The Atlanta Falcons have a long list of problems this season, starting with their 1-7 record. But one issue has stood out more than others in recent days: instability on special teams. The Falcons released fan-favorite kicker Matt Bryant after his performance flat-lined, bottoming out with two long misses in a close loss to the Seattle Seahawks. They also lost longtime punter Matt Bosher to injured reserve.
To that end, the Falcons signed former New England Patriots punter Ryan Allen as the next option to replace Bosher, just a week before their kickoff inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Dangerous New Orleans Saints rookie returns specialist Deonte Harris will be in position to take advantage of any poor punts Allen sends his way; he didn’t play on Sunday with the Saints resting on their bye week, but he still has the most punt returns in the NFL (23) and ranks third-most in punt return yards (213), not counting a 67-yard touchdown return wiped out by a dubious penalty against the Chicago Bears.