quick warmup before the only practice of the day – his first since Aug. 2.
Around the league
Arizona plans to play quarterback Matt Leinart at least a quarter Saturday against New England, following starter Kurt Warner onto the field. … Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger left practice early with an injury to the thumb on his throwing hand. … Denver running back Ron Dayne, who injured his toe in the preseason opener against Detroit, struggled to climb steps and said he doesn’t expect to play Saturday against Tennessee.