Chiefs' special teamers work hard to avoid a Blair Walsh-like incident

By foxsports
Published

Cairo Santos has nightmares about the type of miss that crushed the Vikings last weekend.

Then, the Kansas City Chiefs' kicker wakes up. He goes to work. And he does everything in his power to ensure a Blair Walsh-type shank never sinks his team.

Santos, via ESPN's Adam Teicher:

"Our operation has been smooth. I practice it on my own, when I’m warming up. I put the laces sideways or I put the laces backwards or make it a bad lean just to work on it if it does happen."

Jeff Locke, the Vikings' holder, broke the cardinal sin of place-kicking. He presented the laces inward on the team's 27-yard attempt that sailed wide left.

Santos, his holder Dustin Colquitt, and his long-snapper James Winchester, are right to practice for the worst-case scenario. It's a daily precaution, says special teams coach Dave Toub.

Said Toub:

“Every day, especially after what we just saw in that (Minnesota) game. We did it, in fact, we did it yesterday. We also do wet-ball drills. We kick wet ball, we snap wet ball, we try to mimic every possible and crazy thing that could happen. Fast field goal, whatever that might be, we try to practice those daily."