How Travis Kelce’s 3 postseason touchdowns led the Chiefs to Super Bowl 58

kansas city chiefs Tight end Travis Kelce has been in this league for a very long time. He was drafted in 2013 and is capping off his 34-year-old season with a win this Sunday that could be his third Super Bowl. During Super Bowl LVIII, Kelsey won’t be in the spotlight just because of his famous girlfriend.

Starting with the 2014 season, essentially his second season (he missed all but one snap in 2013 due to injury), Kelce became one of the most prolific and productive tight ends in the NFL. Even before All-World quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw a football, Kelce averaged 954 yards through his first full season. But after Andy Reid drafted Mahomes, Kelce continued to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark every year from 2017 to 2022. This season, he missed two games and was only 16 yards short.

For other tight ends, his decline in productivity would potentially mean the beginning of the end. The Chiefs’ offense was not in its usual form in 2023, with Kelce averaging a career-low 10.6 yards per reception. To elaborate further, this is actually the first time he has finished below his 12.0.

So, you were probably justified to some degree in believing that Kelce is underperforming this season. But then the playoffs arrived, and the veteran has since had the best postseason performance of his storied career. Kelce had 23 receptions for 262 yards and three touchdowns through three games. All three points were huge for the Chiefs, and I don’t think the Chiefs would have made it to their second consecutive Super Bowl without them.

So while there are plenty of people around the league who would love to see the team that Kelce and the Chiefs have dominated for years finally fall apart, this old dog still knows exactly how to win when it matters most. know.

Below, take a look at the masterful efforts and nuances Kelce displayed en route to finding the end zone three times this postseason, and why he’s not only still the best tight end in the league, but also why he’s so close to being acquired. We analyzed whether there are any. His GOAT status at his position.

1.) A 3-yard score against the Bills gave the Chiefs a 20-17 lead in the third quarter.

Although not my favorite of the three on this list, Kelce’s second touchdown against the Bills was a game of nuance, individual effort, and an effort on the road against what has become a Kansas City powerhouse. It was a spectacular performance in sheer force of will to find the end zone. Biggest rival in AFC.

With the ball on the 3-yard line, the Chiefs lined up in a three-tight end formation with all three connected on the left side. To the right was wideout Laci Rice, and in the backfield was lone running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire.

At the moment of the snap, Mahomes turned to his right and appeared to be running toward CEH. This didn’t have much of an impact on the defense, except for the players lined up outside the box to the right of the offense. They needed to respect CEH’s path in the backfield.

However, as the backfield action progressed to the right, the offensive line and tight end trio progressed to the left. After about three steps of action, Kelce stuck his foot out on the ground and came back toward Mahomes, who drove a rocket pass into his chest. With fellow tight ends Noah Gray and Blake Bell setting up blocks in front of him, Kelce rode a wave of blockers toward the left front pylon.

Before committing fully to the outside, Kelce moved up the field between Bell and left tackle and hit a hard jab. This small movement caused multiple Bills defenders to commit to that gap, which then allowed Kelce to bounce outside as Gray and Bell sealed the edge. His teammates did just enough for Kelce to overwhelm everyone on his way to just inside the pylon before landing just out of bounds.

Casual fans won’t notice every detail of the scoring play that gained 3 yards, but those who are willing to look a little harder can find a wealth of detail and nuance in this play. Probably. If Kelce had simply caught the ball and tried to rush straight forward in hopes of rushing to score, he likely would have been stopped. But no, Kelce has been playing long enough to know exactly how to influence the player on the other side of the line while utilizing his teammates.

This is what truly separates him from just about every tightie in the NFL right now.

Photo by Mark Goldman/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

2.) Back shoulder fade against All-Pro Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton in the AFC Championship Game

Ravens safety Kyle Hamilton was named first-team All-Pro after an absolutely stellar season on the record books despite only being a second-year player. His breakout season was key to the Ravens having the league’s No. 1 defense in points, sacks and interceptions in 2023.

But with the Chiefs’ first touchdown of the game, it doesn’t matter how old Kelce looks past these new young stars, he still has plenty of elite tricks. was shown.

The Chiefs lined up in a 2×2 set, with the two receivers in a close flex to the left and both Kelce and tight end Noah Gray connecting to the right.

Hamilton lines up in front of Kelce about five yards from the ball. At the snap, Kelce makes an arc release on the outside and then charges vertically toward Hamilton. Before Kelce can reach Hamilton’s level, he takes a jab step to the outside with a head fake, looking to bite Hamilton, then pushes him vertically up the right sideline again. It’s basically an out-and-up route with a little more nuance by a crafty veteran.

The crazy thing here is that Hamilton actually plays this very well. He stayed on top of Kelce throughout, and the gap closed as he made the final cut toward the end zone. Mahomes throws a picture-perfect back-shoulder fade a little lower and to the outside than normal, since an interception here would be a bigger momentum changer than usual given the stakes.

Kelce perfectly executed the last second possession. He stops the moment by sticking his feet upfield into the ground, dropping his weight at the same time. The pass fell gently into his arms as both players reached the end zone with momentum.

Touchdown.

This is what the elite of the elite can do for a soccer team. Hamilton put Mahomes and Kelce in situations with very little margin for error. If Mahomes throws farther out, there’s a good chance it will be incomplete. If he throws too far inside, he could end up with a fatal interception in the final stretch of his Super Bowl bid.

There are only a handful of players who can make this play look so effortless. Players like Davante Adams and Aaron Rodgers come to mind, but it’s even more impressive considering Kelce plays the tight end position.

Photo credit: Perry Knotts/Getty Images

3.) 22-yard touchdown against the Bills when Kelce exploded in coverage.

This is probably my favorite touchdown of the three, so I’ll save it for last. This is a great combination of the Chiefs’ ability to scout the Bills defense and how to leverage Kelce’s knowledge of the play and influence on the Bills.

When the Chiefs first line up, they are in a 2×2 formation, with Kelce lined up on the left next to fellow tight end Noah Gray. Before the snap, Mahomes moved wideout Mecole Hardman, giving him three pass catchers to his right. On the other side of the line, the Bills appeared to have one safety potentially patrolling the middle of the field. But that safety was on the right side. When Hardman motioned over, the left safety dropped into the box and covered either Kelce or Gray.

At that moment, three Bills defenders lined up directly toward the Chiefs. Gray had an outside release behind Kelce, stretched vertically and sat just outside the hash, about 5-7 yards down the field. Hardman, who moved to the outermost position of the group, also took an outside release, pressed vertically, and broke on an out route to the sideline.

Meanwhile, Kelce uses an inside release to get between Gray and the defender. When he meets defenders at the second level, he breaks back hard to the outside for leverage on the outside. From there, it looks like the defender simply threw Kelce into the third level unprotected. Kelce noticed this and realized that there were no 3-level defenders on his side of the field. He immediately makes a break on the corner route straight to the pylon, but he only makes the single-high safety realize it’s already too late.

Kelce draws easy pitches and catches from Mahomes.