Patrick Mahomes reveals reason why Travis Kelce is struggling this season after Chiefs star’s latest quiet night
Patrick Mahomes blames Travis Kelce’s poor start to the NFL season on rival defenses deliberately targeting the Kansas City Chiefs tight end.
The reigning Super Bowl champions continued their perfect start to the season with a 3-0 run by beating the Atlanta Falcons 22-17 on Sunday night.
But it was another miserable night for Kelce, whose girlfriend Taylor Swift missed the game, as cameras captured him looking particularly miserable on the sidelines in a clip that went viral.
Kelce, who had caught just four passes for 30 yards in Atlanta, was distraught and sat on the bench at the end of the first half, staring dejectedly into space.
The season has gotten off to an unusually rough start for the 34-year-old, who is looking to add his fourth Super Bowl ring — and third in a row — to his collection in 2024.
Patrick Mahomes has blamed Travis Kelce’s poor start to the NFL season on the defenses of rivals
Kelce had just four catches for 30 yards in Atlanta as he again struggled to make an impact
His return against the Falcons means he now has just 69 receiving yards through three games, though he did manage to double his reception total to eight.
Mahomes claimed afterward that Kelce’s coverage by opposing defenses made it difficult to get the ball to him.
The quarterback said, “I mean, the respect they have for Travis is still unreal and it’s well deserved.
“We call a lot of plays for Travis and it seems like two or three people go to him.
“He gets it. That’s the beauty of him. He wants to make an impact on the game, but he ultimately wants to win.”
‘I’m going to do my best to keep giving him the ball when he’s there, when he’s free.
“I think the more Rashee (Rice) plays, the more we can run and the more we can get (Xavier) Worthy involved. I think that frees up Travis.
“People really try to take him away, but it actually makes other guys open up.”
Kelce’s latest bad night came after her friend Swift failed to show up to a Chiefs game for the first time this season.
Mahomes believes Kelce’s involvement will increase as defenses turn their attention elsewhere
The pop star was nowhere to be seen in Atlanta, despite her schedule off due to a break in her international Eras Tour.
On Saturday, Swift was spotted enjoying a casual night out with best friend Gigi Hadid in New York City. Wearing a plaid miniskirt, the pair grabbed a bite to eat at The Corner Store restaurant in SoHo.
But despite many expecting her to perform in Atlanta, she turned down the opportunity to follow Kelce and Kansas City on tour.
Swift attended the Chiefs’ first two games of the 2024 season, both of which were played in Kansas City.
Last season, she racked up thousands of air miles following the team, even flying more than 5,000 miles from Tokyo to Las Vegas to reach the Super Bowl in February.
Swift was not at the Falcons game, despite Kansas City making a smart comment about her in a pre-game message on X.
Along with a photo of Kelce arriving at the stadium, the Chiefs captioned the post: “Happiness. Fun. Magic.”
The caption was a reference to Swift’s famous speech at the VMA Awards earlier this month, in which she praised her husband for the “fun” and “magic” he brought to her.