Throughout years of inconsistency around him, kicker Younghoe Koo provided the Atlanta Falcons with stability ... but the 29-year-old was at the forefront of headlines after his first missed field goal this season.
The Falcons worked out free agent kicker Tristan Vizcaino on Monday, one day after Koo had his 47-yard field goal against the Detroit Lions sail wide left. He missed an extra point in Week 2 and failed to connect on two field goals in the preseason.
While perhaps not as automatic as many have grown to expect, Koo's still been steady, hitting seven of eight field goals and four of five extra points. He made all four field goals against the Green Bay Packers, including the game-winner with just under a minute to play.
So, why the need to bring in Vizcaino? Here's what Falcons coach Arthur Smith told reporters ...
“That was scheduled – it was moved up a day just because we’re going to London on Thursday," Smith said. "We do that. That’s how you get your ready list going. He made a big kick last week against Green Bay, but you evaluate everything all the time.
"We’ve got a lot of faith in Koo.”
Koo is coming off a season in which he made 32 of 37 field goals (86.5 percent) and 33 of 35 extra points (94.3 percent). He's also valuable off the field, as he was named a team captain for the second consecutive season.
Better yet, Koo's earned the reputation of being reliable in big moments, and the Falcons know he's wired the right way to handle adversity when it comes up.
“Tough-minded player at a position that’s easy to have mental things happen to you with a very specific job, but he’s got a tough mindset,” Smith said.
Falcons special teams coordinator Marquice Williams liked the situation to shooting 100 basketballs or hitting golf balls on the driving range - there will be missed shots or poor contact stemming from mishaps with technique.
In this case, there will be missed field goals or extra points - it's just a part of the job. Williams wants his unit to focus on process over results, which works both ways; even when kicks are successful, the operation is closely dissected, with Atlanta striving for every possible gain.
Make or miss, the Falcons know what Koo brings to the table ... and anticipate having him around for the long haul.
"I believe he is the second most accurate kicker in the NFL," Williams said. "It doesn't just happen by accident. He stays process driven, he's clutch when we need him, he makes clutch kicks for us throughout our time here being in Atlanta, and we just focus on the technique."
And so, Atlanta's move to bring in Vizcaino was largely just to compile information and continue building a pool of capable kickers in case something happens to Koo.
But the Falcons certainly hope such a scenario doesn't arise, because replacing the second-most accurate kicker in the league is a tall task - and, evidently, something Atlanta wasn't even contemplating by working out Vizcaino.
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