There is no question that the Kansas City Chiefs' coaching staff is under fire as the franchise sits 5-5, looking down the final stretch of the season. Fans and pundits are looking for anyone to blame, and it seems that special teams coordinator Dave Toub was all too happy to step into this gap. The Kansas City Star's Pete Sweeney reported that Toub was "being real about his own special teams group right now, says that KC is No. 22 using their in-house system. The Chiefs have the Colts' special teams ranked No. 2."
Toub is somewhat throwing himself under the bus while gassing up the incredibly important Week 12 matchup the Chiefs are facing. What the coach is attempting to do is obvious; this is an attempt to motivate his players and be straightforward about where he sees the unit standings. However, the best time to do that isn't off a season-changing loss when the fan base is ready for coaching changes to be made.
Making the timing of the comments extremely questionable when you consider the pressure that the Kansas City decision makers are already under to make changes. This is a fan base that has been to three straight Super Bowls and expects nothing less; falling completely out of the playoff picture is far below even baseline expectations.
Dave Toub Paints Unintentional Target on His Back with Chiefs Special Teams Comments
Toub is not only noting that the Colts' special teams have a far better grade than his own unit, but going so far as to point out that the Chiefs are in the 20s of their own rankings is embarrassing. This pushes the unit well below average and would invite fans to wonder whether or not Toub's job security should be in question.
Regardless, there is no arguing that opting to make these comments now shows poor timing and questionable decision-making. At the very least, you have a coach who is being honest about the team's failures with kicking problems, penalties, and blown kick coverages, all highlighting the clear need for special teams improvement.
With that said, Toub shouldn't be in any actual danger with the problems haunting the Chiefs, being primarily focused on an offensive inconsistency and lack of identity. Chances are that Kansas City will make a change regarding offensive coordinator Matt Nagy before deciding on Toub's fate. Still, that doesn't mean the special teams leader can rest easy in the meantime. Something has to be done to squash any concerns and improve the Chiefs' internal ranking.
Toub has been coaching since 1986 and has been with Kansas City's organization since 2013 after joining the NFL coaching ranks in 2001. Even with the current frustrations, you don't part with this accomplished experience lightly, likely saving Toub from real danger, even if his comments do shine an unfortunate light at the worst possible time.
However, if the Chiefs do end up making a special teams change down the line, it'll be easy to look back at Toub's comments as a form of self-sabotage.