There’s nothing that fires me up more than seeing a gunner sprint down the field and decapitate (within the confines of the rules, of course) a helpless returner, or seeing some foolish team think they can pull off a fake punt on 4th down (teams were 0-3 when trying that on the Atlanta Falcons in 2024), but something didn’t look right in the third phase of the game on Sunday and it wasn’t just Younghoe Koo.
Injuries
Jamal Agnew only lasted one half before his day was over, forcing the Falcons to reshuffle
their returners, a task they already performed pregame. Ray-Ray McCloud is usually a part of that group, but due to the Falcons being short-handed at wide receiver, it appeared the team didn’t want to overload his plate and leaned on Natrone Brooks. McCloud would come in to field one punt in the fourth quarter, resulting in a fair catch, but he never set foot on kickoff return. Dee Alford came on to cover for Agnew.
There’s also the injury of DeMarcco Hellams to keep in mind. The hitman was going to play a key role on the team’s coverage units, and his presence was missed. Jordan Fuller did not have a great day, but he was not alone. Someone else who is missing that should be a plus addition is Troy Andersen, who has consistently been one of the better special teams performers since he was drafted. However, I don’t know if Andersen is even a real person anymore, or just a figment of my imagination.
Execution errors
Things got off to a sour start when Younghoe Koo just missed the landing zone by half a yard. He was attempting a bounce kickoff, something the Falcons toyed with during the preseason. When executed correctly, the returner is faced with fielding a more challenging ball, and the coverage unit can take advantage of that extra second or two; it nearly worked to perfection on this play.
Multiple players contributed to the 54-yard punt return that swung momentum in the third quarter. Bradley Pinion slightly outkicked the coverage, meaning he would’ve liked to have had more hang time on the punt. It was noticeable, but other issues compounded the error and allowed the Buccanners to turn that play into a 50+ yard romp. We saw bad lane discipline from Ford, Malone, and Fuller, which all contributed to the significant gain. There were similar issues on the 4th-quarter kickoff return that allowed the Buccaneers to start that critical drive on the 37-yard line.
You can find a more detailed breakdown of the coverage woes below or here:
The most obvious execution error came from Younghoe Koo, who missed a game-tying 44-yard field goal in the final moments. I don’t have any more words of hope or inspiration to offer in this situation. This is a results-driven business, and expectations aren’t being met. Raheem Morris has opened the door for competition with John Parker Romo, but what’s left for Koo to show this staff?
At this point, you either trust Koo or you don’t.
The special teams unit will need to get back on track quickly, especially after prioritizing so many special teams players when building this roster. The team is hoping to get healthy soon, but they need everyone to step up and do their part. Cleaning up basic execution errors will go a long way. If Week 1 was Koo’s last performance, then I wish him nothing but the best, and if he’s still the man with the job going into Sunday Night Football, my wishes remain unchanged. But a kicking room built on wishes and hope isn’t going to inspire confidence in anyone.
