K.C.’s special teams under longtime coordinator Dave Toub typically provide the team a weekly boost.
That wasn’t the case in a competitive game on Monday night.
The Chiefs’ gunners routinely missed blocks, which limited the opportunity to return punts. A holding penalty negated a 63-yard kickoff return by Brashard Smith, and later in a tie game, the Jaguars’ LeQuint Allen Jr. broke free for a 38-yard kickoff return to set up a go-ahead field goal.
On the ensuing kickoff, K.C. was flagged for an illegal double-team block, which started the offense’s next possession inside the 15.
Then, after K.C. took the lead, kicker Harrison Butker booted the kickoff out of bounds to give the Jaguars the ball at the 40.
And finally, with one last chance to come back, the Chiefs had a holding penalty on their final kickoff return with 23 second left.
It’s a compliment to the Chiefs that it’s noticeable when their special teams get outplayed. But during a critical contest early in the season, that’s exactly what took place.