The Atlanta Falcons have had a roller coaster of an offseason, and the opening week hasn't been much better. Tua Tagovailoa signed with the Falcons and was set to be the starter, but was hurt during the week leading up to Week 1. Michael Penix Jr. hasn't fully recovered from his injury, and Cooper Rush found himself as the starting QB in Week 1. While the offense was far from perfect, Nick Folk 's kicking was even worse.
Folk had been one of the most accurate kickers in the NFL over the last couple of seasons and was money for the New York Jets . He signed with Atlanta in the offseason on a two-year, $9 million deal, and missed two kicks in his Falcons debut. This led fans to call for his job.
"Cut Nick Folk," said one fan .
"Nick Folk gave us a great meme before getting cut," said one fan .
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Folk got plenty of hate for his performance. It wasn't all bad, as he made two of his four field-goal attempts and knocked in an extra point. But Folk is 41 years old and is missing kicks. He might not be the reliable veteran anymore, and he wasn't against Pittsburgh , which is why the fans are ready for him to retire.
"Cut Cooper Rush. Send Nick Folk to the retirement home," said one fan .
"Nick Folk isn't even trying neither is CR (Cooper Rush). Cut them both tomorrow," said one fan .
Rush was another target of NFL fans. He had built himself up as a serviceable backup in the NFL, but he didn't show that against Pittsburgh. Between Folk's two missed field goals, costing them six points, and Rush's pick-six, the two veterans are responsible for multiple major swings in the game. Falcons fans are fed up.
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"Why isn't Strand in? Also cut Nick Folk," said one fan .
Jack Strand was an unknown entering the season, but after an impressive preseason showing, fans wanted to see him take over under center to give them a chance to win. Instead, they watched Rush struggle, and Folk's missed field goals came back to bite them down the stretch.
The Falcons took the tough loss, but all of their division rivals lost as well. So, although it was brutal to watch and Atlanta might have to re-evaluate their kicker, they lost no ground in the NFC South up for grabs.
They have a big divisional clash next week against the Carolina Panthers , who gave up 59 points to the Chicago Bears this week, and could have Tagovailoa under center to try to get them back on track.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network .
