Chiefs coach Stephen A. Smith declared the “honeymoon” between Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and girlfriend Taylor Swift is over after Kelce contributed little to Kansas City's first two wins of the season.
Monday “First Take” Speaking on ESPN, Smith urged his All-Pro superstar, who was outplayed by Singer and second-year wide receiver Rushe Rice in Sunday's last-minute 26-25 win over the Bengals, to hang in there on the field.
“We saw more Taylor Swift than Travis Kelce last Sunday afternoon,” Smith said, referring to Swift, a 14-time Grammy Award winner, being featured on the CBS broadcast.
“…That shouldn't have happened. [Sunday]We should have seen Travis Kelce do better than her yesterday, but that didn't happen. We've got to work harder. He had 39 yards receiving in the first two games. Now, football season is here.
“The honeymoon is over. Let's get to work.”
Kelce had just one catch for five yards against the Bengals, but a game-winning 41-yard pass in the fourth quarter was called back for holding by Kingsley Suamataia.
Swift also attended the Chiefs' home opener against the Ravens, where he had three catches for 34 yards.
The Chiefs' last-minute wins in both games quelled much of the criticism of Kelce and the team.
Smith also praised Rice's performance on Sunday.
“Ruchy Rice had five catches for 75 yards, which is good. He talked about it before the game and he went out on the field and he executed on it, so credit where credit is due,” Smith said.
Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker's 51-yard field goal with time running out gave Kansas City a 26-25 win over the Bengals.
A pass interference call allowed the Chiefs to advance to the Cincinnati 36-yard line, and the kickoff was awarded.
“Kansas City got lucky, but the pass interference call was correct,” Smith said.
“I think when you look at Travis Kelce and Xavier Worthy, they had three receptions for 22 yards and won the game.
“When things like this happen on the offensive end, you're not going to win games. Cincinnati definitely played well, but they just didn't come out with the win.”
The Bengals started the season 0-2.
In two games this season, Kelce has been targeted seven times and has four receptions for 39 yards and zero scores.
Kelce's on-field production declined last season, but his Q-score soared thanks to his relationship with Swift.
Kelce had 93 catches for 984 yards in 15 games, but fell below 1,000 receiving yards for the first time since 2015.
The small sample size this season suggests those numbers are likely to decline further.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said Kelce will be able to catch in time.
“They were definitely trying some things,” Reid said after the game. “He's going to make the catch. It's not like he's lost speed or anything like that. That's not the issue.”
“Teams are looking at him and he [quarterback Patrick Mahomes’] “He's a reliable guy, but with Soren (Petro) we're able to utilize the guys around him and they're making a difference.”
The Chiefs (2-0) will host the Falcons (1-1) in Atlanta on Sunday.
