Tommy Townsend's Successful Fake Punt Was a Few Weeks in The Making
Lined up in punt formation with 2:09 remaining in the first quarter, Kansas City Chiefs rookie punter Tommy Townsend was about to do something he hadn't done since his first year in high school at William R. Boone High School in Orlando, Florida.
The former Florida Gator took the snap from long snapper James Winchester and instead of booting the ball away, he dropped back and threw a high pass directed towards Byron Pringle on the left side. The throw connected for 13 yards and was good enough for a Chiefs first down.
“Running out there, of course, I’m pumped that we had the opportunity to run a fake,” Townsend said. “But yeah, I got out there, we got the look we wanted and from then I was just thinking baby get it out there to him just like I’ve been doing all week the last couple weeks of practice. I got it out to Pringle, he made a nice catch and got a couple of yards.”
Townsend said the Chiefs had been preparing for the situation in practice over the last few weeks. A punt scenario on fourth and 4 from the Chiefs’ own 49-yard line met the criteria.
After a 2-yard pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes to Byron Pringle fell four yards short of a first down, special teams coordinator Dave Toub and head coach Andy Reid brought the play out.
“Going into that punt I knew we were in that area to run that fake and check with Coach Toub before we went out for the punt,” Townsend said. “We got the call when we got out there, got the look and just went for it.”
Townsend’s single completion puts him past former Chiefs punter Dustin Colquitt’s career passing yardage. Colquitt was 1-for-2 in his career, gaining six yards.
