Kelce: Stumped trying to find fix for performance

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Travis Kelce, the Chiefs‘ star tight end, was rather candid in sharing his frustrations Wednesday during the “New Heights” podcast he co-hosts with Jason Kelce, his brother, when discussing Kansas City’s 20-10 loss to the Houston Texans on Sunday night.

The game was the first time in Kelce’s illustrious 13-year career — regular season or playoffs — that he finished with more drops [two] than receptions [one].

“You put in all this f—ing work and hope that it pays off,” Kelce, 36, said in Wednesday’s episode. “And right now, it’s just for whatever f—ing reason, man, it’s little things. I feel like I’ve always had the answers in years past. And this year, I just can’t find them.

“I keep thinking if I show up to work and I put in the work and I fix the issues through my practice habits and through perfecting the game plan and my fundamentals and what I’m being taught, and go out there and try and play my ass off for my guys next to me, it’s all going to come together like it has in years past. And this year it is just not, man.”

Late in the fourth quarter, when the Chiefs trailed by seven points, Kelce dropped the ball on back-to-back snaps, the second leading to Mahomes’ third interception, ending the Chiefs’ last chance for a comeback. The Chiefs finished with five drops, tied for the second most by any team this season.

Inside the locker room, Kelce declined to answer questions from reporters and was one of the last players to take off his uniform. He sat in front of his locker for several minutes with his hands on top of his bowed head.

“Every season I’ve had with him these last few years, I try to cherish because you never know [if this will be his last],” quarterback Patrick Mahomes said of Kelce after Sunday’s game. “He got himself in great shape this year and he’s played great football. He’ll have the option to do whatever he wants to do after this season, but I know one thing: He’ll give everything he has for the rest of this season to try to give us a chance to make a playoff run.

“We know the chances are getting lower and lower.”

The loss dropped the Chiefs to 6-7 and ended their run of nine consecutive AFC West division titles, which was the second-longest streak in NFL history and was the longest active division title streak by any team across the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB, according to Elias Sports Bureau research.

The Chiefs’ chances of clinching a postseason berth dwindled to just 12%, according to ESPN Analytics. All four of the Chiefs’ remaining games are against AFC opponents, too.

“If there’s a game to be played, I’m going to f—ing make it the most important game in the world,” Kelce said. “But obviously looking at the playoffs, this is a tough reality to be in, especially with how we’ve always found a way in years past.

“So, it’s a s—ty f—ing feeling, especially dropping the f—ing ball late in the game like that when we were on our last f—ing chance to make something shake. It’s a s—ty feeling, man. You put in all this work to be there for your guys.”