Chiefs Are Sticking With Beleaguered Kicker Against Atlanta

The Kansas City Chiefs have had a kicking problem for several weeks now, but coach Andy Reid announced on Wednesday that Kansas City will be sticking with Harrison Butker once again when the meet the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, per a report from ESPN and multiple other outlets.

It’s a surprising move given the situation. Butker led the league in misses last season, and the problems surfaced again this year. He’s been missing what’s now considered mid- to long-range field goals from 44-55 yards out, and the Chiefs brought in former Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker and signed him to their practice squad. 

The initial reports had Tucker functioning as something resembling a kicking coach with Butker, with Tucker observing Butker at practice and offering tips as the two kickers basically compared notes. 

It hasn’t helped. Butker missed another kick on Sunday in Kansas City’s 35-12 win over the New York Jets, and he had two cracks at it, one before a penalty and another after the penalty against the Jets was accepted to shorten the kick to 51 yards. He was 5-for-5 on extra points, though, so at least that part of his game has been sound. 

It’s hard to tell what Reid is thinking here, or what he’s waiting for either. Bringing in Tucker was a controversial move that forced Reid to answer questions about the kicker’s lengthy suspension after a series of massage therapists in the Baltimore are accused him of sexual mis conduct. The move would be controversial, but that applies regardless of the new kicker given Butker's long history of success. 

The best guess at this point is that this could be continuing loyalty to Butker given that the Chiefs are going through a softer part of their schedule, so maybe Reid is hoping that will give the kicker time to course-correct. 

It’s a risky move. The Chiefs have been very good but not dominant against some of the weaker teams they’ve played, and the Jets game was actually a good example of how this worked. Kansas City had a 14-12 lead at halftime, and with a little more success in the red zone the Jets could have hung around and made this a game. 

The same kind of risk applies against the 3-6 Falcons, plus this is a road game. Atlanta is dangerous when quarterback Michael Penix gets hot, although he was dismal last Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Falcons are in the worst division in the NFL at  3-6 in the NFC south, so they still have a lot to play for, amazingly enough.