Secret Weapon Ready to Step Up, Even if Chiefs Falter

The last time Butker missed a kick was a 42-yard field-goal attempt late in the first quarter of the Super Bowl two seasons ago, with less-than-ideal field conditions in Arizona. While it didn’t wind up deciding the game in the Chiefs’ 38-35 victory over the Eagles, it was a rarity for Butker.

In 22 career postseason games, Butker is 36-for-40 (.900) on field-goal attempts and 67-for-70 (.957). After missing that field goal early in Super Bowl LVII, Butker hit his final five kicks, including the game-winning 27-yard field goal with 11 seconds remaining.

He enters the 2025 season perfect over his last 33 postseason kicks (field goals and extra points). Over a longer postseason stretch, dating to the 2021 AFC divisional playoff win over Buffalo, Butker has connected on 40 of his last 41 combined field goals and extra points.

In that instant-classic victory over the Bills, a game that wound up changing NFL overtime rules, Butker hit a 49-yarder to send the game to the extra period. After Josh Allen hit Gabe Davis on a 19-yard touchdown to give Buffalo a 36-33 advantage with 13 seconds remaining, Patrick Mahomes incredibly maneuvered Kansas City in position for Butker’s kick as time expired.

And in addition to Butker’s game-winner in the Super Bowl to beat the Eagles and that critical field goal to help beat the Bills, Butker’s clutch kicks include another dagger in the Bills’ hearts – his 35-yard game-winner with 3:33 left in the 32-29 AFC Championship win last year – as well as his 29-yarder to send Super Bowl LVIII to overtime in an eventual 25-22 overtime win over San Francisco, and a 45-yarder to beat Cincinnati, 23-20, in the 2022 AFC Championship Game.

Those kicks stand out on Butker’s résumé, putting him firmly in the conversation with Adam Vinatieri for best postseason kicker of all-time.

Including the regular season, the Chiefs last year were 12-0 in one-score games. Despite injuries to his top receiver and running back, and porous offensive tackles, Mahomes led the Chiefs to a 15-2 record. Kansas City ranked second in converting third downs (48.5 percent), and when the Chiefs couldn’t convert, Butker was there for points.

The kicker also has been instrumental in helping the Chiefs author an NFL-record 17-game winning streak in games decided by one score. The active string consists of five games from 2023 and 12 in 2024.

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