Travis Kelce turned in yet another lackluster performance in the absence of girlfriend Taylor Swift - though the pop icon’s presence in the stands hasn’t exactly helped the Kansas City Chiefs tight end this season.
On Sunday, the Chiefs secured a 28-18 win over the San Francisco 49ers on the road in a highly-anticipated rematch of Super Bowl LVIII. Kelce was mostly a non-factor in his team’s victory, reeling in four catches on five targets for just 17 yards.
The meager stat line marked the second time this season that Kelce has failed to amass at least 20 receiving yards in a game. His only lower offensive output came in Week 2 against the Cincinnati Bengals, during which he caught just one pass for five yards.
Swift was notably not in attendance at Allegiant Stadium to witness the latest underwhelming showing from Kelce. As the game transpired, the songstress was gearing up for her Eras Tour performance at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.
Since making a surprise appearance at a Chiefs game last September, Swift has attended many of the team’s contests over the last two years - including Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. In this season alone, she’s been in-person for Kansas City’s season-opener against the Baltimore Ravens, win over the Bengals, and Monday Night Football clash with the New Orleans Saints.
It wasn’t long ago that Kelce appeared to be turning a corner amidst an uncharacteristically slow start to the season. During the Chiefs’ wins over the Los Angeles Chargers and New Orleans Saints , the 35-year-old amassed 16 receptions on 19 targets for 159 yards.
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He even recreated his signature play on Monday Night Football after pitching a lateral to running back Samaje Perine, who sped downfield for another 15 yards before being dragged out of bounds near the first down marker. Despite sputtering out of the gates to begin the season, Kelce believes that he still has plenty left in the tank to compete at a high level in the NFL , though.
Speaking to reporters last month, the 12-year veteran asserted that he pays little attention to his stats, which often don’t tell the whole story. "I think this year's stats may say something different, but at the same time you'll see the same person inside this building, and that's all I really care about,” he said. “I'm my own worst critic. Everything outside of this building is just noise.
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"I'm fortunate. I've had the success in the past and I realized that the ball can't always go to one person. It can't always get in my hands, but at the same time, I got all the trust in [Patrick Mahomes] to make the right decision, and he's been making great decisions.”
Though Kelce’s stats are a stark contrast to years prior, Kansas City’s dominance thus far is quite similar to recent seasons. After comfortably defeating the 49ers, the Chiefs improved to 6-0 - making them last undefeated team in the NFL.
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