Chiefs’ Travis Kelce shares insight on his lateral, shows support for Kadarius Toney
The Chiefs’ offense has been a hot topic on sports-talk shows and among NFL writers following the 20-17 loss Sunday to the Bills.
This season, the Chiefs’ scoring offense ranks 11th, which has some wondering if it’s too late for Kansas City to improve.
But Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has a message for the media and fans: Things will get better. Kelce emphatically made that point on the latest episode of his “New Heights” podcast.
“Another low-scoring game for us,” Kelce said. “We’re not rolling like we have been in the past. I know there’s a lot of media pointing fingers at some of the skill players that we have. I say (forget) that, and excuse my language. We usually cuss in lighthearted ways, but I felt like you guys had to feel that, whoever is talking (smack) on the skill players and on our offense right now.
“It’s a group effort. And when you turn the film on, what’s real is that we got guys that can play this game. And we got guys that we can have success with and win with and win championships with. I know it. I’ve been on championship-caliber teams. When you watch the film., it’s penalties in critical moments, turnovers in critical moments, and it’s everybody. It’s not one guy.”
Kelce said those mistakes are self-inflicted, which is why he believes the Chiefs can turn things around. Kelce also noted the Chiefs have one of the best records in the AFC this season.
“We’re 8-5, amongst the top of the AFC, and this year we’re battling our tail off and we’re figuring out what kind of team we are in a different way than we have in the past,” Kelce said. “All this that I hear in the media right now about who the Chiefs are, it’s only building that beast that we’ve been trying to create this entire year. It’s only going to keep making us better and better going through these learning experiences and going through these tough games. In years past, yeah, we found ways to win those games. I think that this year, we are finding ways to keep getting better every single week.
“At the end of the day, it takes a lot of focus on the right things and just being accountable for the guy next to you and executing your ... job. I’ll be the first one to say I’ve got to play better. I know the game ended however it wanted to with the play I made, which I’m sure we’ll get to. I just want to make sure that Chiefs Kingdom, everybody knows that we have everybody we need right here and we’re gonna get it fixed.”
The Lateral
Kelce also shared insight on the lateral to Kadarius Toney that scored a touchdown and for a split-second sent fans into a frenzy on Sunday.
After making the catch, Kelce eluded a defender; he knew that it was a single-high safety formation and Toney would be open behind him.
“I knew KT was over there from the route he ran,” Kelce said. “And I saw him out of the corner of my eye in a lateral position, in a position where I knew if I could get him the ball, I knew he had space to score a touchdown.”
Kelce initially thought the ball was going to be off the mark.
“When it left my hand I thought it got tipped. It was close. It was extremely close. So you probably won’t see me doing that every single game, I promise you guys. That was a little too close for comfort,” Kelce said.
“I went up to KT today and I told him, ‘Man, we had that place rocking.’ That crowd, Arrowhead was on fire after that play, man. I told him, ‘We’ll just have to do it again big dog.’”
On the penalty
Kelce said he has complete confidence in Toney, and added the Chiefs never want to put the officials in a position to throw a flag.
“He lined up like that all game and didn’t get warned, blah, blah, blah, don’t call it in that position,” Kelce said. “You can’t put it in the ref’s hands in that position. We’ve talked about plays like this all the time, especially in critical moments. I love KT. if we get the opportunity again, I’m gonna throw (it) right into his chest again. Hopefully he gets there.
“And I got all the faith in the world in that dude. He’s one of our best players, man. He’s one of the best players we got with the ball in his hands. You turn on the film, you watch what he does when the ball is in his hands and you can’t tell me you don’t want that guy on your team, man. So everybody hating on KT right now, man, I’m not trying to hear that. ... I’m trusting in one-nine every time he’s out there on the field.“
This story was originally published December 13, 2023 at 11:04 AM.
