Before the Atlanta Falcons begin their training camp next week, attention is on the team’s special teams. The Falcons have maintained consistency in personnel with kicker Younghoe Koo, punter Bradley Pinion, and long snapper Liam McCullough since 2022. However, this stability might be at risk following a challenging performance in 2024.
The team has retained Marquice Williams as the coordinator for special teams, alongside assistant Steven King. Notably, Lenny Krieg has joined as a new kicker. Despite Koo’s past success since joining the Falcons in 2020, his field goal percentage dropped to 73.5% last year due to an injury affecting his right hip.
Head coach Raheem Morris commented on the situation at the end of last season: “We missed entirely too many kicks this year,” adding that such occurrences cannot continue.
In response to these challenges, Krieg was signed during the offseason to foster competition. His participation in the NFL’s International Player Pathway program provides a strategic advantage for roster management. Williams expressed enthusiasm about Krieg: “Just seeing him kick in person… it was a no-brainer to bring him in.”
Additionally, changes to NFL rules could impact game dynamics significantly. A recent adjustment places touchbacks on the 35-yard line instead of the 30-yard line, aiming to increase return rates even further.
Darren Rizzi from Denver Broncos explained: “There was only 16% of the balls returned over the 34-yard line… We’ve projected; we’ve run the models.” This change follows an increase in returns from previous seasons.
