Friday, December 19, 2014

Keep an eye on the return game

The Chiefs' special teams are excellent generally, and the kick return game in particular is good, both kickoffs and punts.

Running back Knile Davis (5'10", 225; 4.37 40) is the primary kickoff return guy. On 25 returns, he has a 29.1 yard return average, with a longest return of 99 yards for a touchdown.

Fellow running back De'Anthony Thomas (5'8", 176), a rookie out of Oregon, has returned 12 kickoffs for a 31.9 yard average, with a long return of 78 yards.

De'Anthony Thomas, breaking free
on a punt return vs. Oakland
Davis also is dangerous on punt returns, as he showed last week with an 81-yard return for a touchdown vs. Oakland.  He was this week's AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

The punter, Dustin Colquitt, also is very good, with a 44-yard average and 29 punts nailed inside the 20. Rookie placekicker Cairo Santos has been pretty good, too, although he missed two field goals last week against Oakland. For the season, he's made 17 of 21 field foal attempts with a longest of 53 yards. He's made 5 of 8 attempts from 40-49 yards.

It's Davis and Thomas, though, who are the guys who have Joey Porter's Pit Bulls worried, with their return abilities.