Falcons Back Folk After Missed Field Goal
Atlanta coach Kevin Stefanski said he has confidence in kicker Nick Folk after a 38-yard miss ended a long streak in a 34-17 loss to the Bengals in Madrid.
Updated on Nov. 8, 2026 in Football
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The Atlanta Falcons lost 34-17 to the Cincinnati Bengals in Madrid on Sunday. Kicker Nick Folk missed a 38-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, ending his NFL-record streak of 107 consecutive field goals from inside 40 yards.
Why it matters
Folk's miss snapped one of the longest streaks in league history and came at a point when the Falcons had reached the Bengals' 10-yard line before a holding penalty pushed the attempt back. Stefanski's public backing signals the team is standing by its kicker through a season with several misses.
Folk is 13-for-18 on field goals (72.2%) and 17-for-18 on extra points through nine games, while the Falcons' five kickers have combined to make 74 of 98 field goals (75.5%) over the past three seasons. Folk's 38-yard miss was his first from inside 40 yards since a 31-yard attempt against New England on Oct. 5, 2017.
The players
Nick Folk
Folk is a veteran NFL kicker who has played for several teams, including Tennessee and Tampa Bay, and held the league's consecutive field goal streak record.
Kevin Stefanski
Stefanski is the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, a former Cleveland Browns head coach who previously served as an offensive coordinator in Minnesota.
The details
Atlanta had driven to Cincinnati's 10-yard line before an offensive holding penalty on Kyle Pitts turned the possession into a 38-yard attempt, which Folk pushed wide left. Folk had earlier made a 31-yard field goal to put Atlanta ahead 10-7 and finished the game 1-for-2 on field goals while making both extra points.
Timeline
Oct. 5, 2017: Folk's previous miss from inside 40 yards, a 31-yard attempt against New England.
2023: Folk initially broke the NFL field goal streak record while kicking for Tennessee.
2023 through 2025: Folk went 78-for-81 on field goals.
2024: Younghoe Koo made 25 of 34 field goals before going on injured reserve.
Sunday, Nov. 8, 2026: Falcons lost 34-17 to the Bengals and Folk missed the 38-yard attempt.
Season Trajectory
Folk's miss comes as the Falcons have cycled through five kickers over the past three seasons, combining to make 74 of 98 attempts. The reliability of the kicking position is now a visible factor in a season where close games are being decided by single possessions.
Fantasy managers rostering Folk should note he has missed five field goals this season, lowering his reliability in close games. The Falcons' kicking uncertainty matters for game-script planning, since a missed short-range attempt can turn a single possession into a three-point margin.
The takeaway
Kicker reliability is often decided by a handful of attempts rather than season totals, so Folk's 107-attempt streak and this single miss point to the value of tracking recent form. Watching how Atlanta handles the position over the next several games will show whether the team is committed to Folk.
Further reading
For more on the team's season, see Atlanta Football coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Heavy.
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