3 truths and 2 lies from Chiefs win over Jaguars

Lie: KC has a special teams edge

For years, Chiefs Kingdom could hang their collective hats on the fact that their favorite team was so well-coached in every facet of the game, giving them an edge over the competition in several areas. While Andy Reid's offensive genius will make sure he's enshrined in the hallowed halls of Canton and Steve Spagnuolo's own defensive prowess has given him a long storied career, Dave Toub was also recently a heralded coach known across the NFL as one of the best special teams coaches around.

Over the last couple of seasons, however, it seems as if the Chiefs youth movement has taken a significant toll on this segment of the team's performance. Two games into the 2023 season, it doesn't look as if things are getting better.

On Sunday against the Jaguars, Richie James lost a punt return in the sun and turned the ball back over in the red zone in a close in which that could have made all the difference. Also, despite Tommy Townsend's pitch-perfect punting (say that three times fast), it was odd that in such a close, low-scoring game, Andy Reid would forgo a field goal from just over 50-yards out from Harrison Butker—why not even try for the points).

Last year against the Jags, the Chiefs allowed an onside kick and fumbled another kickoff return. They also watched Skyy Moore fumble away multiple opportunities as they struggled to find a solid returner. This year it appears that search will continue because, through two games, nothing seems locked down in these return units. Special teams simply have to be a place for mistake-free football or else the Chiefs playoff run will be short-lived. This is not the kind of football you can play and make a deep run.