Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker missed two kicks in the Week 15 overtime win against the Houston Texans, and head coach Andy Reid and fans watching the game had something to say about it after the game.
The first one came when the Chiefs scored by way of a Patrick Mahomes touchdown pass to receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling just before halftime. The point after attempt would have tied the game at 14 a piece, but Butker missed the PAT, bringing the score to 14-13 Texans entering halftime.
Butker’s second missed kick came at the end of regulation in an effort to win the game for Kansas City. However, Butker missed from 51 yards out.
While the end result still favored the Chiefs, who locked up the AFC West Title with the win, mistakes like those can be costly for Kansas City moving forward if they aren’t addressed immediately.
Andy Reid Reacts to Butker’s 2 Missed Kicks
Speaking to the media after the game, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was asked about Butker’s missed kicks and admitted that Butker is in a bit of a slump similar to a baseball player.
“You know what, being a kicker is little like being a batter, and sometimes you get in a slump,” Reid said of Butker on December 18. “He’s a great one, and he’ll get through it, and then he’ll come out of it even better than what he was. You got to keep kicking, and that’s what we’re going to do with him.”
Twitter users also reacted to Butker’s performance in Week 15.
“Did any of you media types ask about not going for the TD with a kicker that is obviously struggling? I mean to ask Andy about getting another 15 or 20 yards with as good as 15 was playing should have been the follow up question. Probably not,” one Twitter user wrote.
“No you don’t keep kicking. You let the best player in football keep throwing,” another user wrote.
“Let’s go ahead and let him work through that at practice, stop trusting him in-game,” another user wrote.
“Harrison Butker sucks so bad! He has one job and he is playing inside a dome where weather isn’t a factor and he continues to suck on extra points. Please release this overrated bum!” another user wrote.
Chiefs Beat Texans in Dramatic Fashion
In a game that was not originally expected to be dramatic, the Chiefs beat the Texans in overtime in Week 15 by a score of 30-24.
It was a neck-and-neck game for the entire outing, with both teams exchanging blows until the very end. Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 87% of his passes (36 of 41) for 336 passing yards and 3 total touchdowns (2 passing, 1 rushing). His leading receivers were Travis Kelce (105 yards) and JuJu Smith-Schuster (88 yards), both of which caught all 10 of their targets.
The leading rusher for Kansas City was rookie Isiah Pacheco, who carried the rock 15 times for 86 yards and lost a fumble in the first half. Veteran Jerick McKinnon closed out the game for the Chiefs with a 26-yard touchdown run in overtime. He had a total of 18 touches (10 carries, 8 catches) for 122 total yards (70 receiving, 52 rushing) and 2 total touchdowns (1 rushing, 1 receiving).
While Kansas City’s defense gave up 3 total touchdowns to Texans quarterback Davis Mills (2 passing, 1 rushing), penalties hurt the Chiefs’ defense the most. Of the 10 penalties the Chiefs had called on them in Week 15 for a total of 102 yards, 6 of those penalties were on the defense.
With only 1 sack on the box score and no turnovers against the now 1-12-1 Houston squad, Kansas City’s defense left much to be desired during its 11th victory of the season.
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Fans Blast Chiefs K Harrison Butker for Play vs. Texans, Andy Reid Reacts