Younghoe Koo is choosing an interesting defense after producing arguably the single worst field goal attempt in NFL history.
The New York Giants kicker Koo turned himself into a laughingstock during a “Monday Night Football” loss to the New England Patriots. In the second quarter at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., Koo was brought out to try a 47-yard field goal.
But Koo ended up taking a bad step and missed the football entirely, awkwardly driving his foot into the turf instead. You can see the video of the humiliating scene here.
After the game, which the Giants lost by a 33-15 final, Koo offered a lame excuse for his embarrassing mishap. He claimed that he actually pulled up on the football on purpose.
“I was approaching the ball and, cold weather, the ball kind of slipped out at the bottom so it was moving,” Koo said, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post. “I wasn’t able to kick through the ball. The ball was moving when I was driving to it, so I just pulled up on it.
“[Holder] Jamie [Gillan] did a good job of catching it and putting it back,” continued Koo. “But at that point, it was too late.”
The slow-motion replay did indeed show that the bottom of the ball was moving a little bit as Gillan set it down. But it appeared that Gillan managed to get the ball down and in position for Koo by the time that Koo (would have) kicked it.
Koo is far from the first NFL kicker to deal with cold weather and/or a less-than-100-percent-perfect hold. Thus, his excuse here of “I actually meant to do that” instead of simply owning his whiff comes across as quite lame.
