Tag: Dave Toub

Mike Hughes to be Chiefs’ No. 1 punt returner moving forward

In an effort to get the punt return game going, #Chiefs ST coordinator Dave Toub says Mike Hughes will start over Mecole Hardman moving forward.

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The Kansas City Chiefs are fresh off the bye week and after some holiday introspection, they’re due to make a few changes for the stretch run.

Speaking to reporters for the first time since the win over the Dallas Cowboys in Week 11, Chiefs ST coordinator Dave Toub explained his process during the bye week. He’s been looking hard for any proclivity on his part, but he also intends to find any sort of edge he can to get things trending in a positive direction.

“You go back and do a lot of self-scouting,” Toub said. “You want to see what other teams are looking at. Do you have any tendencies? Are you doing anything 100% of the time? That’s where you have to be careful, if you do it every time, then you’re susceptible to a fake or some kind of trick play or something. You look at — are you successful in what you’re doing? You look at the return game and are you getting what you want as far as numbers and are the guys blocking the way you like? You spend a lot of time doing that. We did that early and then we jumped ahead and started looking at Denver too as well. We feel like we got a good jump on them this week.”

Ahead of the bye week, Toub did make one change and it looks like that change will stick. For the first time since being drafted in 2019, Mecole Hardman didn’t play any snaps on special teams. Instead, the Chiefs opted to give Mike Hughes all the punt returns during the game. According to Toub, this was an effort to jumpstart a punt return game that has been rather dormant this season.

“We’re trying to get a spark,” Toub said. “We’re not giving up on Mecole (Hardman) by any means. He is, obviously, probably the most dynamic guy we have. But just a little bit (of time) to maybe sit back and watch a little bit, watch from the sideline, maybe that will help your confidence.

“We’re happy with (Mike Hughes). Mike does a great job, he’s a good catcher, he makes good decisions. We just want to get part of that game going. You try different things like that.”

Hughes has only returned three punts on the season averaging 18.3 yards per return. Hardman has returned eight punts this season averaging 10.3 yards per return. While the Chiefs still have Hardman available to return punts, it’s Hughes’ job to lose at this point. According to Toub, Hughes will be ‘the guy’ at the punt returner position moving forward.

“Right now, yeah,” Toub said. “That’s what we’re going to go with. We always know we’ve got Mecole (Hardman). We know we’ve got Tyreek (Hill). There’s a lot worse situations in the NFL than we have right now. We have guys we can use.”

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Chiefs’ Dave Toub thinks Harrison Butker can break NFL field goal distance record

#Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub gave his opinion on Harrison Butker’s ability to set a new field goal distance record. | from @EdEastonJr

Baltimore Ravens Pro Bowl kicker Justin Tucker broke an NFL record in Week 3, connecting on a stunning 66-yard field goal to defeat the Detroit Lions. Tucker’s kick bested the longtime record of 64 yards held by Matt Prater.

Prater’s record stood for almost eight years. If Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker and special teams coach Dave Toub have their way, Tucker’s mark won’t last long.

Butker hit a 64-yarder in practice ahead of Week 1, earning his team a day off of practice. Toub said afterward that he thought Butker could hit a 70-yard field goal in the right conditions. During Thursday’s press conference, Toub doubled down.

“I know Butker can be in that range, and on the right day, he’d have a real shot at it in the right situation,” Toub told reporters. “But it’s not surprising that Tucker got the record. He is a great kicker, he’s got a great mindset, and his leg is so strong, but Butker — if there’s one guy that can do it and break the record, it’s Harrison. Even their coach told me that, because I congratulated the coach, and he told me that very thing — ‘Your guy can break it’ — and in the right situation, I believe he can.”

Last season Butker had a fantastic game on the road in a victory over the Los Angeles Chargers, making two 58-yard field goals, including one in overtime. Both kicks are the longest in Butker’s career — for now.

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Dave Toub says new Chiefs WR Josh Gordon will be No. 2 or No. 3 receiver

Special teams? Nope! Assistant HC and ST coordinator Dave Toub says the #Chiefs have bigger plans for new WR Josh Gordon.

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The Kansas City Chiefs have been keeping their plans for new WR Josh Gordon pretty close to the chest after signing him to the practice squad.

We know that they plan to elevate him to the 53-man roster once he gets caught up to speed on the playbook, but beyond that, we know very little about what his role will be. Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Chiefs assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Dave Toub revealed one thing that Gordon won’t be doing in Kansas City. That’s returning kicks and playing on special teams.

