When Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s relationship burst onto the scene during the Week 3 Kansas City Chiefs game, the concern among die-hards was that the fanfare surrounding the pop star’s presence would be a distraction to their stars and the team. The opposite has proven to be true.
Kansas City has been at the epicenter of the attention circus surrounding the new top couple with more focus on Swift than football, but after a cold, tough night in Denver, the Chiefs will do anything to become the Kansas City Swifts again. .
The NFL was engulfed in Swift Mania and the Kansas City Chiefs were riding high thanks to the pop princess’ presence in four of their previous five games, snapping a six-game winning streak.
But as she prepared to return from her Eras Tour in Argentina on November 9, the last place the singer wanted to be was the frigid Mile High city. And no Swift meant no victory – for both the Chiefs and the NFL.
After it was reported on Friday that the Anti-Hero hitmaker would not be showing her face at Empower Field to cheer on her tight-lipped boyfriend for the fifth time, Sunday’s divisional matchup seemingly no longer held any interest for the Swifties.
Travis Kelce wasn’t his usual force to be reckoned with as the Chiefs lost to the Broncos
Taylor Swift mania was still evident at Mile High, despite the superstar’s conspicuous absence
Taylor had attended four of Kelce’s last five games but opted not to go to snowy Denver
There were no costumes, despite the new A-list couple being one of Halloween’s hottest choices, no Swift-related signs and absolutely no eyes trained on the stadium windows.
The nearest fans got a glimpse of Swift at Empower Field during the halftime costume Corgi Race, when one of the puppies was in their Fearless era.
Whether it was the 23 degree Celsius temperatures and the prospect of a snow match, or the lack of music royalty in attendance, there were more than 12,000 no-shows for the AFC West clash.
Relief for football fans perhaps. But a blow to the NFL.
Swift’s newfound love for football – and for one of its best players – has been a catalyst for growing a new fan base for the league. And one that the NFL has taken great advantage of.
Broadcasters have paid more attention to Swift during matches than the players on the field, even promoting commercial breaks with promos for her Eras Tour film. Meanwhile, the league’s own social media pages have been defaced with the global superstar.
One Denver Broncos fan had an eerily accurate prediction ahead of the game (left)
Kelce is now looking forward to a series of matches without his girlfriend Taylor Swift present
Russell Wilson (right) and Garett Bolles celebrate their shock victory over the Super Bowl champions
More than 2 million more than average female viewers watched the Chiefs’ game against the New York Jets in Week 3 when Swift showed up at MetLife Stadium with her famous group of Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman.
But without her presence, there was no content ready to serve on a plate to the Swifties.
Now that the artist is ready to say goodbye to the NFL, will the Swift Effect prove it’s a long-lasting spell or a short-term one that’s about to wear off?
The journey of Kelce and Co. to Germany next week and the Kelce brothers’ Chiefs-Eagles clash on Nov. 21 – Kansas City’s first game after Swift returns to her international tour – will be the real test.
And just as the NFL’s high may have crashed, so did the Chiefs. The reigning Super Bowl champions had bounced back from a season-opening loss to the Detroit Lions and embarked on a six-game winning rampage, much of which took place in Swift’s presence, in hopes of retaining their crown, but the clock was running out. midnight in Denver and the spell was broken.
It wasn’t a fairytale ending without the queen of Chiefs Kingdom Sunday. They even saw their reign crumble when their 16-game winning streak came to a crushing end against the Denver Broncos.
The whirlwind romance between Taylor and Travis has significantly increased the popularity of the NFL
The NFL has ridden the wave, but now they’ll have to do without the pop princess for a month
Kelce without Swift had the worst game he has had since Week 2. Left to his own devices this week, he hauled in six of nine passes, picking up 58 yards and no touchdowns.
A stark contrast to the 108 meters he averaged in the four games she cheered on him from the stands.
Last week at Arrowhead, he hauled in 12 of 13 passes he threw for 179 yards, while the last time the Chiefs faced the Broncos two weeks ago, he finished with 124 yards — both with Swift in the crowd.
But it wasn’t just Kelce, the Chiefs as a whole seemed out of style. Sunday marked the first four-plus turnover game for Kansas City since October 2021 against the Buffalo Bills, with Denver forcing five.
Quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who was reportedly battling an illness, completed 24 of his 38 passes for just 241 yards and also threw two costly interceptions.
There were 12,000 empty seats at Mile High – perhaps because of the cold Colorado weather
Patrick Mahomes entered the game sick and was unable to lead his team to victory
Taylor will not be attending any matches in the coming month as her world tour heads to South America
As Wil Lutz’s 28-yard field goal blasted through the uprights to cap off a 24-9 victory, a streak that had lasted eight seasons was snapped.
And then Swift finally showed up. At least, her singing. To rub salt in the wound, the speakers of the twelve-time Grammy Award winner’s Broncos Shake It Off blared.
The Denver fans followed instructions and shook and swayed in their triumph, while the Chiefs fans had long since evacuated the humiliating scene.
But it’s Kelce and the Chiefs who are hoping they can really shake it off, otherwise it’s going to be a long road to the postseason with Swift on the road.