Stenerud Has Nightmarish Day as Falcons Edge Vikings

Jan Stenerud, the oldest player in the National Football League at 43, called it one of the lowest moments in his career after missing three field goal attempts and an extra point that enabled the Atlanta Falcons to score a 14-13 victory over the Minnesota Vikings Sunday.

“I had as much to do with it as anyone,” Stenerud said of the loss that ended Minnesota’s slim hopes of attaining a wild-card playoff berth.

“I’ve been through 260 something games and had very few bad moments, but this is certainly one of the lowest,” said Stenerud, who had two field-goal attempts blocked by Atlanta tackle Dan Benish and came up short on another attempt.

Benish, who also recovered a fumble to set up an Atlanta touchdown, initially was credited with only one blocked field goal, but it was determined that another hit him in the face mask. It first appeared to have hit one of Stenerud’s linemen in the back.

“It was a terrible performance,” Stenerud said. “It is very disappointing.

“Mick and I both couldn’t get the ball airborne today,” Stenerud said, referring to Atlanta kicker Mick Luckhurst, who also had two field- goal attempts blocked by Tim Irwin.

“On the extra point I was just trying to get it up in the air and I may have changed something without realizing it, but I still have no excuse,” Stenerud said.

The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for the Falcons (3-12) and dropped the Vikings to 7-8.

Stenerud was wide right on his extra point after the Vikings scored with 8:03 left in the game. The touchdown came on Tommy Kramer’s 49-yard pass to Anthony Carter, who made the reception at the Atlanta 40 and outran the secondary to the end zone.

The Falcons took a 14-0 lead with two second-quarter touchdowns, the first a 34-yard pass from David Archer to Charlie Brown and the other on a one-yard plunge by Joe Washington.

Washington’s touchdown was set up when Benish recovered Darrin Nelson’s fumble on the Minnesota 28.

Benish blocked Stenerud’s 33-yard field goal try early in the second quarter. Stenerud also missed from 48 yards when his low line drive hit one of his own linemen after being deflected by Benish’s face mask, and Stenerud was short on a 46-yard attempt on the final play of the first half.