Falcons Can’t Kick-Start Season

Eight months after Gary Anderson’s improbable miss, the shoe was on another foot.

Atlanta kicker Morten Andersen missed two field- goal tries from inside 40 yards--including a 39-yarder with 3:38 left--and the Minnesota Vikings held off the Falcons for a 17-14 victory Sunday in a rematch of the teams that played in last season’s NFC championship game.

“That’s the humbling part,” said Andersen, whose 38-yard field goal in overtime in Minneapolis last January gave Atlanta a 30-27 victory over Minnesota and sent the Falcons to the Super Bowl. “You have to be very strong mentally to be a kicker. Everything is so cut and dry.”

Minnesota’s Anderson also failed twice on field-goal attempts--ending his NFL-record streak of 40 in a row during the regular season. He did make a 36-yarder.

Of course, Gary Anderson will always have the memory of failing on a 38-yarder in the NFC title game after making 35 of 35 during the regular season. That allowed the Falcons to score a tying touchdown in the final minute and win on Morten Andersen’s overtime kick.

“Last year has no bearing on what’s happening this year,” said Gary Anderson, who had a 26-yarder blocked and also missed from 30 yards. “Field goals are never automatic.”

Sunday’s game certainly proved that point. Atlanta’s Andersen was wide right on a 35-yarder in the second quarter as the Falcons fell behind 17-0, then had a chance to redeem himself in the final period when his team moved into position to force another overtime with the Vikings.

This time, he was wide left.

“All the kicks that were missed [by both teams] were makeable kicks,” Morten Andersen said. “We have to find out own reasons for that and go out and be successful in the next game. That’s all I can do. It is over and done with for now.”

Last season, Andersen was 23 for 28 on field goals and missed only twice on 17 attempts inside the 40. During his 18-year career, he has missed only 25 times in 290 attempts inside the 40.

Before the game, the Falcons unveiled their NFC championship banner with a pyrotechnic display. But Atlanta made the kind of mistakes that were uncharacteristic of its improbable march to Super Bowl--losing three fumbles and setting up both Minnesota touchdowns with long pass interference penalties.

“It hurts any time you lose, but particularly the way we lost,” Coach Dan Reeves said.

Further compounding the Falcons’ problems, quarterback Chris Chandler suffered a strained right hamstring late in the game. He injured the same hamstring in an exhibition game, and his status is uncertain for next Monday night’s game at Dallas.