Kittner relishes his chance as Atlanta QB

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Posted 5:13PM on Thursday, October 16, 2003

FLOWERY BRANCH - Kurt Kittner will draw on his success at Illinois as he attempts to stop the Atlanta Falcons' five-game losing streak. He faces a formidable task. ``There's a little added pressure this week,'' Kittner said Thursday. ``But I'm going into it just trying to prepare and play within myself and get a win.'' Falcons coach Dan Reeves said Wednesday afternoon that Kittner would start Sunday against New Orleans. Doug Johnson, who spent all of 2002 as Michael Vick's primary backup, leads the NFL with 10 interceptions in his failed attempt to replace Atlanta's Pro Bowl quarterback this year. Kittner's only professional experience came at the end of blowout losses this year. He threw two interceptions and completed 7 of 17 passes for 53 yards. ``Well, you have to look at what he was up against,'' running back Warrick Dunn said. ``It's hard to judge someone if they haven't been given a chance.'' Regarding the difficulty Kittner faces Sunday, the two-year veteran can draw from several points of reference: Torn ligaments in his right thumb nearly jeopardized his senior year at Schaumburg (Ill.) High School, but Kittner returned to play linebacker in the second half of the season; The year before he arrived at Illinois, the Fighting Illini went 0-11. By the time Kittner left, his 24 victories were the most any Illinois quarterback had compiled in a four-year stretch; Those hurdles were nothing compared to his parents' divorce, which he endured as a kindergartner, and the ongoing battles his mother, Lee Trantin, has with multiple sclerosis. ``She's fine,'' Kittner said. ``She came to the game in St. Louis, and she's coming with my brother this weekend.'' Kittner's relationship with his father is strained. George Kittner, who lives in Rockford, Ill., wasn't around when Kurt and his two brothers were growing up in Schaumburg. Kittner estimates he talks with his dad about once every six months. Sunday at the Georgia Dome, Kittner will try to block everything out. All the suggestions that Atlanta wasted a fifth-round draft pick on him in 2001. All the talk that he's not mobile enough and lacks the arm strength to play in the NFL. ``Obviously there are some things I can do better, but I think I'm starting off on a clean slate this week going in starting the game,'' Kittner said. ``I'm going to go out and distribute the ball and be a game manager and do whatever I need to do to get us a win.'' The last time Reeves benched a starting quarterback in midseason, the results were terrible. Angered that Chris Chandler criticized the play-calling after a blowout loss at Oakland in Week 13 of 2000, Reeves promoted Johnson, an undrafted rookie, who threw first-half interceptions that Seattle and New Orleans returned for touchdowns. Johnson's two starts, both lopsided losses, began the final month of a 4-12 season. Circumstances are similar this year for the Falcons. Atlanta (1-5) ranks last in third-down percentage, 28th in total offense and 29th in sacks per pass play as it prepares to face NFC South rival New Orleans (2-4). This time, though, Reeves hasn't said Kittner will start more than the Saints game. In 2000, the coach indicated Johnson would be his starter for the rest of the year, but the experiment ended quickly. New Orleans has only four defensive players remaining linebacker Darrin Smith, cornerback Fred Thomas and ends Willie Whitehead and Darren Howard from the team that beat Johnson and Atlanta 23-7 four years ago. ``We've put in a lot of plays that we know we're good at, and we need to go out and execute,'' Kittner said. ``New Orleans has seen the stuff that we're going to run. My job is to feed the players that make plays.''