Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce did his best Patrick Mahomes impression during his team’s loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Day, slamming his helmet down on the sideline in the first half in the midst of the Chiefs’ offensive struggles. After the game, head coach Andy Reid briefly spoke on the incident.
“Things happen,” Reid said, via McKenzie Nelson of KSHB 41.
Reid would go on to credit Kelce for composing himself and getting back into the game.
“He went back in and did a nice job,” Reid said, via Sam McDowell of The Kansas City Star. “Travis is emotional and sometimes my red hair gets to me a little bit. But it all works out.”
Reid himself initially seemed kind of peeved at Kelce’s outburst, as he did not allow the star pass-catcher to retrieve his helmet at first and also gave him a shove.
Kelce logged five catches for 44 yards in what ended up being a dreadful 20-14 defeat.
It was just the latest underwhelming offensive performance in what has been a season full of them for Kansas City, which fell to 9-6 and missed a chance to clinch the AFC West division title. Not only that, but the Chiefs guaranteed that they will not have home-field advantage throughout the playoffs with the loss.
The outing marked the seventh time this year that Kansas City scored less than 20 points, which comes from a unit that finished at the top of the NFL with 29.2 points per game last season (the Chiefs are averaging just 22.2 points per game in 2023).
Travis Kelce has hauled in 90 receptions for 968 yards and five touchdowns on the campaign overall. While he is on track to make his ninth straight Pro Bowl, his numbers are also a tick below his usual production.
Kansas City will aim to get back on track when it takes on the Cincinnati Bengals next week. It will then wrap up the regular season when it battles the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18.
Want the latest NFL analysis, breaking news, and insider information? Click here. Interested in reading storylines and analysis about the NBA? Check out our partner NBA Analysis Network.
