Injured Chiefs Kicker To IR
Injured Chiefs kicker Cairo Santos has been placed on the IR list. In his place, rookie Harrison Butker will get the Week 4 start for Kansas City (and possibly many more, as the full extent of Santos’ groin injury is currently unknown). While he hasn’t got the swagger of Santos, the most accurate Chiefs kicker of all time at nearly 85%, the younger Butker is considerably stronger and has measurably more leg from distance.
Usually, a marquee kicker going down would affect the immediate outlook and betting lines for a ball club, but Bovada still lists Kansas City as 7-point favorites against the Washington Redskins when they meet in Arrowhead Stadium this Sunday night on ESPN. So why doesn’t the injured Chiefs kicker warrant a downgrading of Kansas City’s offensive prospects for Week 4 and beyond? After all, a good NFL placekicker will lead his team in scoring pretty much perennially, and Santos can’t be considered easily replaceable.
The answer is simply that the Kansas City Chiefs aren’t kicking many field goals. Quarterback Alex Smith is second only to Tom Brady in touchdown passes with seven, while Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt has already rushed for 401 yards and four touchdowns. After three full games, Santos has attempted only three field goals. Most of his work’s been done in the extra point department. And if Butker couldn’t reliably hit the PAT, he wouldn’t be suiting up in the first place.
All that said, BestUSASportsbooks.com thinks the Redskins are right there with the Chiefs. Quarterback Kirk Cousins is playing well, and Washington is eighth in the NFL in total offense with 374 yards per game compared against Kansas City’s third-ranked 397. Field goals won’t decide this one, nor will the injured Chiefs kicker. I’m taking Kansas City at -7 (-105).