Latest news with #YounghoeKoo
Yahoo
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Falcons provide update on kicker competition ahead of Titans game
The Atlanta Falcons have several position battles worth monitoring over the final two preseason games. One competition that has received plenty of attention throughout training camp is the battle for the team's starting kicker job. Former Pro Bowl kicker Younghoe Koo is the favorite, but the Falcons signed Lenny Krieg following his impressive showing at the NFL Scouting Combine. Koo had a rough season in 2024, playing hurt and missing time due to a leg injury. While Koo has the obvious experience advantage, Krieg has the stronger leg. In Atlanta's preseason opener against the Detroit Lions, Krieg converted a 57-yard field goal but missed his second attempt to finish 1-for-2. Head coach Raheem Morris provided an update on the plan for Friday's preseason game against the Tennessee Titans. After Krieg took all of the reps in the opener, Morris said Koo will handle the kicking duties. Aside from Koo, we wouldn't expect to see many starters on Friday night. Morris has consistently taken a cautious approach to the preseason since taking over as head coach in 2024. On the other hand, the Titans are expected to play the majority of their starters against Atlanta. "Everybody is going to play, similar to last week," Titans head coach Brian Callahan told reporters ahead of Wednesday's joint with the Falcons. This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Atlanta Falcons: Kicker Younghoe Koo to start vs. Titans
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Falcons' kicking competition heats up with monster field goal by German-born Lenny Krieg vs. Younghoe Koo
Falcons' kicking competition heats up with monster field goal by German-born Lenny Krieg vs. Younghoe Koo originally appeared on The Sporting News It's still a bit wild that the Atlanta Falcons are considering replacing Younghoe Koo. But the kicking competition is certainly on now. The Falcons' other option is Lenny Krieg, a German kicker. And on his first preseason field goal attempt, Krieg drilled a 57-yard field goal. "Lenny Krieg, the German kicker Atlanta signed through the International Pathway Program, hits a 57-yarder with plenty of room to spare to start the scoring and make his first NFL kick," wrote The Athletic's Josh Kendall on X. MORE: Seahawks legend Marshawn Lynch went Beast Mode as a sideline photographer There's reason for the Falcons to at least consider this move. "After several seasons as one of the most consistent kickers in the league, including a Pro Bowl selection in 2020, Younghoe Koo missed nine field goals last season and ended the campaign on injured reserve due to a hip injury," ESPN's Marc Raimondi writes. "The Falcons signed German-born kicker Lenny Krieg this offseason to compete with Koo for the starting role. Krieg, who turns 23 in August, impressed at the combine as a part of the league's International Player Pathway Program. He was the only kicker to make all 14 field-goal attempts without a miss." MORE: Eagles have big plans for Saquon Barkley as a receiver There is video footage of Krieg making a 73-yard field goal in a practice. Koo is due to make $4.25 million this season, the fourth-highest for a kicker in the league. That could be another reason he's a cut candidate. Krieg is ready for the battle. "There's 32 jobs in the league, and my job is to just perform to my level and improve every day," Krieg told Fox Sports before the preseason. "And whatever happens, happens. I try to control what I can control, and whatever is out of my control is just something that's going to happen." MORE NFL NEWS: Shilo Sanders sets big goals for his rookie NFL season Geno Smith broke out a rude gesture toward a fan Baker Mayfield isn't like other quarterbacks Jamal Adams is making a strong case for his position change Raiders fans blaming the same issue for Ashton Jeanty's poor start A.J. Brown reveals a wild reason he didn't play college football at Georgia
Yahoo
06-08-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Younghoe Koo's 6-year hold on Falcons' kicking job on the line after 9 missed field goals in 2024
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.' ___ AP NFL:
Associated Press
06-08-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Younghoe Koo's 6-year hold on Falcons' kicking job on the line after 9 missed field goals in 2024
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.' ___ AP NFL:
Fox News
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Meet Lenny Krieg, a German Native Competing for the Falcons' Kicking Job
Lenny Krieg's strong leg could take him all the way from Germany to the NFL. A former soccer player, Krieg took up football in 2021 during COVID at the suggestion of his older brother, a former football player and current coach in Germany. He watched tutorials on social media to hone his technique and, after playing three seasons in his home country, the 22-year-old Berlin native was picked for the NFL's International Pathway Program. As part of that initiative, which aims to give elite athletes around the world a chance to make NFL rosters, Krieg participated in the Scouting Combine showcase in February. He went 14-for-14 in Indianapolis, kicking from 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 and 55 yards. That led to another solid performance at a pro day in South Florida and, in March, Krieg was signed by the Atlanta Falcons. He enters training camp with the opportunity to compete for the starting kicker job against NFL veteran Younghoe Koo. It may sound like a fairy tale, but it's not so farfetched when you consider that Krieg has made a 73-yard kick in practice. Krieg was one of several young specialists who recently participated in former NFL kicker Nick Novak's annual pro week in San Diego. After nine seasons in the NFL, Novak is now a high school coach, a kicking consultant and a mentor to developmental players. "I've watched Nick's social videos for a long time and it's almost like a dream coming true, a full-circle moment for me to be here with these guys," Krieg told me at the camp. "It's beneficial for me to integrate some of the things I've learned here into my process, figure out what works for me and what doesn't. So it's really valuable." Krieg has a legitimate shot to win the starting job over Koo, who is scheduled to make $4.25 million in 2025, making him the fourth-highest-paid kicker in the league. Koo, who turns 31 in August, made just 73.5% of his field-goal attempts last season, his lowest percentage since his rookie season with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2017, when he made just 50% and lost the job after four games. In Week 10 last season, Koo missed three kicks in a 20-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints. He dealt with a hip injury for much of the season, which eventually landed him on IR in Week 16. After the Falcons lost six of their last eight games and missed the playoffs, however, coach Raheem Morris cited kicking as one of the issues. "We missed entirely too many kicks this year," Morris said in January. "The brutal honest truth — that can't happen. So, we got to find ways to make those kicks. That certainly plays into the part of not winning the amount of games you want to win. We got to find ways to create that competition across the board for all of us." The Falcons created that competition by signing Krieg to a three-year deal, which shows that Atlanta is invested in him. Koo is reportedly healthy now, so this could be one of the more interesting camp battles to watch. "There's 32 jobs in the league, and my job is to just perform to my level and improve every day," Krieg said when asked how he'll handle the competition with Koo. "And whatever happens, happens. I try to control what I can control, and whatever is out of my control is just something that's going to happen." What just might be in Krieg's control is that a talented but raw prospect from Berlin, who learned to kick an American football on YouTube, could soon be a starting kicker in the NFL. Photo courtesy of Nicole Noel Photography. Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on X at @eric_d_williams. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!
