Babb: Rookie Succop makes pressure kicks in victory

[Tribal Warfare]

Rookie Succop makes pressure kicks in victory
By KENT BABB
The Kansas City Star

LANDOVER, Md. | Ryan Succop said that, before each game, he and punter Dustin Colquitt get together and pray for peace.

It’s a ritual, Succop said, that brings the team’s specialists closer together and brings them comfort when the pressure is on. Succop is a rookie kicker, and he had every reason Sunday to fold: a rowdy and unhappy crowd at Washington’s FedEx Field, a Chiefs team desperate for points and a series of high-pressure kicks.

At least in Kansas City, peace was delivered Sunday when Succop was perfect on his four field-goal attempts, sending the Chiefs to a 14-6 victory.

“It’s been amazing. I haven’t really felt nervous at all out there,” Succop said. “It’s been a blessing. It was really good to have an opportunity to go out and help the team today.”

Succop, the Chiefs’ last draft pick — and the final pick in the entire April draft — already has proved himself as the answer to a long-lasting question: Who would be Kansas City’s long-term kicker? After the team traded Lawrence Tynes to the New York Giants two seasons ago, the Chiefs have searched for a reliable leg. They underwent preseason kicking competitions and in-season changes before releasing Connor Barth, last year’s kicker, in favor of Succop before this year’s training camp.

One of Succop’s kicks was blocked during last week’s loss against Dallas, but he has been good on all his other tries. His teammates have occasionally struggled to pronounce the rookie’s surname — wide receiver Dwayne Bowe mispronounced the kicker’s name Sunday as “STUCK-up” — but the rookie’s impact hasn’t been lost on anyone inside the Chiefs’ locker room.

“When we’re plus-35 and we don’t get the first down,” Bowe said, “there’s no doubt in my mind that (Succop) is going to make that.

“It helps us play without stress. We don’t have to make that play. We’ve got a kicker that’s going to make that 95 percent of the time.”

Kansas City bet against Succop once Sunday and paid for its mistake. Coach Todd Haley didn’t like Succop’s chances at a 42-yard field goal into the wind in the fourth quarter, so he called a passing play on fourth and 2. Matt Cassel was sacked, and the Chiefs turned the ball over on downs.

Haley didn’t repeat his mistake. And when the Chiefs’ offense sputtered, players took comfort in knowing that Succop would deliver.

“A great security blanket,” Cassel said.

Succop had such an impact on Sunday’s result that, when Cassel awarded a game ball to Haley after his first victory, the coach turned and gave the ball to Succop.

The soft-spoken kicker said it was “neat.”

“It’s one of those things that you always dream about,” Succop said. “The biggest thing that happened today was that we won. Everybody’s just been working their tails off. To get a win today, it’s awesome.”