Just as most would have predicted ahead of the season, the Kansas City Chiefs are off to a perfect 3-0 start and still look like the team to beat in the AFC. There is one surprising factor through the first three weeks of the campaign, however, and that is that Travis Kelce has essentially been a non-factor.
The future Hall of Fame tight end has hauled in just eight passes and hasn’t even surpassed the 70-yard receiving mark this season, but maybe the most shocking stat line is that Kelce hasn’t managed a single touchdown through three games. He had two touchdowns and over 150 yards receiving through the Chiefs’ first three games of the season a year ago.
While it hasn’t been an abysmal start to the year for Kelce by any means, it’s certainly been a slow one, and everyone has taken notice of it. Patrick Mahomes was asked about Kelce not exactly being a threat following the Chiefs’ come-from-behind win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday night and he chalked it up to opposing teams putting an emphasis on doubling up Kelce more often than not.
“It’s crazy because the respect factor teams have for Travis is unreal, and it’s well deserved. We’re calling a lot of plays for Travis and it’s like two or three (defenders) are going to him. That’s the great thing about him is he wants to make an impact on the game but he wants to win at the end of the day,” Mahomes explained.
Travis Kelce hasn’t done much of anything through three weeks of the young NFL season. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
“I’m going to do my best to keep feeding him the ball whenever he’s there, whenever he’s open. 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 really emphasizing taking him away and that’s getting other guys open.”
Some fans will claim that Kelce’s relationship with Taylor Swift and many off-field ‘distractions’ are impacting his performances, but Mahomes is under center and seeing coverage zone in on making sure Kelce isn’t the player that is going to beat them.
Teams have been trying to shut down Kelce for nearly a decade now, and through three weeks of this season, they’re finding success with some sort of formula to slow the soon-to-be 35-year-old down.
