http://espn.go.com/blog/nflnation/po...s-like-bad-one
By Adam Teicher | ESPN.com
DENVER – The Kansas City Chiefs might be the only ones who continue to believe that keeping undrafted rookie kicker Cairo Santos was a good decision.
“No, I don’t,’’ coach Andy Reid said when asked whether the Chiefs regretted their choice of Santos over a proven and mostly reliable veteran, Ryan Succop. “He’s got to kick better. I don’t ever look back on those things.’’
The decision is looking like a rotten one. Santos missed another field goal attempt, this one from 37 yards, in Sunday’s 24-17 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Santos made a kick from 45 yards. He was also 1-for-2 in last week’s game but sent both kicks off the uprights.
The reliability of a kicker is important for any team but crucial for a team struggling to find itself offensively. The Chiefs improved vastly in that area since last week’s game but are far from a finished product.
They certainly aren’t good enough to overcome the failures of their kicker.
The Chiefs saved about $1.6 million in choosing Santos over Succop and a savings of that nature can make such a move understandable. What’s troubling is that the Chiefs believed Santos was a better option regardless of the cost savings.
They believed he had more ability and potential than Succop and thus was a better choice. He certainly looked the part in training camp and the preseason, when he showed a strong leg and handled a position battle flawlessly.
But the Chiefs can’t wait for him to develop. They needed him to be NFL-ready against the Broncos and he wasn’t.
It sounds like Reid and the Chiefs will make that wait.
“When he settles down he kicks it fine,’’ Reid said. “He’s got to do that. We have trust in him.’’