Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs finished the regular season with a 15-2 record and the first seed in the AFC. Since they sealed the top seed in the conference in Week 17, the team had nothing to play for in Week 18.
As a result, the Chiefs rested their key players against the Denver Broncos, who needed a win to advance to the playoffs. Kansas City lost 38-0 to the Broncos, and many critics, especially people rooting for the Cincinnati Bengals, felt the Chiefs intentionally lost the game.
Kelce was asked about it recently by Stephen A. Smith, and he gave a detailed response to all the critics undermining his team and their integrity.
Travis Kelce Claps Back at Critics
Kelce appeared on “The Stephen A. Smith Show” and mentioned how his team’s priority in Week 18 was to get healthy for the playoffs, which is why the starters didn’t play.
“You know, you would think that Andy Reid has gotten the respect from the rest of the league that every single time he’s he’s on the football field, he’s playing to win the game,” said Kelce. “We had bigger fish to fry, and at that point, getting healthy and ready for this final stretch was the biggest thing.”
The Chiefs tight end also defended his head coach and emphasized on how his team always plays to win games.
“Coach Reid anytime he’s there, he’s making sure he’s motivating and challenging guys to be at the best and go out there and play a game to win it,” added Kelce. “So, I think everybody’s going to chirp and say what they want, but I know the integrity of the team here, and we were going out there to win that game.”
The 38-0 loss for a team with 15 wins was hard to digest for many, but there was no reason why the Chiefs should have played stars like Kelce, Chris Jones, and Patrick Mahomes in that game.
Any other team in their place would have done the same. The main goal is to stay healthy for the playoffs to win the Super Bowl, and Reid did what was best for Kansas City. The Chiefs have home-field advantage in the playoffs, and they are well-positioned to achieve their goal of becoming the first team in NFL’s history to win three straight Super Bowls.
Kelce Discusses Chiefs’ Approach for Playoffs
Unlike last season, the Chiefs have a fairly easy path to the Super Bowl this season. Last year, Kansas City played the Miami Dolphins at home in the Wild Card round, then traveled to Buffalo and Baltimore to beat the Bills and the Ravens in the Divisional Round and AFC Championship Game, respectively.
This time around, Kelce and co. will host the Houston Texans in the Wild Card round and then host the winner of the game between the Bills and Ravens in the AFC Championship Game.
Smith asked Kelce how the team will approach the playoffs this season, considering they have an easier road than last season.
“You know setting ourselves up with the one seed, having everybody have to go through Arrowhead, I think this year it was such a different team,” said Kelce. “Such a different feel. We were barely winning football games at the end of the year [in 2023]. So, there was always that feeling of we got to be better. And right now we’re playing our best football, and I’m definitely feeling confident as heck that this team can make a run at it.”
The biggest knock on the Chiefs this season was they didn’t blow out teams on their way to finishing with the best record in the AFC. Out of their 15 wins, only one came where it wasn’t a one-possession game.
The win came in Week 17 against the Pittsburgh Steelers, which shows the Chiefs are peaking at the right time. The defending Super Bowl champions have had over three weeks of rest ahead of the Divisional Round game against the Texans. That has allowed time for veteran players like Kelce, Jones, Mahomes, DeAndre Hopkins, Joe Thuney, and D.J. Humphries enough time to get ready for the postseason.
Not facing the Bills and the Ravens until the AFC Championship Game is also a huge boost for the Chiefs. The stage is set perfectly for Mahomes and Kelce to win another Super Bowl, and it will be interesting to see whether Lamar Jackson or Josh Allen can finally stop them, assuming KC gets past Houston on Saturday.