FLOWERY BRANCH, GA. (AP) — Younghoe Koo’s six-year hold on the Atlanta Falcons’ kicking job is on the line after his career-high nine missed field goals last season.
Koo entered training camp with a strong vote of confidence from coach Raheem Morris. Koo made 25 of 34 field goals last season, and Lenny Krieg was added to the roster for training camp to provide competition. Krieg, a rookie from Berlin, Germany, has the leg strength to make the competition interesting, so accuracy will be important beginning with Friday night’s preseason opener against Detroit.
Koo’s nine misses last season almost doubled his previous career high of five in his seven-year career.
Koo, signed by the Falcons in 2019, was a 2020 Pro Bowler. His 2024 misses included some crucial field goals that could have led to wins for Atlanta, which finished 8-9 with two straight overtime losses to close the season.
In a 20-17 loss to the Saints on Nov. 10, Koo missed three field goals, including one which was blocked. It was the first career game with three missed field goals.
Koo also battled a hip injury and landed on the injured reserve list on Dec. 18.
“It wasn’t the best season,” Koo said Monday. “That’s the motivating factor. I’ll just move on. Mentally and physically I feel great. It’s just like any other offseason.”
Enter Krieg, who played for the European Football League’s Stuttgart Surge for two seasons (2023-2024) and made 19 of 26 field goal attempts with a career long of 52 yards.
On Tuesday, Krieg said training camp has been “really enjoyable” and “a great experience.”
“I have a lot of fun,” Krieg said, adding he is determined to “keep working hard.”
Koo said Krieg is “a great dude.”
“He works hard. I try to help him any way that I can,” Koo said, adding his goal is to “do my part and be the best version of myself.”
Krieg is looking to learn from Koo’s experience.
“He’s been great,” Krieg said. “He’s a great resource for me to give me insights about his routines, his work ethic and his way of thinking about kicking. It’s a great relationship. I really appreciate him for being so open and so welcoming to me.”
Despite the competition, Koo does not feel any more pressure that he had in years past.
“It’s the same thing,” Koo said. “(When) Week 1 comes, it doesn’t really matter what you’ve done or what you haven’t done in the past. It’s what matters right there so I just try to get ready for that.”
Morris was the secondary coach in 2019 in his first stint with the Falcons when Koo signed with Atlanta. Morris says he still believes in Koo and that confidence makes the veteran the favorite in the preseason competition.
“I am really excited to see Younghoe have a bounce-back year and really excited to watch him come back,” Morris said. “I’ve got so much confidence in Younghoe because I started with him.”
When he’s not serving as the mentor to Krieg, Koo’s new role off the field is helping quarterback Michael Penix Jr. learn how to play golf. Penix has been critical of his lack of consistency in his new hobby but Koo says he sees potential in Penix’s swing.
“He’s got something that you can’t teach, which is speed,” Koo said. “He hits the ball harder than anybody I’ve seen. The ceiling is very high.”
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