Atlanta, Georgia (AP)-- After having a horrid special teams performance in kickoffs in windy Cincinnati on Sunday, the Falcons management was quick to take action by making a couple of changes which will change the personal of the Falcons kicking game next week against the Detroit Lions.

Steve Christie kicks off during special teams practice.

The Falcons signed veteran kicker of 39 years, Steve Christie on Monday to an 820K contract for the remainder of the Falcons season. Christie began his 16 year career with the Buffalo Bills, where he spent his first 8 years there, before moving cross country to San Diego in 2001. Christie had little work in San Diego and spent the 2004 season with the Giants where he last played professional football before sitting out all of the 2005 season with various injuries and no interest shown by the Giants or any team in signing him when he was healthy. Through his career Christie has converted 336 of his 431 attempts, but his role in Atlanta will not be that of field goals, but kickoffs.
After Michael Koenen kicked three kickoffs out of bounds last week against the Bengals, Christie will replace Koenen with kickoff duties, including onside kicks. Koenen, who is 11/12 on the season with field goals, is assumed to still be the kicker for the Falcons, but he knows he is on the hot seat with the Falcons after his kickoffs nearly cost them a victory.
To free up room on the 53 man roster, the Falcons cut second year kicker Zach Derr. The 27 year old Derr, had yet to play in an NFL game, and he will still have to wait after being cut from the Falcons, who had hoped to use him if Koenen failed in his new kicking duties.