When Falcons punter Dustin Colquitt ended up on the reserve/COVID-19 list, Atlanta needed a replacement.
The club turned to a former longtime division rival in Thomas Morstead, who had spent 12 seasons kicking against them with the Saints. Morstead had been with the Jets earlier this season but was released on Nov. 8.
The move turned out to be a good one for the Falcons, who got a strong performance from Morstead in a 21-14 win over the Jaguars on Sunday — so strong that he’s been named NFC special teams player of the week.
Morstead averaged 44.8 yards per punt in the victory, dropping three of his five punts inside the 20-yard line.
Now at 5-6, the Falcons are a sneaky playoff contender in the NFC. They’ll host the 8-3 Buccaneers on Sunday.