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There was plenty of doubt surrounding Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs throughout the regular season. It’s only fitting that once Kelce turned his game up another level in the postseason, so, too, did the Chiefs.
The veteran tight end’s success in the postseason correlates to the Chiefs and their constant deep playoff runs. Patrick Mahomes has a track record of upping his game in the postseason, but so does Kelce. That can’t be a coincidence.
Even in a postseason where Kelce has been dominant (23 catches, 262 yards, three touchdowns), there were legitimate concerns whether the future Hall of Fame tight end could get back to this level. Kelce had his fewest receiving yards in a season (974) since 2015, the first season which he didn’t get 1,000 yards in eight years. He also averaged 65.6 receiving yards per game, the fewest he’s had in a regular season since 2015 (54.7).
There were questions concerning Kelce’s age (34) and his off-the-field relationship (Taylor Swift). Did Kelce lose a step heading into his mid-30s? Was his life becoming a distraction as he was pursuing greatness? Were the Chiefs being affected by all the off-field stuff with Kelce, leading to a No. 3 seed in the AFC and the loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Day?
All those questions were settled in the postseason, as the Chiefs won two games on the road to get back to the Super Bowl. Kelce played an integral role with dominant postseason games, which is the norm for a player of his caliber.
There was no drop-off with Kelce in 2023, just a continuation of the dominant player he’s always been. Was Kelce holding back during the regular season to get ready for the postseason, or is this just the Travis Kelce who finds a way to produce in January and February?
“People don’t even see it at practice,” Mahomes said this week, via a Chiefs transcript. “The energy he has — he wants to take every single…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2024-super-bowl-inside-travis-kelces-playoff-transformation-chiefs-te-sheds-all-doubts-from-regular-season/
Author : Jeff Kerr
Publish date : 2024-02-07 22:55:20
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