“Probably not,” Toub told reporters of Gordon playing special teams. “I talked to him yesterday and I said, ‘You can return kicks?’ He just started laughing. I mean because we have all those guys out there who do it. I didn’t ask him if he could cover any kicks either, but I just think he’s beyond that, to be honest with you. If he comes in to help us, it’s going to be as a two or a three receiver. I think in that role, he won’t be playing special teams.”

Toub expects that when Gordon does make his debut with the Chiefs he’ll be a No. 2 or No. 3 receiver in the offense. That type of role wouldn’t leave a lot of room for special teams in Toub’s eyes.

He suggested that maybe in the future there will be opportunities for Gordon on special teams or he could be used in an emergency situation, but right now, the focus is on Gordon learning Andy Reid’s complex offense.

“The main thing that he needs to do right now, and I know Coach (Reid) has told you, is get up to speed with what we’re doing,” Toub said. “Our offense is complicated and there’s a lot to it. He’s not coming to special teams meetings. He’s doing that, he’s meeting with (WR Coach) Joe (Bleymaier).”

Andy Reid said on Wednesday that it’d be a stretch to get Gordon ready to play for Week 4, but it’s clear the team is working double time in order to get him prepared, potentially for a big role in the Chiefs’ offense.

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Dave Toub praises Chiefs’ Jody Fortson, Mike Hughes ahead of roster cuts

Dave Toub told reporters that Mike Hughes and Jody Fortson have a chance to make a big impact for the #Chiefs on special teams this season. | from @TheJohnDillon

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It seems that every year special teams coach Dave Toub has a new surprise for fans after a summer off to improve the punting and kicking games for the Kansas City Chiefs. From the emergence of D.J. Alexander in 2016 as a Pro Bowl gunner to the kick return prowess of Byron Pringle being unleashed in 2020. The new season is sure to hold something special for the special teams unit in pursuit of another Super Bowl.

Andy Reid has always placed a huge emphasis on winning on special teams. Rarely in the modern pass-happy NFL does a game come down to a punt inside the 20 or field position on a kickoff, but with expectations at an all-time high, Kansas City will seek any edge it can find.

After Chiefs practice on Tuesday, Toub spoke to the media about his unit of specialists and provided key insights into his perspective on the roster ahead of the team’s final cutdowns. Toub has had tremendous influence over tough decisions in assembling the best 53 players in the past, with this year likely headed in the same direction. Speaking about players that might need a big performance to make the cut on special teams, Toub told the media that nobody’s job is safe.

“I think everybody needs to have a good showing,” Toub said, “There are guys that you might think are easy ins right now and they’re still fighting. It’s not over. That’s the thing that I tell them. I say, ‘the decision is not made until this last game is done and we get down to 53.’ They got to keep fighting, everybody. There are lots of positions that are still open right now. Special teams will have something to do with it, but offense and defense mostly.”

The versatility to play capably on either side of the ball but also on special teams can put younger players over the top for the coaching staff, making them very difficult to cut given their use in multiple phases. Players like receiver Marcus Kemp and defensive back Dicaprio Bootle could find their way onto the final roster with solid performances at their primary positions, potentially doubling as gunners on Toub’s crew.

One surprise of the preseason has been the utilization of new cornerback Mike Hughes as a punt and kick returner, a secondary role Toub sees huge upside for him in.

 “Mike is a very, very good catcher,” Toub told reporters of the former first-round pick. “He’s a talented returner. He gets up the field north and south, he looks for that north and south right away whereas he could probably press the edges a little bit more. He’s talented and we like what we see in him going forward.”

His quote on Hughes was particularly interesting given comments made about Demarcus Robinson later in the press conference. Robinson, a mainstay of the Chiefs’ special teams since being drafted by Kansas City in 2016, has found his role change from gunner to returner. Hughes appears to have usurped his role as a returner in this preseason. Upstart second-year tight end Jody Fortson, a converted receiver, is competing alongside the aforementioned Kemp to displace him elsewhere on the roster.

Toub was complimentary of Fortson too and seemed to think he was on his way to securing a roster spot.

“Jody (Fortson) is setting himself up well,” Toub told reporters. “No surprises, but I was just happy to see Jody with as hard as he worked in the offseason to be able to show it on the field as a hold-up guy, blocker and cover guy, physical. It’s good to see.”

For Toub, Kansas City’s overall roster depth presents him with a complex puzzle to solve before September in finding the absolute best players under contract to help win the Chiefs games this season. His last chance to evaluate the talent before decisions have to be made will be on Friday against the Vikings, and if history is any indication, his perspective on this game could have huge implications for the team’s roster moving forward.

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Dave Toub voices frustration over Chiefs WR Demarcus Robinson’s punt returns

#Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub didn’t hold back his frustration over Demarcus Robinson’s punt returns. “He drives me nuts a little bit. . . and he knows it,” he said.

