Chiefs Position Battles To Watch Vs. Panthers

December 15, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Kansas City Chiefs kicker Ryan Succop (6) kicks a point-after-touchdown out of the hold by punter Dustin Colquitt (2) against the Oakland Raiders during the first quarter at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

2. Kicker

Primary Figures: Ryan Succop and Cairo Santos

Tonight may be a pivotal moment in the battle between Succop and Santos as Succop has missed several practices in the last week due to a groin injury. How many kicks he’ll take tonight is unknown which leaves the door open for Santos to make a significant move towards gaining the kicker job.

Two things are pretty clear so far about the kicker competition. First, Santos has an extremely strong leg – maybe the strongest any Chiefs kicker has had – and he has been very consistent with his accuracy during OTAs and training camp. A big leg that can actually get the ball through the uprights at a good clip is quite a useful weapon.

The second thing we have noticed is Succop has come into camp in tremendous shape. He’s worked on some things at it is clear he has a much stronger leg now than he had last season. Whether or not he’s added enough strength to his leg to justify keeping his roster spot is still up for debate, but his improved leg strength and experience kicking at the NFL level could prove very valuable for this particular Chiefs team.