Chiefs vs. Titans: Overlooked storylines from Week 7
By Matt Conner
Harrison Butker loses his perfect season
When it’s all said and done, no one should remotely care about Harrison Butker’s streak of consecutive field goal attempts made, and we are pretty sure the Chiefs kicker would be the first to admit as much. After all, the Chiefs are losing games they’re expected to win and there are a lot of pressing issues facing the team’s leadership at present—coaches, players, and staff—so any personal achievements or statistics are an afterthought at this point.
That said, we’re looking at that very thing in this column—overlooked storylines—which means this is the perfect place to note that Andy Reid‘s decision to attempt a ridiculous field goal attempt from 57 yards out to end the third quarter ruined Butker’s otherwise perfect season. It was a nice subplot for the season for a kicker who has been everything the Chiefs have needed him to be and then some but now the accuracy streak is gone because Reid was somehow going for field goals when his team was down four possessions.
The upside is that Butker has still converted 7 of 8 attempts on the season and it’s quite possible that he can make a 57 yard field goal in other circumstances. He’s also got an incredibly strong leg that makes nullifies most kickoff returns and the yips that plagued him when trying to kick some extra points a year ago have been solved.
Basically, Butker is having a very quiet yet steady season for the Chiefs, one perhaps worthy of a Pro Bowl nod at season’s end. Let’s just hope that Reid’s push for three points over seven won’t ruin Butker’s chances.