- Kelce’s fantastic diving effort kept the drive alive and led to a lead
- That means the Chiefs will go to a fourth Super Bowl in five seasons
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Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was still in awe nearly 24 hours after Travis Kelce made a spectacular catch on a crucial third down in KC’s AFC Championship win over the Baltimore Ravens.
In the early stages of the second quarter, Kelce made the catch to keep the drive alive, leading to the touchdown that Kansas City never looked back from.
“The fact that he was laying there… I’ve seen him do a lot of things, but I’ve never seen him do that,” says a stunned Reid. said Monday.
Part of the beauty of the catch was that Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes tried to make the pass for about nine seconds.
By the time he threw it to Kelce, the tight end had to contort his body to turn around as he went to the ground before cradling it in his arms for the first time.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid is still in shock after Travis Kelce made a phenomenal play on Sunday
Kelce (87) dove to make a great catch to keep the drive alive and led to a touchdown
KC didn’t look back and Kelce and the Chiefs are playing in their fourth Super Bowl in five seasons
Without that grab, the Chiefs likely would have settled for a field goal and the game would have been much closer.
But instead, Kansas City handed the ball to running back Isaiah Pacheco five plays later to seal the deal and score a touchdown on a long 16-play drive.
That broke a 7-7 deadlock and the Chiefs maintained their lead throughout the game, while the Ravens continued to proverbially shoot themselves in the foot with numerous penalties and a lack of offensive balance.
It means Kelce, Mahomes and the Chiefs return to the Super Bowl for the fourth time in five seasons.
There they will face the San Francisco 49ers after staging a late comeback by defeating the Detroit Lions in the NFC Championship game.