Chiefs coach comments on GM's bad decision
Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has established himself as one of the NFL's better GMs, but he made a move earlier in the week that was not only questionable, but it was also one that completely backfired on him. The Chiefs waived special teams ace and reserve cornerback Chris Lammons on Tuesday, presumably […]
Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach has established himself as one of the NFL's better GMs, but he made a move earlier in the week that was not only questionable, but it was also one that completely backfired on him.
The Chiefs waived special teams ace and reserve cornerback Chris Lammons on Tuesday, presumably to make room for the return of a player currently on injured reserve. The Chiefs planned to add Lammons to the practice squad once he cleared waivers. That way, he wouldn't count against the 53-man roster and could also get elevated for the AFC Championship game against the Cincinnati Bengals, which means he'd still play in Sunday's matchup.
But, one big problem kept the Chiefs' plan from coming to fruition: Lammons didn't clear waivers.
And that's because the Bengals pulled a fast one and picked him up.
"Veach had a plan. He always has a plan," special teams coach Dave Toub told reporters Thursday. "He's a smart guy. It just didn't work out, I guess. Unfortunately for Lammons, because now, he's not going to be able to play.
"Obviously, he was a good player for us and for three years, [he] did a lot for us and I want to thank him for that."
It was a calculated risk and one that didn't pay off for Veach and the Chiefs. And now, they are down an important player on a special teams unit that showed some cracks against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
"Our plan was to try to kick touchbacks every time," said Toub."You try to kick touchbacks and if you miss-hit it, you get a line-drive kick. That happened a couple times in that game and they [Jags] made us pay for it."
The loss of Lammons is a pretty big one. He led the team with 322 special teams snaps and as Toub said, was one of their core players.
What makes the move even stranger in hindsight is what Toub had to say about the Bengals' special teams unit.
"They're very well-coached," said Toub. "When you watch them, the small details that [Bengals special teams coach] Darren Simmons has them doing is impressive. And they've been together a while – they're an experienced group.
"They make you pay if you're not careful."
It's easy to see why special teams play is important after thinking about the last three matchups between these two teams. A big return could be the catalyst behind a win for either side and unfortunately for the Chiefs, they are down one of their best players.
