Younghoe Koo Kicks Another Game-Winning FG, Falcons Beat Dolphins
Atlanta Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo is at it again.
As one of the most efficient kickers in the league, Koo has made 39 of his last 40 field goals dating back to Week 5 of last season. The only miss came in Kansas City when Koo had an opportunity to send last year's Falcons-Chiefs matchup in December into overtime.
Instead, Koo's kick was no good from only 39 yards away. The Chiefs would finish 15-1, and the Falcons lost five straight to end the 2020 season.
But the way Koo is kicking this fall, that miss is becoming a distant memory. Koo has made all his attempts this year, and he's come through with the game on the line twice, including Sunday in Miami.
With the Falcons trailing by one Sunday afternoon, there would be no overtime against the Dolphins. Koo's 36-yard field goal was either going to end with a Falcons win or loss that dropped Atlanta to 2-4.
Koo didn't let the latter happen. He was right down the middle with the 36-yard attempt, giving the Falcons a 30-28 win. With the victory, the Falcons are out of last place in the NFC South for the first time since December 2019.
As important as the game-winner Sunday was, all the kicker's attempts were important in a two-point win. Koo accounted for 12 points with three field goals and three extra points versus the Dolphins. He didn't miss a kick while Miami missed its only field-goal try of the day (Falcons rookie linebacker Adetokunbo Ogundeji blocked it).
Koo is 10 for 10 on field-goal tries in 2021. Only Denver Broncos kicker Brandon McManus has more successful field goals without a miss through seven weeks.
With the game tied against the New York Giants in Week 3, Koo also made a game-winner, a 40-yard field goal, as time expired in regulation. He hasn't missed an extra-point either this year.
The season still isn't half over, but if Koo misses those game-winning opportunities, and the Falcons lose to either the Giants or Dolphins, they would be entering next week two games below .500 and in last place. If that were the case, the discussion surrounding the Falcons this week would continue to be about who the organization should consider in deals before the trade deadline.
Alternatively, the Falcons are contending at 3-3. They are one of eight teams with a 3-3 record or better in the NFC. With the expanded playoff field that the NFL established last season, now seven teams make the playoffs.
Thanks in large part to Koo, Atlanta is firmly in the NFC playoff race. And next week, the Falcons will have the opportunity to move above the .500 mark for the first time since the end of the 2017 season.
