4 Chiefs who need to get their act together before facing Falcons

The Chiefs' 35-12 blowout win over Geno Smith and the Jets may seem like a great performance worth cheering for, but there were plenty of glaring holes across all three phases. Just like in the two losses preceding this 23-point victory, and just like the five wins before those, there are always players who need to step up before the next game.

Even after putting up 35 points, even after a three-score game for Kenneth Walker, and even after another team-leading performance by Travis Kelce, there is work to be done. Here are a few Chiefs who need to step up before a trap game in Atlanta.

Creed Humphrey is the only one who can fix the team's snap issues

The consistently great center out of Oklahoma is the same player Kansas City made the highest-paid at his position just two seasons ago. That's also the player who is responsible for seven fumbles from bad snaps, tied with two quarterbacks (Justin Herbert and Deshaun Watson) for the second-most in the league by any player.

The low snaps have been noticeable all season, and even a little bit last year, but this past Sunday against the Jets, he had a low snap on first down that completely killed the play (below) on a drive that lasted only two more plays. He also had another mishandled snap under center, this time on the famed QB sneak that Andy Reid seemed to have called out of spite.

That's two fumbles that can be attributed to Humphrey, even though he's officially only responsible for one. That would be Humphrey's first two-fumble game since ... Week 1 against Denver, eight weeks ago. Both games just so happen to also feature the team scoring 30-plus points in blowout fashion, so at least he wasn't responsible for any catastrophic swing of the game.

J.J. Watt mentioned on the CBS broadcast that Humphrey is still snapping the ball from the tip rather than laying it on its side. Watt, as well as most seasoned football players, stated that his snapping technique is very likely why the shotgun snaps are yielding an average of nearly one fumble per game this season.

If Humphrey doesn't step it up and fix his snapping posture or handling of the football, it's eventually going to lead to points for the opposition and possibly a victory turning into a loss. It seems like it should be an easy fix, especially since he's constantly talked about as the best center when it comes to pass and run blocking, but it's up to him to figure it out before it gets Mahomes hurt.

Harrison Butker, it's time to pack it up

This shouldn't take too long. It's time to give Butker a well-applauded exit from the team. That's not a pro-Justin Tucker stance; it is a pro-do-your-job statement.

Butker's problems have been noticeable all season, and all of last season for that matter, but a miss from 56 yards followed immediately by a miss in the exact same manner from five yards closer ... that's a bad look after the first two months of the season.

Granted, he did go five-for-five on extra points. That was usually when Chiefs fans would be worried, but now it's nauseating to watch Butker line up for any kick past 50 yards. He's two-for-eight from beyond 50 yards, but he's 10-for-11 on all field goals under 50 yards.

There have been chance after chance with Butker, and while it's not the best public relations move to switch to Tucker from the practice squad, it might be time to let Butker find his way out sooner rather than later. He will probably enter the Chiefs Ring of Honor in due time, and there is always a chance for kickers with his résumé to argue for Canton, but his time on this team has seemingly come to an end.

If he is not released before the Atlanta game, he's going to have to be perfect when asked to kick, especially since the Falcons play in a dome and there should be no excuses for any kicking errors.

Dave Toub and his special teams units need to get it together ASAP

Once again, the Chiefs' special teams unit was the most penalized unit on the team. This time, it was amplified by the massive kickoff return that rarely comes for Kansas City and Nikko Remigio.

First, Jake Briningstool got caught holding on the Chiefs' second kickoff return of the game, when Remigio originally got to the 35-yard line after 26 yards of zigging and zagging. The penalty forced Mahomes to start from the 28-yard line instead.

Then came the big one. It was a major moment for Toub and Nikko Remigio, who have been criticized all year long for their lackluster production. All of that was erased with a huge 69-yard return all the way to the Jets' three-yard line, setting Mahomes and Kenneth Walker III snug up against the end zone for a chance to go up 35-12 with four minutes to go in the third quarter.

Before the whole team could even celebrate Remigio's longest return of his career, nullified or not, the flag was already moving everyone back to the Chiefs' 18-yard line. That's a net loss of 79 yards thanks to a holding call on Jadon Canady, and it was only listed as a penalty for a 10-yard loss—another example of why stats don't show the whole story.

Amazingly, the Chiefs' 10 accepted penalties on their special teams unit rank as the seventh-highest total behind teams like Indianapolis (19), Cincinnati (15), and Philadelphia (14). So even though Toub and the entire third phase of the Chiefs have been mentioned on these "step up" lists throughout the season, they actually haven't been as bad as Chiefs Kingdom might believe.

That is no reason not to demand better and make sure guys like Jack Cochrane and Canady start trending the right way on special teams, especially with a trap game in Atlanta forthcoming.

Honorable mention: Jadon Canady

Not only did his holding call bring the ball back nearly 80 total yards, but he was also the only member of the secondary to allow three receptions (Drue Tranquill allowed four over the middle). They targeted Canady when he was on the field, but only gained 12 yards (with 19 yards after the catch) is all they got. Spagnuolo and Reid will take those numbers all day.

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