Former New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan is currently a studio show co-host for ESPN. Ryan said back in Dec. 2024, that the Kansas City Chiefs are not capable of getting to the Super Bowl in 2025. Travis Kelce, the Chiefs’ tight end, took exception to Ryan’s comments on “The Pat McAfee Show” and on social media.
Travis Kelce Takes Exception to Rex Ryan’s Comments About Chiefs’ 3-Peat
The Chiefs will begin their quest for a Super Bowl three-peat this Saturday against the Houston Texans at 4:30 p.m. ET from Arrowhead Stadium. They will be facing the naysayers like Ryan head-on and will be looking to prove them all wrong.
“We’ve definitely heard all the chatter. Guys like Rex Ryan saying that this team can’t win in the playoffs and he’s seen it before,” Kelce said. “We hear everything, but at the same time, we know what’s real and what’s in this building.”
“There are three or four teams better right now,” Ryan said on Dec. 9, 2024, on “First Take.”
“Now, part of that is because they don’t protect the quarterback. And so, to me, you’re still not protecting the quarterback. I’ve had to stop a lot of teams as a coordinator, head coach, whatever. I’d sign up any day of the week to play Kansas City right now.”
"I've seen teams like this before … They get beat in the first round."
Rex Ryan doesn't have any faith in the Chiefs right now 😯 pic.twitter.com/vJMjh4GPic
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) December 1, 2024
“I’ve seen teams like this before,” Ryan said. “They got beat in the first round.”
Kelce shot right back on McAfee’s show on Jan. 13 and defended his team.
“We’re finding different ways to win and more ways to win early on and throughout the season,” Kelce said. “I think last year we dealt with finding ways to lose. And you know, you can learn from both, but learning from the games you win is a whole lot more fun. And I think we got a lot of confidence on this team and a lot of guys are willing to go the extra mile, man.”
"We're finding different ways to win and we've got a lot of confidence..
We've heard all the chatter and Rex Ryan saying that we can't win in the playoffs" ~ @tkelce #PMSLive #ChiefsKingdom pic.twitter.com/XmOvMJ4E6u
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) January 13, 2025
PFN’s model, like Ryan, isn’t super high on the Chiefs either, ranking fifth in our NFL Divisional Round Power Rankings. This is due to their weak regular season schedule and mediocre metrics, as they don’t rank top-10 offensively or defensively in PFN’s Offense+ or Defense+ metrics.
Whenever you watch Patrick Mahomes this season, there are always a couple of “wow” moments, but you rarely came away from the game thinking he was absolutely dominant. Still, Mahomes rarely costs his team the game, either.
That is demonstrated by his range in QB+ grades in individual games this season, having not once ranked above a B but also not ever graded below a C-.
Mahomes, who has posted a similar QB+ over the last two seasons, is clearly not playing at the same level he was earlier in his career. Yet, the way this team is built means he has to adapt his style. His 47.8% third-down conversion rate leads the NFL, and at times, it feels like the march to the end zone is inevitable when the Kansas City Chiefs are driving.