What Chiefs, Jaguars thought of Travis Kelce’s record-setting NFL playoff performance
Chad Henne walked up to the line of scrimmage to change the protection call. The Jaguars had six rushers coming. The Chiefs had five blockers.
This sucker was going to have to come out fast.
It turned out to be the most crucial drive of the Chiefs’ 27-20 home victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the Divisional Round of the NFL playoffs. KC’s backup quarterback faced a third-and-3, knowing he was staring down the wrong end of a blitz as Jacksonville’s 6-foot-5, 240-pound Arden Key charged toward him.
Henne had told his offensive linemen to block to the right. Jacksonville’s Key was to the left, meaning Henne knew he would come unblocked on purpose.
The QB trusted one teammate to get open in that split-second. After hitting the back foot of his drop, Henne zipped a pass to tight end Travis Kelce, who caught it at two yards but spun off a tackle to gain two more and ensure a first down.
The drive continued from there, with this play from the Chiefs’ 98-yard touchdown drive spotlighting one persistent truth from Saturday’s game.
No matter the quarterback — and no matter the situation — Kelce was the rock for the Chiefs when they had to have him.
Kelce caught 14 passes for 98 yards with two touchdowns in an effort that was historic. The 14 receptions set a new record for an NFL tight end in a playoff game and broke the Chiefs’ postseason mark of 13 (previously held by Kelce).
“He’s special, man. He’s a special player,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “One-of-a-kind player that’s one of the main reasons we’ve been able to be in this position so many times.”
The frequency that the Chiefs leaned on Kelce in this one bordered on unbelievable.
Consider this: Chiefs pass-catchers were targeted on 35 total passes against the Jaguars. Kelce accounted for 17 of those targets, meaning 49% of the team’s passes Saturday were intended for him.
“You don’t get too many guys like that that’s carrying a load on their shoulders,” Chiefs running back Isiah Pacheco said. “He’s been here and been in these situations.”
And once again for the Chiefs, Kelce delivered, both through individual plays and opening up others.
KC’s final touchdown drive showed two notable examples.
On a second-and-10, Kelce was mauled on the line by Jacksonville’s Key, who grabbed him twice within five yards while trying to throw him off his option route.
Kelce didn’t flinch. He worked to use Key’s momentum against him, nudging him to the outside before breaking free over the middle to give Mahomes a clear target for a 15-yard gain and first down.
The Chiefs also benefited from Kelce’s presence on their touchdown pass three minutes later. Kelce strained to get open over the middle of the field, which not only occupied Rayshawn Jenkins in man coverage but also coaxed safety Andre Cisco forward as a help defender.
That slight move was all Mahomes needed. He stepped up in the pocket and found Marquez Valdes-Scantling running directly behind Cisco, connecting with him on a six-yard score that gave the Chiefs their final points.
“I knew they were going to double Trav, so it left me one-on-one,” Valdes-Scantling said after the game. “So I just knew that I had to get across and let Pat find me.”
Kelce, with his 14-catch effort, moved closer to becoming the NFL’s most productive postseason receiver ever. His 120 playoff receptions now rank second in NFL history, as he moved past New England receiver Julian Edelman, who finished his career with 118.
“I was fortunate enough to be able to make those plays and have the pride to be able to make those plays every single day for this team, man,” Kelce said. “I take a lot on myself to be able to make those plays, week in, week out — especially when we need it the most.”
The remnants of Kelce’s grind-it-out day lingered on his uniform in the locker room afterward. His white pants were splotched green with grass stains from knee to waist, a reminder of just how many times he’d been knocked down by the Jaguars before getting up again.
Jacksonville coach Doug Pederson labeled Kelce a “great player” in his postgame interview.
Jenkins, meanwhile, lamented that the Jaguars had “made it hard on him all day” — with Kelce still producing the way that he did.
“He is one of the best,” Jenkins said, “to ever do it.”
This story was originally published January 21, 2023 at 11:06 PM.
