KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The most important play in football as far as the Kansas City Chiefs are concerned is not a long gain on first down or a defensive stop on third-and-short. It is the punt, the humble drop-kick, and anyone who rebuts this point with Dave Toub does so at his own peril.
Toub is the team’s special-teams coordinator, the mastermind behind an elite unit, one that has fueled the Chiefs’ rise to A.F.C. contender and also his own candidacy for head coaching openings.
But before Toub directed a group that has dominated field position and returned nine kickoffs or punts for touchdowns during his four seasons in Kansas City, he was a special-teams novice.