Kansas City Chiefs rookie WR Skyy Moore had a struggle of a day on special teams.
The first punt that Moore attempted to field was muffed and resulted in a turnover that set the Indianapolis Colts up for their first points. The second punt that was kicked his way, he failed to field it, allowing it to be downed at the one-yard line in the process.
It’s a tough situation for the rookie, who is clearly still learning the ropes at punt returner after having only fielded a single punt in college. Speaking to reporters after the game, Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes was asked whether he talked to Moore about the situation.
“Yeah, I’ve talked to him,” Mahomes said. “I mean, we have full trust in Skyy (Moore) and he made one mistake. At the end of the day, he made one mistake that ended up causing a touchdown, but I think he’ll make a lot of plays in that Chiefs uniform that will be positive for us. So, we’re going to keep going back to him and giving him chances to make plays.”
As Mahomes said, the team kept going back to Moore on special teams and his third punt return of the day resulted in a 12-yard return. The play set the team up around midfield, and on that drive, the Chiefs scored their only points of the second half.
There are still some questions that remain about Moore’s usage, though. After playing just two snaps on offense a week ago, Moore still wasn’t too involved with the offensive game plan this week. Part of that likely had to do with his struggles on special teams. We can assume that’s part of why he’s not more involved in the offensive game plan. It’s hard enough playing one role and doing it well as a rookie.
The good news is that the Chiefs aren’t giving up on Moore so easily. He’ll continue to get his chances on special teams, but what he does with those chances will likely dictate future opportunities, even on the offensive side of the ball.
