The Kansas City Chiefs’ loss to the Detroit Lions on Super Bowl banner night was tough for fans of the home team to stomach. A specific situation during the game was even more difficult for long-time football coach and current special teams coordinator Dave Toub.
Toub has always been passionate about building consistency and eliminating mistakes within his special teams unit. An error occurred in the first half of the opening night loss as the Chiefs allowed a fake punt to extend the Lions’ drive, which eventually ended in the game’s opening touchdown. On Thursday, Toub shared his thoughts and frustration with reporters about the successful sneak play that caught his unit off guard.
“Yeah, we talked about it all year. Last year, we were ready for stuff,” Toub explained. “We talked about it. We know when people play us, they got to try to steal possessions. And that’s one way to do it. And we have to be, whether it’s an onside kick or a fake punt, all those different scenarios, we have to be ready for any time they have the ball in your hand, they control the situation, we have to be able to play defense, and we talk about it, we practice the heck out of it. You know, and we’re going to make a lot of those plays, but sometimes they get us, and they got us.”
The play was a big momentum swing after it appeared the Chiefs’ defense had stalled the Lion’s progress. The Chiefs need to ensure the offense has the ball more, as their chances of winning are more significant when Mahomes isn’t on the sidelines.