ATLANTA (AP) – The Atlanta Falcons spent most of the offseason trying to find a kicker.

He might have been on their roster all along.

Michael Koenen, who handled the punting and kickoff duties last season, appears ready to take on another job after booting four long field goals Friday night, including a 40-yarder as time ran out for a 26-23 preseason victory over the New England Patriots.

Rookie quarterback D.J. Shockley, who grew up in suburban Atlanta and played for the Georgia Bulldogs, thrilled the home fans with an impressive debut in the fourth quarter.

Cheered on with barks from fans who remember him leading Georgia to the Southeastern Conference title last season, Shockley guided the Falcons on a 14-play, 56-yard drive in the final 2:06. The biggest play was a 14-yard pass to Kevin Youngblood, who made a leaping catch over the middle. After a spike and a short run, Koenen trotted on the field and kicked his final field goal.

None of them was a chip shot. He also connected from 44, 45 and 50 yards.

Shockley completed 4 of 10 passes for 40 yards, his percentage hurt by a couple of clock-stopping spikes on the final drive. He also ran twice for 12 yards.

Another Falcons rookie got off to a rousing start. Third-round pick Jerious Norwood turned two short passes into long gains, fitting right in with a team that already has Warrick Dunn and T.J. Duckett.

Norwood rambled 37 yards down the right sideline after hauling in a pass from No. 2 quarterback Matt Schaub. Then, with the third quarter winding down, he grabbed a pass from Bryan Randall and went 34 yards for a touchdown, making a great move to lose one defender and then turning on the speed.

Michael Vick and Tom Brady played to a draw.

Vick, who broke his leg in a 2003 preseason game, played only one series for the Falcons. He completed 3 of 4 passes for 26 yards and broke off a 16-yard run that put Atlanta in position for Koenen’s first field goal.

Brady also played one series, completing three straight passes for 24 yards before an incompletion at the Atlanta 7. The Patriots got the first of three field goals. Martin Gramatica, seeking to replace Adam Vinatieri, made kicks of 26 and 30 yards. The other candidate, Stephen Gostowski, made a 34-yarder.

Matt Cassel went the rest of the way at quarterback for New England, trying to show he’s ready to be Brady’s backup. Cassel was the Patriots’ third-stringer last season and he barely played at Southern California, where he was stuck behind Heisman Trophy winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinert.

Cassel was stripped of the ball on his first possession, but also threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Cobbs.

In the fourth quarter, Cassel directed drives of 80 and 77 yards that helped the Patriots overcome a 10-point deficit. He finished 13 of 26 for 229 yards.

AP-ES-08-11-06 2334EDT