Apparently making your special teams coordinator your interim head coach earns you some good luck on the third phase of the game
Since Darren Rizzi has become the New Orleans Saints head coach, opposing kickers have struggled against New Orleans. Every team the Saints have faced since the coaching switch have missed a field goal, other than the Los Angeles Rams and they didn’t attempt a field goal.
The most notable miss was Bryan Bresee blocking Matt Gay’s field goal to seal a Saints win over the New York Giants. The play earned Bresee recognition as NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.
It all started with Younghoe Koo and the Atlanta Falcons. Koo is a normally surefooted kicker, especially against New Orleans. He’d only missed two field goals versus the Saints coming into the game, and one was a blocked kick from beyond 60 yards.
In Week 10, Koo missed three field goals. That’s more field goals than he’d missed against the Saints in his whole career. It’s also the most kicks Koo has missed in a single game in his career.
In total, opposing teams are 2-of-8 on field goals since Rizzi has taken over. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not. You be the judge.