Kansas City Chiefs WR Demarcus Robinson saw some action on special teams in preseason Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals.

The former 2016 fourth-round draft pick returned the first two punts against the Cardinals on Friday, averaging just 2.5 yards per punt return. He had opportunities to get a few more positive yards, but in an effort to make something more happen, Robinson found himself dancing around rather than getting up the field. It was a hair-pulling performance by the veteran wideout — one that earned frustration from Chiefs fans and from Special Teams coordinator Dave Toub alike.

When asked specifically about Robinson’s performance, Toub cut off the reporter, voicing his frustration over what he’d seen from Robinson in Arizona.

“He drives me nuts a little bit,” Toub said of Robinson. “He really does, to be honest, and he knows it.”

This isn’t just a one-off from preseason Week 2 unfortunately, it seems to be a trend from Robinson during his career in Kansas City. He has returned a total of four punts with the Chiefs since 2017 and averaged -6.5 yards per punt return in that span.

Toub detailed some of the things he’d like to see from Robinson that could make him excel a bit more in the role.

“I’d like to see him catch it and keep the ball tight to his body and he doesn’t do that,” Toub continued. “I’d like to see him get north and south, he doesn’t do that. Those are things that we talk about all of the time.”

Despite ongoing conversations, Robinson still seems to struggle with those aspects of returning punts. Sure, he has his strengths as a punt returner, but Toub has made it clear, those strengths alone won’t be enough to earn him an opportunity as the every-down player on his unit in Kansas City.

“He’s a great make you miss guy,” Toub said. “There is probably nobody better, but he’s got to learn to get up the field. He’s a good catcher, so in an emergency situation, you can use him as a guy that can get you through a game, but as an every-down guy, he’s got a ways to go.”

Robinson’s roster status was never dependent upon special teams, or specifically the punt returner role. He didn’t do himself any favors against the Cardinals, but the fact that Toub still regards him as someone who can return punts in an emergency situation is important. Entering his sixth year in the league, however, you’d expect this player to be a little further along in Toub’s system.

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Chiefs DB Tyrann Mathieu lobbying to return a punt this season

#Chiefs DB Tyrann Mathieu was a stud punt return specialist at #LSU and now he’s lobbying for an opportunity to return a punt in 2021.

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Kansas City Chiefs DB Tyrann Mathieu wants to take on another job responsibility at some point this season, one that will help him relive his glory days at LSU.

Mathieu is a leader on the defensive side of the ball, playing snaps from a number of different alignments for Kansas City. He wants an opportunity to play with a different unit, though, and it isn’t the Chiefs’ high-powered offense. Mathieu tweeted on Saturday that he implored special teams coach Dave Toub for an opportunity to return a punt this season.

“I’ve been begging coach for a punt return,” Mathieu wrote on Twitter.

Mathieu hasn’t played much on special teams in the NFL, with just three combined career kick and punt returns in eight seasons. However, when he played at LSU in 2011, he was one of the most electric punt returners that college football had seen.

That year, Mathieu returned 27 punts for 421 yards and two touchdowns, including a long return of 92 yards. You can check out some of his punt return highlights down below:

Toub is unlikely to agree to Mathieu’s request, knowing how important he is to the defense. He’s already stopped using Tyreek Hill on kick returns for the same reason. Toub does still keep the option of using Hill in his back pocket for a rainy day. As a result, opposing special teams coordinators have to spend the time to prepare for Hill.

Maybe, just maybe, we’ll get a chance to see Mathieu taking a punt return this season. He even thinks he can match his college average of around 15 yards per punt.

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Chiefs ST coordinator Dave Toub discusses state of special teams unit

After the first win of the new season, #Chiefs’ special teams coordinator Dave Toub discusses where his unit is headed in 2021. | from @TheJohnDillon

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Though it won’t count for much at the end of the season, the Kansas City Chiefs’ win against the 49ers in the first game of their preseason schedule seems to have set the tone for the team moving forward. After returning 21 of 22 starters last year, Kansas City has a plethora of new talent all over the roster after loading up in the offseason following their loss in the Super Bowl.

Motivated as ever to secure another championship, this Chiefs squad seems to have a different mentality than in previous seasons. With expectations of winning on the biggest stage as they did in 2020, there is an aura of confidence and swagger about Kansas City headed into this year’s schedule.

The edge that Patrick Mahomes gives the team is obvious, but it’s their all-around well-balanced and carefully constructed roster, top to bottom, that makes them a Super Bowl threat. On special teams especially, the Chiefs have a well-oiled machine where up-and-coming players can make a name for themselves before contributing on offense or defense.

