The Kansas City Chiefs have been one of the most surprising teams in the NFL this season, and that is not a compliment. Travis Kelce fully understands that and had some strong comments recently about what needs to happen for it to change.
The Chiefs are 5-5 entering Week 12 following back-to-back losses to the Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills. If the playoffs were to begin today, Kansas City would be on the outside looking in for the first time since 2012.
Kelce discussed the mediocre start to the season during the latest episode of the “New Heights” podcast, which was released on Wednesday. The Pro Bowl tight end said he and his teammates need to “kind of look at themselves in the mirror.”
“You can’t sit around pointing fingers. … Whatever you go into mentally when you’re frustrated, you gotta kick that s— aside, and you gotta think about how you’re f—ing going to attack the day, and you gotta put all the selfish s—, all the things you want for yourself aside and it’s just gotta be about this team, the guy next to you and you gotta have fun doing it, man,” Kelce said, via Jaclyn Hendricks of the New York Post.
The Chiefs have reached the Super Bowl in five of the last six years and won it three times. Many view them as essentially being in the playoffs before the season even begins, but Andy Reid’s team now has very little margin for error.
Kelce is 36 and has shown signs of slowing down over the past two seasons. Rashee Rice was also suspended for the first six games of the season, which hurt Kansas City early on. Isiah Pacheco is having a disappointing year and the Chiefs have struggled to run the ball.
Some of the issues can be fixed, especially with Reid calling plays and Patrick Mahomes under center. But the competition around the Chiefs has taken a significant step forward this season, and that has clearly presented new challenges. Kelce knows the team needs to show more urgency in their tough Week 12 home game against the Indianapolis Colts and down the stretch.
