Falcons' Michael Penix Jr. Sends Message to Younghoe Koo After Missed Game-Tying FG

The excitement surrounding the Atlanta Falcons entering the 2025 NFL season dropped to a slow drip during the second half of Week 1. Then, it suddenly came to a screeching halt.

The Falcons didn't make enough clutch plays on offense, defense or special teams to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the season opener. A missed 44-yard field goal in the final seconds of the fourth quarter highlighted the failed opportunities for Atlanta.

The Falcons needed the field goal to send the matchup into overtime. Instead, the Falcons fell 23-20 to their NFC South rival.

Koo has been a reliable kicker for most of his NFL career. He made the Pro Bowl while leading the league in field goals made during the 2020 campaign.

But Koo faced a training camp battle to keep his job this summer after struggling mightily in 2024. Koo's late miss will not give Falcons fans confidence that the team made the right decision to bring back the 31-year-old kicker.

Arguments are already forming that Koo shouldn't remain on the roster for Week 2.

However, Falcons second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. offered some words of encouragement to the kicker after Sunday's loss. Penix shared with reporters what he said to his teammate after the game.

"I told him, 'Just keep being you. Don't let this define you,'" said Penix, via ESPN's Marc Raimondi.

Penix on Koo: I told him, just keep being you. Don't let this define you. #Falcons
— Marc Raimondi (@marcraimondi) September 7, 2025

Koo finished the afternoon 2-for-3 on field goals. He connected on a 41-yard try in the final minute of the second quarter and then hit a 36-yard attempt in the third. Koo also made both his extra-point tries.

But on the most important kick of the day, Koo's attempt went wide right.

The miss allowed his counterpart, Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin, to avoid being the goat from the Falcons-Buccaneers showdown. McLaughlin missed a field goal on the first possession of the second half and the last extra-point attempt he had.

Ironically, if McLaughlin had made his extra point with 59 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter, then Tampa Bay would have led by four. The Falcons wouldn't have been able to kick a field goal to tie, and Koo wouldn't have had his opportunity from 44 yards away.

Last season, Koo posted a career-low 73.5% field goal percentage, going 25-for-34. Koo missed seven kicks from 40 yards or farther.

On Sunday, Koo was 1-for-2 from that distance.

Koo and the Falcons will have to regroup quickly. They have a primetime road test against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2.

Although the Falcons will have the advantage of more time to prepare for the game (the Vikings play their Week 1 matchup Monday night), the Falcons lost 42-21 last year in Minnesota.