Henry McKenna
NFL reporter
Travis Kelce’s opening catch towards the Houston Texans on Saturday will inform you numerous about what the Kansas City Chiefs have accomplished with their offense in latest weeks.
It’s not that Andy Reid is doing one thing unrecognizable, precisely. He’s doing a number of what he is all the time accomplished. To some extent, the important thing gamers are much less recognisable.
Reid and Patrick Mahomes discovered manufacturing with rookie receiver Xavier Worthy and even tight finish Noah Gray. But it isn’t like Kelce has fully disappeared. That’s what made the cut up spherical so unusual. Houston has typically misplaced observe of the best tight finish in NFL historical past. You know: the man who dates Taylor Swift. And the man who’s among the many most prolific move catchers in postseason historical past? We all know him.
“It’s the Playoffs Trav,” Mahomes mentioned after the sport.
But it was as if Texans had forgotten who he was.
It was seen from Kelce’s first seize. He was extensive open to catch and run for 23 yards. All yr, the Chiefs have complained about Kelce getting double-teamed. (These statements weren’t solely correct, however that is a wholly totally different subject.) In this recreation, it was Worthy who bought double-teamed. He was working downfield and the safeties bracketed him to keep away from a giant play. As Mahomes rolled to his proper, the QB appeared to do one thing along with his eyes to make it appear like he was going to focus on Gray. Then two Texans linebackers stepped up on the identical time (away from Kelce). Mahomes simply threw the ball to his favourite goal for a giant achieve.
Six weeks in the past, Kelce would not have been so open.
Not earlier than Worthy legitimized himself. Not earlier than Gray legitimized himself.
“I simply suppose you could have quite a lot of guys that we have been ready to make use of round (Kelce),” Reid mentioned Monday. “And after we did not do this, groups ganged up on him. It’s a giant drawback now as a result of the fellows are wholesome and now we have choices on the market and so they cannot simply deal with him.”
Hollywood Brown is wholesome. Isiah Pacheco is wholesome. JuJu Smith-Schuster is wholesome. DeAndre Hopkins joined the staff in a mid-season commerce. The offense has dependable choices in every single place. But that wasn’t true for a lot of the season when, for weeks, Kelce was the most effective and solely choice. It was then that every one consideration was centered on him.
“The alternatives he had, he used them nicely,” Reid mentioned. “And I do not suppose it is his recreation that is diminished when everybody asks about age or bodily means.”
Reid was referring to the season-long narrative that, maybe, Kelce’s play was in decline. He is 35 years outdated, an age when Father Time devours agility and most velocity. Plus, with all of the jet setting final season, Kelce was residing a distinct life-style than in earlier years. This could have affected his preparation for the season, however it would not seem to have affected his mindset throughout the season.
“I additionally respect the truth that, at his age, he goes out every single day and trains arduous,” Reid mentioned. “And in case you attempt to take him out he will get mad at you. I might say that is a particular factor for an older participant.”
While it is nonetheless honest to query whether or not Kelce remains to be in his prime, there is not any doubt he’ll punish defenses who neglect who he’s. There was an ideal instance towards the Texans the place Kelce took the Chiefs into the pink zone. Houston was on man protection and left defender Myles Bryant to deal with Kelce. If you are questioning: Who is Myles Bryant? Well, that is the purpose. He was greatest identified for being the most important legal responsibility on the New England Patriots protection for a number of years. It’s not just like the Chiefs re-drafted him: PFF ranked Bryant because the 108th greatest cornerback of 2024.
Suffice it to say: He’s not the man you need in a one-on-one towards Kelce.
Kelce took Bryant’s lunch cash, together with an 18-yard reception that helped arrange the tight finish’s landing reception on the following third down.
There had been lengthy stretches the place Kelce could not discover the tip zone. He solely had three within the common season. On his “New Heights” podcast, Kelce mentioned it is “fucking irritating” that he and Mahomes are “not on the identical web page” on the subject of scoring. This could have been the staff’s largest drawback in a season the place the offense desperately wanted Kelce’s assist and he wasn’t in a position to absolutely present the star energy we had beforehand seen from him.
That’s what made Kelce’s landing Saturday essentially the most encouraging play for the Chiefs. This Sunday within the AFC Championship Game, the Bills possible will not fail to account for Kelce just like the Texans did in that first reception. And I doubt they will be silly sufficient to go one-on-one with a participant of Bryant’s caliber anyplace close to the pink zone. The diploma of problem was surprisingly low for Kelce, till the landing. That’s when issues bought attention-grabbing.
Kansas City designed the present for that actual state of affairs. Third and lengthy. Zone protection. (That tells you one thing concerning the Chiefs’ degree of preparation.) Mahomes knew he needed Kelce from the beginning, however the QB instructed reporters the play took longer to develop, which meant persistence and, with a bit fortunately, an extended time than regular. clear pocket. When strain got here on, Mahomes stepped up and, as he was falling to the bottom, threw a ball into the realm the place he knew Kelce would get open: proper behind the linebacker.
“It’s huge gamers making huge performs in huge video games and it is so simple as that,” Mahomes mentioned. “He’s a kind of guys.”
The Chiefs have spent weeks exhibiting off their pass-catching depth. Hey, take a look at D-Hop! But do not forget Worthy’s velocity as a runner and move catcher! Even Hollywood can go down any path! And in case you suppose you’ve got solved the issue with these guys, we’ll take it down your throat with Pacheco and Kareem Hunt!
Last weekend, the Texans had all of that on their minds. And Kelce beat them.
No one envies Bills coach Sean McDermott and defensive coordinator Bobby Babich. They’ll spend the AFC Championship recreation juggling flaming daggers, and it is simply how Reid deliberate it. He excels at making his opponents’ lives troublesome on the worst doable time.
Before becoming a member of FOX Sports as an NFL reporter and columnist, Henry McKenna spent seven years overlaying the Patriots for USA TODAY Sports Media Group and Boston Globe Media. Follow him on Twitter at @henrycmckenna.
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