Special teams coordinator Dave Toub is perennially regarded as a potential head coach candidate for teams seeking a rebuild. That’s because Toub has made the Chiefs’ punt and kick squads a huge asset to the team, and given Kansas City a consistent edge against less well-rounded opponents.

In a press conference after practice on Tuesday, Toub shared his thoughts on the Chiefs’ special teams unit after the team’s preseason win against the 49ers. Speaking first of his second-year punter Tommy Townsend, Toub told reporters he was impressed with what he saw on Saturday.

“You can’t watch that game without noticing Tommy Townsend,” Toub said.  “He was outstanding for us. You saw him have those kind of days in practice where he bombs the ball, but we’ve just never seen him transfer it to a game like he did. It was really good to see. He had seven punts and he was really bombing the ball and placing it where we needed it especially the one that went out on the one-yard line. That was amazing.”

While Townsend’s job is secure, other players, especially those on the fringe of the Chiefs’ depth chart, are hoping to impress Toub in a secondary role on special teams to make the final 53-man roster. His input could make or break the dreams of any number of players on the team, and Toub made it clear that cutting down the roster during the preseason process is no easy feat.

“You know, it’s hard,” Toub explained about roster cuts. “Sometimes you lose guys that you want to keep, but you go in, you make your arguments for guys and they have to be solid offensive or defensive players first obviously. Then it’s our job to turn those guys down the line into really good special teams players and that’s the way it works. We don’t keep a lot of players just because they play special teams. That’s not what’s really happening here. They got to play offense and defense first and then we turn them into better players.”

With such a sterling track record of player development, Toub has already made an obvious impact on the current Chiefs roster. Guys like Marcus Kemp, Dorian O’Daniel, and Ben Niemann have all been involved in the special teams game in previous years, and look like locks to make the team again this season.

One surprising addition to Toub’s crew in Saturday’s game was cornerback Mike Hughes, a former first-round pick by way of Minnesota that Kansas City traded for this offseason to shore up the secondary. In his new role as a kick returner, Hughes seems to have impressed Toub, who made a point to comment on his performance to the media.

“He did a nice job,” Toub told reporters. “We put him in there as punt returner and kick returner. The kick return he really hit it, did a nice job. I told our guys to come out no matter where the ball was kicked, that’s why he came out eight deep. Everybody got under a block, they did a good job blocking. We were one block away from scoring on that play, but he really hit it. It was encouraging to see him do that and we knew he had return ability and it was good to see it in a game.”

The Chiefs’ trip to Arizona this weekend will give Toub another opportunity to assess the talent at his disposal. With rugged competition all over Kansas City’s roster, his experimentation with different players in new situations on punts, kicks, and returns could culminate in a few personnel decisions that might surprise some fans. There is a premium on versatility for this team that has become something of an identity. If Toub can get even a little extra out of anyone on the Chiefs’ roster, it could give them the edge they need to win another title.

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Chiefs special teams coordinator Dave Toub confirms starters at training camp

Special teams can make or break a player’s hopes at the 53-man roster. #Chiefs coordinator Dave Toub gave us an idea of who might make it on Friday.

Kansas City Chiefs assistant head coach and special teams coordinator Dave Toub is thankful for a regular NFL offseason.

Last season, Toub was unable to evaluate players in the way he’d become accustomed to in 20 years as an NFL assistant. The lack of a preseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic hurt his traditional evaluation process. This year, he’s eager to get a look at all of his players on the field in the preseason.

“This is so good that we have preseason games now,” Toub told reporters on Friday. “Last year, it was horrible for us on special teams because we couldn’t evaluate. We had to release guys last year that we never really knew if they could play or not. It’s unfortunate. So, this year with the preseason games, that’s the only time that we really get to evaluate guys on teams. We don’t do anything live out here in practice, so we find out if guys can cover, if they can block, they can tackle out here during preseason games.”

While a number of young and new players will get their chance to make an impression on special teams, several positions atop the depth chart are already decided in Toub’s eyes. Starting with the kick and punt return specialists, Toub will continue using Byron Pringle on kicks and Mecole Hardman on punts.

“Yeah, we’re going to start off with the way we ended last year,” Toub explained. “I think both of those guys have improved because we had OTAs, we didn’t have that last year, and now we’re having camp and they’ve really developed on some of their weaknesses. They’re getting better seeing the ball and catching it coming forward, and I think both of them are going to take a good step forward.”

Beyond the return specialist position, Toub also named the top gunners on the punt coverage team.

