A shaky 2020 campaign necessitated that Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker take a big step forward this season and through six weeks he has made good on every bit of the improvement he left for himself last year. The former seventh-round pick by way of Georgia Tech has maintained a perfect season through this point on his team’s schedule, making every kick he has trotted out for.
While this streak is impressive for the utter consistency shown while the Chiefs have struggled early in their 2021 campaign, Butker’s has only attempted six three-point field goals, averaging one per game to start his season. The more impressive accomplishment has been his ability to hit extra points after touchdowns at a much higher rate than last year, as he has nailed a perfect 23-of-23 so far, after hitting just 88.9-percent of the easy shots in 2020.
Butker is developing confidence this season that seemed fleeting for him before. There is a swagger and sureness in himself and the special teams as a whole this year. It may not be the most glamorous aspect of the Chiefs’ roster, but the unit will prove to be a game-changer in close games, especially in the playoffs.
It is worth noting that Kansas City could be in a drastically different place this season if they could have just put themselves in a position to let Butker make a kick. In their tilt against Baltimore, a brutal Clyde Edwards-Helaire fumble effectively took the ball out of Butker’s hands (or more accurately right foot) to hit what would’ve been a game-winning field goal in Week 2.
With Buffalo’s loss to Tennessee yesterday, Kansas City is in a prime position to make a legitimate run for the playoffs in spite of their sluggish start, with just a handful of teams ahead of them in the AFC standings. They’ll need to draw on Butker’s consistency to help them win some of the harder games on their remaining schedule, and should be able to get back to the top if they can find their grip in the coming weeks.
