Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce hasn’t been the offensive difference-maker in the first three weeks of the season, yet his team is still 3-0.
After the Chiefs’ latest win, a 22-17 victory over Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Kelce was again on the periphery of the offense, totaling just four catches for 30 yards.
In what is now a three-game stretch in which Kelce hasn’t had much influence, quarterback Patrick Mahomes has detailed why his All-Pro tight end is struggling to make an impact.
“It’s crazy, the respect factor they have for Travis is just unreal,” Mahomes said. “It’s well deserved, but we’re calling a lot of plays for Travis, and two or three people are going to him. So he understands, that’s the great thing about him is he wants to make an impact on the game, but he wants to win. I’m going to try to do my best to keep feeding him the ball whenever he’s there and whenever he’s open, but I think the more Rashee [Rice] makes plays, the more we’re able to run the football, the more we can get [Xavier] Worthy involved I think that’s going to open Travis up more. People are emphasizing trying to take him away, and it’s getting other guys open.”
Sep 22, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) prepares for a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Brett Davis-Imagn Images
So Kelce’s down form to the start the year isn’t due to him not being physically unable or anything like that, its defenses are making a point of taking him completely out of the game and forcing others to beat them.
Unfortunately, others like Rashee Rice, Xavier Worthy, and Justin Watson are stepping up, and Carson Steele and Samaje Perine are out of the backfield, too
Despite the Chiefs being 3-0, there is clear room for improvement, and that is perhaps the scariest thing of all. Teams have taken away Kelce, and it hasn’t mattered. Mahomes isn’t dominating games, and that hasn’t mattered.
One can only imagine what the 2024 Chiefs look like when Mahomes and Kelce finally get cooking.
That, my friends, is proper nightmare fuel.
