As the NFL regular season winds down, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs face an uphill battle if they want to return to the playoffs.
Their tough climb got even tougher on Sunday, December 7, when they lost, 20-10, to the Houston Texans. Kelce, 36, dropped a pass late in the fourth quarter in that game, leading to an interception that effectively sealed the game for Houston.
“Obviously looking at the playoffs, this is a tough reality to be in,” he told his brother, Jason Kelce, on the Wednesday, December 10 episode of their “New Heights” podcast. “It’s a s***ty f***ing feeling, especially dropping the f***ing ball late in the game like that.”
The Chiefs are 6-7 on the season with four games left to play. NFL Next Gen Stats gives them only an 11 percent chance to make the playoffs.
“It’s been a tough f***ing go around over the past two days,” Travis reflected. “You put in all this f***ing work in hopes that it pays off and right now for whatever f***ing reason man, it’s little things, it’s discipline. I feel like I’ve always had the answers in years past and this year I just can’t find them.”
Jason, 38, defended his brother for his late-game miscue, pointing out that it was a difficult catch for him to make. He also asked Travis what the team’s approach is over the last month of the season, knowing the Chiefs need to win out to even have a shot at the playoffs.
“We don’t necessarily control our own destiny at this point,” Travis replied. “We need some things to happen outside of us winning all our games. That’s all you can do. You got the [Los Angeles] Chargers coming in [next] and you just get after them.”
Travis has taken plenty of heat since the Texans game, which was statistically his worst of the season. Though fans will remember his dropped pass, he only had one reception for eight yards — both season lows.
Cameras caught him looking dejected on the sidelines and he did not speak with the media after the game.
“I’m going to always show up to work and f***ing give it my all and if there’s a game to be played, I’m going to make it the most important game in the world,” Travis told his brother. “It’s frustrating, but we got four games left and I’m going put my f***ing heart on the line for these guys because they deserve that. Chiefs Kingdom, you guys deserve that, and we’re going to keep this thing f***ing rolling, man.”
Jason also asked him what the Chiefs need to change over their last four games to try and salvage their season. Travis’ answer covered just about every aspect of the game.
“Critical situations toward the end of games,” he said. “Showing up. Dropped passes, missed blocks in key situations that can spark big runs. And scoring touchdowns. You gotta score touchdowns in this league. Field goals aren’t going to cut it.”
Read the full article here
