3 Chiefs players with the most to gain from the DIvisional Round

2. TE Travis Kelce

If the Chiefs had lost Saturday, I think fans would be pointing to tight end Travis Kelce more as a negative factor. He had three drops, the most in his postseason career, after sitting out in Week 18. The future Hall of Famer still had a solid day by his standards, with seven receptions for 71 yards. He stayed out of the end zone though, after dropping a probable touchdown

Kelce's yardage against the Dolphins was also his lowest playoff total since Super Bowl LIV against the San Francisco 49ers. The narrative this season has been around Kelce's decline, with the stat sheet fueling that. Chiefs fans know opposing defenses have been keying in on the veteran more than ever this season.

With Rashee Rice emerging as a reliable receiving option for the Chiefs, opposing defenses may be forced to allocate more resources to cover him, thus diverting attention away from Kelce. This could create favorable matchups for Kelce against single coverage or less focused defensive schemes. Furthermore, if Rice continues to excel and draw attention from defenses, it may open up more opportunities for Kelce to find open spaces and make big plays. Kelce needs to remind football at large just who he is and what makes him special. A dominant divisional performance will do just that.