Tribal Warfare
11-09-2008, 11:17 PM
Chiefs prove extra point not always a snap (http://www.kansascity.com/sports/chiefs/story/882735.html)
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
SAN DIEGO | Thomas Gafford knows how it works for someone in his line of work. He’s the Chiefs’ snapper for punts and placements, so he attracts attention only when things go wrong.
They went plenty wrong for Gafford in Sunday’s 20-19 loss to the Chargers. His snap was low on a second-quarter point-after-touchdown try, and the Chiefs had to attempt a pass that failed.
The point they didn’t get was the point that beat them. Instead of their final touchdown tying the game and the Chiefs needing a kick to win it, they went for two and the victory.
Tyler Thigpen’s pass failed, putting the negative spotlight on Gafford, who joined the Chiefs two weeks ago as the emergency replacement for the injured J.P. Darche.
“I’ve got to be better than that, and I am better than that,” said Gafford, who had never snapped in a regular-season game until he joined the Chiefs. “I feel horrible. It’s over and done, but I feel awful about it.”
Despite the low snap, holder Dustin Colquitt was able to eventually get the ball down for kicker Connor Barth. But the timing was way off, and Barth never tried the kick.
“I needed to try to one-step it in that case, or even no-step it,” Barth said. “It just happened so fast. Now that I’ve had the chance to think about it, that’s what I should have tried to do. I wish I had tried to knock it through somehow.
“I hesitated, and when you hesitate … ”
Colquitt stood up with the ball and tried a pass into the end zone, but it never had a chance.
“I thought we had a shot but it just happened so quickly,” Colquitt said. “You’ve got to do your best to react. I called ‘fire’ as quick as I could. I tried to get it to Brad Cottam but it got tipped.”
Not only did Gafford join the Chiefs just two weeks ago, but Barth is a rookie who arrived only last month after the Chiefs released Nick Novak.
Colquitt missed the previous two games because of a groin injury, so the three haven’t had much time to work together.
“We need some more work together,” Gafford said. “A lot of it is (a lack of) chemistry.”
Barth said, “We’re professionals. We had all week to work. We got more than enough snaps. Things just happen.”
Because Barth never tried the kick, the Chiefs haven’t missed a point-after kick since Lawrence Tynes hit the right upright in an October 2006 game against the Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium.
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
SAN DIEGO | Thomas Gafford knows how it works for someone in his line of work. He’s the Chiefs’ snapper for punts and placements, so he attracts attention only when things go wrong.
They went plenty wrong for Gafford in Sunday’s 20-19 loss to the Chargers. His snap was low on a second-quarter point-after-touchdown try, and the Chiefs had to attempt a pass that failed.
The point they didn’t get was the point that beat them. Instead of their final touchdown tying the game and the Chiefs needing a kick to win it, they went for two and the victory.
Tyler Thigpen’s pass failed, putting the negative spotlight on Gafford, who joined the Chiefs two weeks ago as the emergency replacement for the injured J.P. Darche.
“I’ve got to be better than that, and I am better than that,” said Gafford, who had never snapped in a regular-season game until he joined the Chiefs. “I feel horrible. It’s over and done, but I feel awful about it.”
Despite the low snap, holder Dustin Colquitt was able to eventually get the ball down for kicker Connor Barth. But the timing was way off, and Barth never tried the kick.
“I needed to try to one-step it in that case, or even no-step it,” Barth said. “It just happened so fast. Now that I’ve had the chance to think about it, that’s what I should have tried to do. I wish I had tried to knock it through somehow.
“I hesitated, and when you hesitate … ”
Colquitt stood up with the ball and tried a pass into the end zone, but it never had a chance.
“I thought we had a shot but it just happened so quickly,” Colquitt said. “You’ve got to do your best to react. I called ‘fire’ as quick as I could. I tried to get it to Brad Cottam but it got tipped.”
Not only did Gafford join the Chiefs just two weeks ago, but Barth is a rookie who arrived only last month after the Chiefs released Nick Novak.
Colquitt missed the previous two games because of a groin injury, so the three haven’t had much time to work together.
“We need some more work together,” Gafford said. “A lot of it is (a lack of) chemistry.”
Barth said, “We’re professionals. We had all week to work. We got more than enough snaps. Things just happen.”
Because Barth never tried the kick, the Chiefs haven’t missed a point-after kick since Lawrence Tynes hit the right upright in an October 2006 game against the Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium.