They seem to be under the impression that our special teams unit sucks or just hasn't been good enough for awhile now. A few of the dumber fans have even suggested that Toub needs to go. Bullshit. Complete and utter bullshit.
This is another example of people not seeing the forest for the fucking trees when it comes to this team during the Andy Reid era. They get so obsessed over the illegal block in the back penalties and how he coaches his returners to attempt to make a play whenever possible. Seriously? THOSE TWO things are your main criteria for determining whether we have a good special teams coordinator or not?!
Is there nothing to be said for him having 3 different place kickers since 2013, and how none of them have ever shit the bed and turned into Mason Crosbys, Blair Walshes, or Cody Parkeys?
Or how about the BIGGEST part of special teams: Returns. Did you know the Chiefs have never allowed a special teams return TD of ANY TYPE during Toub's tenure? Meanwhile, they themselves have scored 11 kickoff/punt return TDs? "Oh but it's all Tyreek," you might say. Nope. Tyreek only accounts for 5 of those 11 return TDs.
So here are some stats. You can look up any year you want at both of the links
https://www.espn.com/nfl/stats/team/...eturn/dir/desc
Here are the Chiefs in the return game
2013: 2 kr TDs (Quinton Demps, Knile Davis) 2 pr TDs (Dexter McCluster)
Rankings: 1st in kick return average, 6th in punt return average
2014: 1 kr TD (Knile Davis) 1 pr TD (DeAnthony Thomas)
Rankings: 2nd in kick return average, 4th in punt return average
2015: [none]
Rankings: 21st in kick return average, 18th in punt return average
2016: 1 kr TD (Tyreek Hill) 2 pr TD (Tyreek Hill)
Rankings: 9th in kick return average, 1st in punt return average
2017: 1 pr TD (Tyreek Hill)
Rankings: 9th in kick return average, 25th in punt return average
2018: 1 pr TD (Tyreek Hill)
Rankings: 8th in kick return average, 3rd in punt return average
Apart from 2015 and an anomalous 2017 in punt returns, the Chiefs have always been top 10 in average return yards per punt and kickoff.
I've been trying to find statistics for team kick and punt coverage and I can't quite find any. Here's this shit from Football Outsiders, though. No clue if this is a good metric to use or not, but here are their total special teams rankings:
https://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/teamst/2018
2013: 1st
2014: 3rd
2015: 9th
2016: 1st
2017: 4th
2018: 2nd
Anybody still want to claim that Toub sucks?
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I have two major problems with Toub:
1. DAT's punt return decisions. This has been a notable problem for years and hasn't improved in the slightest. If DAT is the problem, he shouldn't be out there. If you're still putting him out there and he's making the same mistakes, you are the problem.
2. Special teams penalties have been consistently egregious. The players surely deserve a lot of blame, but eventually it has to come back to the coaching.
I'm not saying Toub should be fired and I recognize that he's well-respected and very good at what he does, but the issues raised above are driving me fucking insane.
[Reply]