It is rare for anything to be all that memorable coming out of a preseason game. However, special teams offer the chance for fun highlights in these dress rehearsals before the real games begin. They can also expose how easily some teams make mistakes in the third phase of football.
There is no better example than what the Kansas City Chiefs displayed on special teams in their second preseason game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A near-record field goal attempt grabbed the attention of many, including those who may not have been watching the game live. But in the end, kicking also cost the Chiefs in this outing.
Sure, the game will not count toward their actual record this season. However, Kansas City is still looking to work on and simulate how it would attack certain situations. A roller-coaster night of kicking for Harrison Butker brought back bad memories of last season.
Butker makes long distance attempt look easy
Butker nailed a 69-yard field goal to end the first half of this preseason game. A make from 69 is amazing in and of itself. More notable, though, is how easy it looked for Butker from that range. The warm weather in Tampa Bay surely played a factor in aiding the made kick. The strength and distance that Butker showed were still impressive. The kick did not even come close to grazing the crossbar. He hit the net flush, meaning the kick was probably good from 75 yards out.
Whole team was HYPED for this 69-yard FG by Harrison Butker 🗣️
— NFL (@NFL) August 23, 2026
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/O2B9LRknli
The celebration and joy shown by his teammates as they entered the locker room brought back memories of Butker being the difference in huge moments. He has had plenty of them during his Chiefs tenure. Unfortunately for Butker, the shine wore off multiple times afterward.
Butker falls down to earth in second half
The jubilation did not carry over to the second half. Butker missed a PAT off the upright. Even if the rest of the scoring plays had turned out the same, Kansas City would have at least been tied during the latter stages of this outing.
Instead, the Chiefs' third- and fourth-string players had to work in a situation in which they were trailing late. The rushing attack set up a scoring chance inside Tampa Bay territory. In the end, Butker received a potential game-winning kick opportunity from more than 40 yards out. He pushed it to the right, and it did not have enough time to turn back inside the upright.
Even in a game that is meaningless for the standings this season, not executing in prime chances like those stings. It is a bit hysterical to think that Butker made a kick from 69 yards with little to no difficulty. Then, from a manageable range on two separate kicks, it looked like he never had a chance to make them.
Chiefs cannot suffer same special teams disappointment this season
Kansas City was bad in multiple areas outside of special teams last season. But in a 6-11 season, many close losses piled up in the first half of the year. A few of those directly resulted from special teams blunders. In other instances, that unit put other areas of the roster in precarious positions.
Butker missed some kicks. He tallied five missed field goals and four missed extra points in 2025. A 2025 loss to Jacksonville included him kicking one out of bounds before the Jaguars delivered a game-winning touchdown drive. More often than one would expect, the Chiefs were also hit with penalties on special teams last season. They were below average as a kick and punt return group as well.
Kansas City appears fresher, younger, and faster than last year in certain parts of the roster. But how deep is this team truly? If the Chiefs have to resort to winning on the margins throughout the season, they need that special teams phase to be more reliable. Butker's night in the second preseason game leaves observers stunned and perplexed when viewing the unit overall.
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