Copyright yardbarker
Early in the second quarter of Monday night's game between the Kansas City Chiefs and Washington Commanders, Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes hit tight end Travis Kelce in the hands for what should've been a standard short completion near midfield. However, Kelce was unable to secure the ball before Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner caught it off the deflection for an easy interception. That moment proved to be little more than a blip on the radar, as Kelce tallied a team-best 99 receiving yards with a touchdown in what became a sloppy 28-7 win that improved the Chiefs to 5-3 on the season. Following the victory, Kelce talked about how he and his teammates bounced back from early miscues with the score tied at 7-7 during the halftime break. Travis Kelce hints Chiefs needed more "energy" in second half of Commanders game "When you look at how everything unfolded in the first half, my drop turned into an interception, and it was kind of us dictating how we were playing," Kelce explained, per Nate Taylor of ESPN. "When we decided in the second half to just rally together and match [the Commanders'] energy -- play strong, play fast and play physical -- we ended up putting some points on the board." Numerous reporters and analysts have mentioned since the 2024 season that Kelce, who turned 36 years old earlier in October, is no longer the dominant force he was in his physical prime. While he has undeniably lost a step or two, Monday's outing showed he can still be Mahomes' most important target during what could be a walk-off season for the future Hall of Famer. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Kelce's 99 receiving yards against zone coverage in the win over Washington were his most since Week 3 of the 2023 campaign (103). Of course, Kansas City ended that season with a victory in Super Bowl LVIII. Meanwhile, ESPN stats show that Kelce began Tuesday leading the Chiefs with 37 receptions and 474 receiving yards on the season. He's tied for second on the team with three receiving scores. Travis Kelce sets "the culture" for what Chiefs want to accomplish "He's just the true Chiefs' Chief," Mahomes said about Kelce. "He's the guy that's been here through the whole thing, being here with [head coach Andy Reid] the entire time. He helped set the culture of what it means to play for Coach Reid and for Kansas City. I was able to come in and have that guy to rely on." Back in the summer, Kelce vowed to embrace more of a football-first mindset amid his engagement to entertainment superstar Taylor Swift. Kelce hasn't yet confirmed he will retire after the season, and he seems to be doing all he can to simply enjoy the ride this fall. "I'm just the old, lucky dog still able to do this thing, man," Kelce added after Monday's win. "I'm putting on the pads like I'm 15 years old again. I'm loving every single bit of it." The Chiefs next play at the Buffalo Bills (5-2) this coming Sunday. As of Tuesday morning, ESPN BET had Kansas City as a 1.5-point road favorite for that matchup.
