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For all the things the Kansas City Chiefs did right in last week’s win, it seemed they did wrong in their Week 5 game against the San Francisco 49ers. Multiple special teams mistakes in Sunday’s game cost the Chiefs any chance to capitalize on that victory and move above .500 on the NFL season. A pair of fourth-quarter gaffes on San Francisco punts contributed to the Chiefs’ 22-17 loss.
The loss put a major dent in the Chiefs’ playof hopes as AFC West rivals Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers both won by convincing margins over the Arizona Cardinals and New York Jets, respectively. The Chiefs, despite not having much of the football during the game, did enough that, if their special teams had just been adequate in the final period, they might well have gotten out of San Francisco with a vital win.
The first error came with a lack of readiness. The 49ers, facing a fourth-and-short in their own territory, fooled Kansas City with a fake punt that went right up the middle for the first down. Had the Chiefs stopped it, they would have been deep in 49ers’ territory, needing only a field goal to take the lead.
The second was far worse, but also came from a loss of concentration. Still needing the ball back to get a score and take the lead, Kansas City (2-3) looked in line to do just that when the 49ers were again forced to punt. This time, however, they never had to kick. Kansas City was called for having 12 men on the field, giving the 49ers (3-2) a first down and eventually a field goal that made it 22-17. Alex Smith was intercepted on Kansas City’s next drive and any chance for a Chiefs win went down the drain.
One such special teams mistake could probably be overcome in a road game against a tough team, but two — especially two in the same quarter — is far too many to rally from. Given how strong both the Broncos (3-1) and Chargers (4-1) have looked this season, a loss like today’s is particularly damaging for Kansas City in its bid not only to win the division, but perhaps even to gain an AFC Wild Card berth. This was a hurtful loss and it was totally preventable had the punt coverage unit been paying attention.
The Chiefs have a bye next week and perhaps that couldn’t come at a better time. Kansas City needs a week to get its heads on straight, focus on the fundamentals and be ready to put on a Grade-A performance in two weeks when the Chiefs visit the Chargers.
Ed Morgans is an ACC Basketball Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @writered21 and add him to your network on Google.
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