Those who relish in the Kansas City Chiefs losing may be upset to hear that the demise of tight end Travis Kelce may have been greatly exaggerated. After an abnormally slow start to the season, Kansas City has made it a point of emphasis to get their future Hall of Famer involved in the offense more.
It took Kelce until Week 4 to record more than three catches in a game and until Week 8 to find the end zone. Kelce is getting back into a groove, however. In four of his last five games, No. 87 has piled up at least seven catches and 70 yards receiving. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were Kelce's next victim.
Playing against a Tampa Bay team that boasted one of the worst secondaries in the league and came into this game with some serious injury concerns, the stage was set for Kelce to announce to the world (in front of his famous girlfriend, mind you) that he is still one of the best at what he does.
In Kansas City's pulse-pounding overtime win, Kelce caught a personal-best 14 catches for 100 yards. The nine-time Pro Bowler had never caught more than 12 passes in a regular season game before this effort.
Kelce also became the first tight end in NFL history 35 years old or older to catch 14 passes in a game. Getting 100 yards every game may not be realistic, but flashes of the no-doubt All-Pro days are still there. Patrick Mahomes, bum ankle and all, rode Kelce to his best game of the year.
Travis Kelce with 14 catches on 16 targets for 100 yards.
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) November 5, 2024
Stathead doesn't show me any game, regular or postseason, for a 35+ year old tight end with at least 14 receptions. Until tonight.
Travis Kelce's 14 catches set record in Chiefs MNF win vs. Buccaneers
Kelce is clearly benefitting from the addition of DeAndre Hopkins, as the new No. 1 wide receiver has sucked most of the defensive attention away from Kelce. The result has given him a ton of free targets over the middle.
Hopkins, who has eight catches for 86 yards and his first two Kansas City touchdowns in this game, could be the missing piece that unlocks Kelce and gets this offense performing as it should. On top of the fact Kelce is being targeted more, he is looking much quicker and more slippery.
The Chiefs can't pull off the impossible and win three in a row without Kelce looking like his old self. Tampa Bay may have been a perfect get-right game for No. 87, who looks as ready as ever to be a focal point of the Kansas City passing attack.