Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
TEAM STATS
Punts: 19 (2nd fewest)
Net yards: 930 (4th fewest)
Net average: 49 yards (best)
Punts out of bounds: 0 (least)
Opponent returns: 7 (tied 2nd least)
Opponent return yards: 35 (2nd least)
Opponent return average: 5 yards per return (3rd least)
Opponent return touchdowns: 0 (tied with rest of NFL)
Opponent punt blocks: 0 (tied 29 others)
PLAYER STATS
Tommy Townsend: 19 punts, 48.9 net average, 8 downed inside 20-yard line, 5 downed inside the 10, 2 downed inside the 5, 2 touchbacks, 74 long
Dicaprio Bootle: 1 tackle, 1 downed punt
Michael Burton: 1 tackle
Deon Bush: 1 penalty (illegal formation)
Cole Christiansen: 1 tackle (solo)
Jack Cochrane: 1 tackle (solo)
Chris Lammons: 1 tackle (solo), 1 downed punt
Elijah Lee: 4 tackles (1 solo)
Jaylen Watson: 1 tackle
Justin Watson: 1 downed punt
OVERVIEW
Like last season, punt coverage remains the Chiefs’ best special teams subunit. Townsend has been a force as a punter, with the No. 1 net average in the league. He’s getting better at kicking punts deep yet controlling them to make sure they don’t fall in the end zone. It helps that the Chiefs have good gunners as well.
The most consistent gunner for the Chiefs has been Lammons, who has lined up as gunner on 18 of 19 punts. He has mostly played on the left side (12 plays) but occasionally lines up on the right (six plays). He has one tackle on punt coverage, but his quality play doesn’t really show up on the stat sheet. I have Lammons winning as a gunner on 16 of 18 (about 89 percent) possible plays. Winning as a gunner causes opposing punt returners to call fair catches or allow the punts to bounce, which is a positive for the punt coverage subunit.
In addition to Lammons, linebacker Elijah Lee has by far been the Chiefs’ best punt coverage player despite missing Weeks 6 and 7. He has four tackles on punt coverage alone, and six total special teams tackles.
The constant winning of Chiefs defenders plus Townsend’s accuracy and strength as a punter has allowed the team to boast the third-best opponent return average at just five yards per return. The Chiefs’ opponent average field position for punt returns is the 20-yard line, too, meaning the subunit generally doesn’t allow anything better than a touchback regardless of whether it’s returned.
