Dustin Colquitt doubles down on his review of Tommy Townsend chefs

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As if this week couldn’t get any wilder, we now have some drama surrounding the Kansas City Chiefs.

After missing an extra point and 51-yard field goal in the Week 15 30-24 overtime win over the Houston Texans, Kansas City placekicker Harrison Butkers NFL ranks 30th and right now, alone three kickers have a worse extra point percentage.

Since missing several weeks with an ankle injury sustained in Week 1, Butker hasn’t been consistent himself. Many questions about his health and even his mental game continue to be raised.

But according to former Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt, at least part of the blame lies with punter Tommy Townsend, who serves as the starter for the field goals and extra points.

He is an exceptional gambler. If you look back at the catches on the extra point, the #laces are facing the sideline, and on the over 50 yards missed he pulled the ball towards him at the last second and forced the ball to go to the right – he’s been missing the spot all year.

Dustin Colquitt (@dustincolquitt2) December 19, 2022

The teams’ special teams issues have been well documented this season, but Townsend has performed well. He was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month for September. He ranks second in yards per punt and leads the league in net yards per punt.

But this isn’t the first time there have been questions about his ability to start Butkers. From 2020 to 2021, Butkers’ field goal percentage went from 92.6% to 89.3% when Townsend became the starter. In January 2021, the Chiefs quit Colquitt on the practice squad in an effort to help Townsend hold on through the playoffs.

2020 Tommy held you DS.Please do some sort of research before commenting

Dustin Colquitt (@dustincolquitt2) December 19, 2022

On Tuesday morning, Colquitt appeared on Kansas City Sports Radio. He described how the grip is crucial to a successful kick and confirmed that was why Kansas City brought him back to the practice squad.

He described Townsend as a clever smart-ass, saying the advice he gave Townsed fell on deaf ears. Colquitt went on to say that while he thinks Townsend is a great gambler and has a bright future, his catches are costing Butker. Colquitt said Butker is godfather to his children and is frustrated at being blamed for missed kicks.

Analysis

There’s certainly enough smoke around Townsends’ holds to suggest there’s a fire. Special teams coordinator Dave Toub mentioned there were some issues and the team brought Colquitt back to help.

That said, it’s easy to see that Colquitt might have some grudges against the Chiefs and Townsend. He was Kansas City’s punter for more than a decade, sticking with the team through some of the organization’s darkest days. There were times when he was the best player on the roster and after finally winning a Super Bowl, he was shown the door for a rookie to take his place. It also seems clear that Butker and Colquitt are personally very close, which further complicates the situation.

Toub said Butker is unlikely to be fully healthy this season. It’s highly likely that Butkers’ combination of catches and health is the main reason he’s having his worst season right now. But if the outfit is so poor that it can be noticed on TV by a former incumbent, then maybe there’s more to the story.

Either way, the Chiefs have a serious problem to deal with if their kicking game can’t be relied on for the rest of the season.

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