Andy Reid Addresses Travis Kelce Recent Dip in Performance

Thanks to a 3-0 season start, Kansas City Chiefs fans have every reason to rejoice. However, much of the buzz nationally has been about Patrick Mahomes throwing too many interceptions at the beginning of the year, as well as fellow teammate Travis Kelce not playing as well historically.

The very next day, after the media unit on September 23 was on, Coach Reid spoke about why Kelce had only managed to haul in 8 catches for 69 yards. Reid explained the general trend alluded to in Jonathan’s ‘little book,’ where star tight end Kelce is a ‘decoy.’ “I’ve mentioned before how Rashee [Rice’s] performance ties into how Kelce’s goes,” Reid explained.

“Defenses are working hard to take Kelce out of the picture. And he knows that. He’s saying, ‘If they’re doing that, then Rashee’s going to get a lot of catches.’ He’s fully aware, but that will level off at some point”.

Kelce or Rice?

Reid’s comments imply that the Chiefs' offense works so well that they force the defense to choose either to concentrate on the star tight end Kelce or on the wide receiver Rashee Rice but not both.

Until that time, teams have still been opting to double-team Kelce, so Rice is flourishing. The second-year receiver has fully maximized this situation, scoring unbelievable statistics of 24 catches, 288 yards, and 2 touchdowns in 3 games.

Nevertheless, Reid does not anticipate defenses avoiding Rice for so long. “Rashee is a force to reckon with. He doesn’t go down easily with the ball and is an effective player,” Reid said. “Well, I believe such escalation of attention in the near future will not be a big problem as to how the game plays on”.

Reid’s remarks should comfort fans who are worried about Kelce's slow start. With defensives focusing more on Rice, more chances are believed to come for him, which could help the veteran tight end be productive. Even Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was in agreement with Reid’s view after the team’s Week 3 win, concerning the extra attention that he was attracting from opposition defenses.

“The respect they have for us is insane,” Mahomes recalled on September 22. “It's deservedly so, but yes, we are calling plays for him and he's got two or three defenders on him every time”.