After over a month, the Atlanta Falcons finally broke their five-game losing streak, and kicker Zane Gonzalez deserves a lot of credit. In his third week as a Falcon, Gonzalez connected on field goals from 41, 54, and 56 yards yards in the 24-10 Week 12 victory over the New Orleans Saints.
The icing on the cake? He is the second kicker in franchise history to make two field goals from 54+ yards in the same game. He had an opportunity late in the fourth quarter to hit a third, but a delay of game penalty ruined his chances. This performance secured another few weeks of job security for the veteran kicker and might have ended the Falcons' kicker woes for good.
Entering Week 10, Gonzalez hadn't played in a game this season, and the Falcons went through two kickers earlier this season. After struggling last season and missing a game-tying field goal in Week 1, longtime kicker and former fan favorite Younghoe Koo was cut.
Now he's thriving in New York, but, Koo had once overtaken Justin Tucker for the highest kicking percentage in NFL history. Kickers receive the shortest amount of patience out of anyone, and just one rough season likely ruins their career.
Falcons finally solved their kicker woes with the surging Zane Gonzalez
Shortly after Koo's exit, Parker Romo was signed and became effective immediately, making five field goals in his debut in Week 2 but missed two against the Panthers a week later. From there, the team obviously lost trust in him.
Although he missed another in Week 6, but played well enough to retain his job. Finally, in Week 9 against the Patriots, the Falcons scored on a game-tying, 12-play, 85-yard drive late in the fourth quarter. While Falcons' fans were celebrating the 10-point comeback, Romo missed the extra point.
The Falcons lost in Week 9 by one. Finally, we've arrived at Gonzalez, who's hit all six of his field goal chances and extra points this season. Gonzalez enjoyed his best professional season in 2021 with the Panthers when he nailed 91% of his field goals.
After a string of injuries, Gonzalez returned to the league late last season with the Commanders and was dominant in the playoffs. Over the offseason, the Commanders signed Matt Gay and cut Gonzalez. Gay has hit 68% of field goals this season for Washington, but was just cut for Jake Moody.
Finally, Gonzalez is in Atlanta, and Falcons' fans couldn't be happier. The revolving door of kickers has been dramatic and frustrating for everyone involved. This season has gone downhill fast, especially over the last month, and kickers are the last thing Raheem Morris needs to think about.
The Falcons may end up selecting a kicker in the 2026 NFL Draft, but until then, it appears they've got their guy.