Arguably the best tight end in football, Kelce is a big part of the Chiefs’ offense.
Travis Kelce is in high demand these days both on and off the field. The New England Patriots will get a close look at the experience this Sunday when he and the Kansas City Chiefs visit Gillette Stadium for a Week 15 matchup.
The Patriots have gone up several times against Kelce through the years. In total, the former third-round draft pick and future Hall of Famer has played seven games over the course of his career versus New England and enjoyed quite a bit of success. Although they are only 0-2 in the playoffs, the Chiefs own an overall 4-3 record in those contests.
Catching 37 passes for 376 yards and a pair of touchdowns, Kelce’s play has been a big part of that. Naturally, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick is well aware of the challenges the 34-year-old presents for a defense.
During his press conference on Wednesday, Belichick outlined those — starting with his connection with Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.
“He’s got a real good feel for how to play, how to get open,” Belichick said. “He has a great chemistry with Mahomes. A lot of his plays come on extended plays, loose plays. He certainly gets his share of run a route, get open, and get the ball, but I would say a lot of his plays don’t come like that. The play starts and then something happens, and then he adjusts the route. Or, Patrick scrambles, and then he finds him.”
Mahomes and Kelce have been one of the most prolific combinations in football ever since they started seeing extended playing time together in 2018. Their connection has been a driving force between the club winning two of the last four Super Bowls, and thus finding itself on the doorstep of establishing the first dynasty since the Patriots’ own.
The Chiefs’ team success as a whole would not have happened without individual contributions from core players such as Kelce. And those contributions have been the result of a variety of factors, as Belichick went on to explain.
“He does a good job of getting open. He’s got good size. Even when you cover him, there’s a place to throw the ball where the defender can’t get it. He’s just big and has a big catch radius,” he said.
“He’s good with the ball in his hands. He’s a good runner after a catch. He’s got a strong, stiff arm. I wouldn’t say elusive, like a slot receiver elusive, but he’s a hard guy to tackle because he’s big and athletic. They get him on some design plays, bubble screens, and things like that where they almost hand him the ball. He can make yards with it after the play, like they do with other players. There’s a few of those for him, too.”
This season, despite missing one game, Kelce has been the Chiefs’ most prolific receiver and Mahomes’ favorite target. He is leading the team in targets (103), catches (80) and receiving yards (896), while ranking second in touchdowns (5), while no other tight end in the league has gained more yards than him so far this season.
The Patriots defense has been solid against tight ends this season, giving up an average of 42.9 yards per game to the position — tied for 11th in the NFL. The unit being able to hold Kelce to or below that number would likely be a positive outcome.