Falcons kicker Nick Folk misses lone field goal in 16-0 loss to Buccaneers
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The gist
Falcons kicker Nick Folk missed his only field goal try, wide left from 53 yards, in a 16-0 loss to Tampa Bay.
Atlanta is sticking with the 41-year-old veteran despite a shaky start in his first season.
Background
Nick Folk is a 41-year-old NFL kicker in his first season with the Atlanta Falcons, after stints with Dallas, the New York Jets, Tampa Bay, New England and Tennessee; he leads all active kickers with 431 career field goals. Atlanta signed him in March 2026 after cycling through three kickers — Younghoe Koo, Parker Romo and Zane Gonzalez — in 2025, hoping to end a two-season search for stability at the position. Folk was drawn to the team partly by the chance to work with special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman, his coach in Tennessee in 2023. His accuracy has dipped this season, reviving a familiar problem for the Falcons.
How it unfolded
- Mar 9, 2026The Falcons signed veteran kicker Nick Folk, three days before adding punter Jake Bailey.
- Mar 13, 2026NFL Network reported the impending free agent, 41, planned to play in 2026 and was expected to be a top option on the market.
- Jul 28, 2026Folk reported for his first Falcons training camp after posting the NFL's best field-goal accuracy in three straight seasons.
- Oct 25, 2026Folk made a 33-yard field goal in the second quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
- Nov 1, 2026Folk went 0-for-1 on field goals and did not attempt an extra point in the Falcons' 16-0 loss to the Buccaneers, missing wide left from 53 yards.
- Nov 2, 2026Special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman backed Folk, and the Falcons said they would not panic despite the drop in accuracy.
- Nov 8, 2026Through eight games Folk had converted 12 of 16 field goal attempts and missed an extra point, ending a streak of 67 straight successful extra points.
Key terms
- field goal
- Tries to kick the ball between the uprights and over the crossbar to score points in gridiron football.
- extra point
- In gridiron football, a play after a touchdown in which the scoring team kicks the ball through the uprights for one additional point.
- special teams coordinator
- The group of players on a football team who play during kicking situations.
Source: Wikipedia
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Special teams coordinator Craig Aukerman backed Folk, saying the Falcons refuse to panic despite his drop in accuracy and a missed extra point.
- Caution
- Coverage notes Atlanta believed it had found consistency in Folk but is seeing the same kicking problems that marked its previous two seasons.