Travis Kelce has struggled at times in the past two games.
4 catches. 39 yards. 0 touchdowns. JAG numbers.
“I often found myself getting really angry and losing my cool when I wasn't successful, knowing that I demanded it of myself. I like to play the game with a very high level of accountability, so it's hard for me to deal with mediocre performances and the statistics that represent them.” Kelsey said On Wednesday, he appeared on “New Heights,” a podcast hosted by him and his brother, Jason Kelsey.
Now 34 and in his 12th season, Kelce is calm about the uncertain start to the 2024 season as the Chiefs get off to a 2-0 start.
The three-time Super Bowl champion admitted he “didn't play at his best,” catching just one pass for five yards in Sunday's home game against Kansas City's Bengals, the third-fewest receiving yards of his 12-year career.
Kelce was targeted just seven times throughout the game, infuriating fantasy football managers who invested premium picks in the veteran.
“For whatever reason, the last two games just didn't go my way and that's football,” Kelce said. “I'm not going to sit here and be frustrated.”
Kelce has set such a high standard at the tight end position that he basically feels out of place doing cardio, but he struggled in 2023, recording his fewest receiving yards (984) since 2015 and his fewest touchdowns (5) since 2019, making him an unlikely presence at the start of the 2024 season.
The nine-time Pro Bowl player proved he's still a top-tier player as the Chiefs reached the Super Bowl.
Kelce lagged behind wide receivers Ruchy Rice and Xavier Worthy in Week 1, catching just three of his four targets for 34 yards in the win over the Ravens.
On Sunday, he caught just three passes, but Rice again led the way.
Kelce could have had a bigger impact, but he had an interception late in the first quarter when quarterback Patrick Mahomes went after him and a penalty negated a 41-yard gain.
He is currently 22nd among tight ends In receiving yards.
Kelce couldn't score on a carry from the 2-yard line, being tackled a yard short of the end zone.
“I think about four or five years ago I started worrying less about the stats and just wanting to play free and play for my guys. I think that's a better mentality for sure,” Kelce said. “Thinking more play-by-play and what my role is in that play and then moving forward and thinking about how I can get better in that moment. Am I not getting out of my route quick enough? Whatever the situation is, it's all play-specific, but you're always watching film, watching schemes and trying to get more perfect every week. Usually you see these games early and just keep trying to get better for the guys around you.”
Kelce isn't the only one who is downplaying his turtle-speed starts.
Chiefs coach Andy Reid recently said,It's not slowing down” But instead he faced two familiar defenses focused on limiting his impact in the game.
Mahomes echoed similar sentiments.
“They do a great job of having two guys for him the whole game,” Mahomes said Sunday. “So they have guys like Russie and Worthy. You look at the first touchdown, I was actually looking at Travis. The backside safety runs the length of the field to guard Travis and then throws the ball to Russie along the sideline. That's what they do. Obviously, we played two opponents that we played a lot, so they have a plan for how they're going to cover Travis. As the season goes on, he's going to make catches and get yards. The special thing about him being a leader is he keeps the guys fired up and keeps the guys motivated. That's what you want from a great player.”
The Chiefs (2-0) hit the road for the first time in the 2024 season on the road Sunday night to take on the Falcons (1-1) before facing the resurgent Chargers (2-0) in Week 4 in Los Angeles.
While the defense has played a big role in the Chiefs' strong start, Kelce knows the offense, including himself, needs to keep their promises.
“We have to play better as an offense. Our defenses are playing hard, they're forcing turnovers, they're finding ways to make the quarterback nervous, and the type of pressure we're getting and how well we're covering right now makes it really hard for them to throw the ball downfield,” Kelce said. “We have to take equal responsibility as an offense to really be a Super Bowl-caliber team, and that's on me. It starts with the leaders and coming in with the right mentality. I wasn't playing my best, and if I don't fix that, it's going to spread. I have to fix that.”
