Lost in the Atlanta Falcons' 2024 collapse was just how awful kicker Younghoe Koo was to end the season. Things were so bad that the team was actively going for downs they typically shied away from. Not only this, but the Falcons wouldn't allow Koo to try longer kicks at the end of the 2024 season. The team would place Koo on the IR and sign Riley Patterson to end the season.
This would have undeniable fallout with Patterson missing a potential game-winning kick that would have put Atlanta in playoff positioning. Atlanta took note of this failure and prepared for the 2025 season, signing German kicker Lenny Krieg. This was an overlooked move in the midst of the Kirk Cousins trade speculation and Atlanta's underwhelming free agency.
Younghoe Koo needs an early surge to maintain his starting role in the 2025 season
The Atlanta Falcons kicker hit only 73.5 percent of his kicks in the 2024 season. Prior to 2024, the worst percentage of Koo's tenure in Atlanta was 86.5 the previous two seasons. It is an alarming dip that demanded the Falcons make a move.
With that said, Krieg is simply a wildcard that is going to provide a potential fallback option. There isn't an established career to judge what the ceiling could be. It is obvious that the incredible range, however, can the kicker deliver when it matters? Koo's inability to do so in the 2024 season cost the Falcons at least two wins.
This is one of the least talked about factors in Atlanta's incredibly frustrating collapse. Yes, Kirk Cousins and head coach Raheem Morris both made key mistakes that cost the team. Still, if Koo does his job, the season ends very differently for the Falcons. It was bad enough that Atlanta needed to add a reliable second option, they believe can take over if they are forced to end things with Koo.
Younghoe Koo replaced franchise legend Matt Bryant in 2019, and the Falcons had incredible stability in the following four seasons. Even if this does prove to be the end for Koo, the kicker has an impressive legacy with the franchise and more than a handful of memorably clutch moments.
It is a situation to keep an eye on throughout camp and the preseason as Atlanta attempts to gauge just how much they can trust Koo. Best case, there was a legitimate injury, and the kicker is able to return to form. Otherwise, Atlanta could find out exactly how reliable Lenny Krieg can be.