“Right now it’s Marcus Kemp and (Byron) Pringle,” Toub said. “I’m trying to work BoPete Keyes into the mix. If he can step it up as a corner on defense as well as being a good gunner for us, he has a really good shot at being a player for us. So, it’s going to come down to the preseason games.”

Toub also mentioned both TE Jody Fortson and rookie DB Devon Key as players that he’s looking forward to seeing during the preseason. It’s clear that the preseason games and special teams contributions will be the deciding factor for a number of these players who are on the fringe of making the 53-man roster. A good performance there could be the difference between making the team and spending the season on the practice squad in Kansas City.

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Former Bears playing or coaching in Super Bowl LV

As the Chiefs and Bucs face off in Super Bowl LV, there are some former Bears that will be coaching or playing in the big game.

The Chicago Bears will be watching the Super Bowl from home, but there will be some familiar faces throughout the franchise’s history that will be playing or coaching in Super Bowl LV as the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers face off for the game’s ultimate prize.

There are only two former Bears that are currently players in the league, both offensive linemen that are on Kansas City’s practice squad. But there are six others that are coaching in some capacity between the Chiefs and Bucs.

Here’s a look at the former Bears playing or coaching in Super Bowl LV.

Chiefs determined to avoid slow start in divisional round vs. Browns

The Chiefs had a slow start against the Houston Texans in the divisional round last year and intend to avoid that this season.

During last season’s AFC divisional-round game against the Houston Texans, the Kansas City Chiefs got off to a slow start. They found themselves in a 24-0 hole after the first quarter. We all know how it went from there, they clawed their way back from the deficit to come away with the win. They dealt with similar deficits all throughout the playoffs through Super Bowl LIV.

They made persevering and comebacks a part of their identity that postseason, so much so that each scoring deficit they came back from is emblazoned on their Super Bowl LIV rings. This postseason, however, the Chiefs are hoping to write a different story.

“We didn’t start the way we wanted to last year when we came off the bye,” Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes said on Wednesday. “I want to make sure we do a better job of starting a little bit faster and try not to put ourselves in the deficit.”

The Chiefs are planning on avoiding the slow starts that they became almost accustomed to during the playoffs. It should be easy for them when you consider how the 2020 season has gone, right? This team has often got off to dominant starts this season, but coasted for the remainder, making certain games seem closer-than-expected in the final box score. It’s why Kansas City has caught such criticism for winning a lot of one-score games.

Everyone in the building is aware of the slow start they had against the Texans last year, though. Most have their own ideas on how they can avoid repeating it.

“Our wideout coach brought it up today, well, yesterday I believe,” Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill said. “He was like, ‘Let’s not put ourselves in that same position that we did last year because every team isn’t going to be the same.’ We’ve just got to come out and have the energy that we’ve had all year. Get the ball to the playmakers, and just let Pat (Mahomes) be special with the ball in his hand. That’s all we’ve got to do.”

There is certainly an increased emphasis on starting fast against a team like the Cleveland Browns. They’re different than the teams the Chiefs faced in the playoffs last season. They boast a dominant rushing attack from the offensive line to a trio of backs in Nick Chubb, Kareem Hunt and D’Ernest Johnson — and they’re not afraid to use them.

If the Browns were to jump out to the type of lead that they did against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the wild-card round, they could simply run the ball, drain the clock and maintain that lead. That’d make things extremely difficult for the Chiefs when it’d come to making a comeback.

“It makes it a lot easier I think you can say that,” Mahomes said of starting fast. “It’s not something we necessarily talk about. I think it’s just kind of understood is that we need to come out playing our best football, playing the team that we’re playing. They’re coming in with a lot of confidence, playing really good football, so we want to do whatever we can to get off on the right foot and build a lead early because they’re a good team that’s able to win football games. We need to make sure we come with our best effort from the first snap.”

The coaching staff is singing a similar tune to the players. Special teams coordinator Dave Toub’s unit made a number of plays against the Texans and helped the team dig themselves out of 24-0 deficit last year. He reminded his players this week of how important it is that they make every single play count.

“Every play matters, every play is so important, especially on special teams,” Toub said. “We gave up two big plays [against the Texans] and then we backed it up with three great plays. So we ended up coming out on top. That’s the thing, you just keep on playing. Bad things are going to happen sometimes, but you’ve got to keep playing, keep playing and get it to swing in your favor. Hopefully, at the end of the day, you have more big plays for you than against you.”

The end goal is for execution in all three phases to be top-notch from the moment the team steps on the field until the moment they can take their victory formation. If the Chiefs can accomplish that they’ll certainly be able to get off to a faster start and perhaps even win their third consecutive divisional-round game.

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