Chiefs vs. Texans: Rookie standouts from opening night

Kansas City Chiefs Punter, Tommy Townsend

Now, Tommy Townsend was an undrafted rookie, but a rookie nonetheless. The Chiefs parted long-time punter Dustin Colquitt this season for Townsend, so he had big shoes to fill after 15 years of Colquitt.

Normally a rookie punter wouldn’t make a big splash, but in a game that didn’t have a ton of rookies, those that were involved received ample attention, including Townsend.

Townsend performed well and quickly erased the somber feeling of not having Colquitt on the field. Attempting just three punts on the night, Townsend landed one inside the 20-yard line and the other bounced on the one before landing in the end zone for a touchback.

Having those three punts, Townsend totaled 136 yards on the attempts with a long of 54 yards. This is something that fans of his are accustomed to. At Florida last year, Townsend totaled 1,847 yards on 42 punts to average 44 yards per punt. The 2018 season was more of the same from him, reaching 2,315 yards on 51 punts with an average of 45.4 yards per punt.

Townsend could also bring an interesting dynamic to the Chiefs, having rushed for 23 yards on four attempts while with Florida over the last two seasons.