Getty Chiefs TE Travis Kelce recorded 8 catches, 109 yards and a touchdown vs. the Browns on Sunday.
On Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs closed out a 22-17 AFC Divisional win without the services of their half-a-billion dollar quarterback. After an awkward tackle by Cleveland Browns linebacker Mack Wilson, Patrick Mahomes was forced to exit halfway through the third quarter with a concussion.
While Mahomes is now in “good spirits” and working through the league’s concussion protocol, the hit that left the 25-year-old star visibly disoriented drew some backlash from onlookers, including Mahomes’ mom, Randi.
Browns Defense ‘Fired up’ After Mahomes Went Down
When asked for his feelings on the controversial play, Chiefs tight end and Cleveland native Travis Kelce did not go as far as to call Wilson’s actions dirty. However, the two-time All-Pro did reveal what a few Browns defenders were saying on the field immediately following the concussion-inducing tackle.
“You never wanna say that someone purposely took somebody out the game,” said Kelce, via Kansas City Star beat writer Sam McDowell. “But they were flying around, and after the initial hit, they were fired up, saying, ‘That’s what we do; That’s what we do.’
“So it’s just, there was a lot of talk between me and their players. For the most part, it was just in a competitive mindset. I do feel like those guys are good dudes, and I respect a lot of them for that, especially Myles [Garrett].”
Kelce finished the day with eight catches for 109 yards and an impressively agile touchdown against Pro Bowl cornerback and former No. 4 overall pick Denzel Ward.
This route by Travis Kelce, against an outstanding CB in Denzel Ward, is absolutely sick.
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Mahomes, Wilson Show Sportsmanship After Chiefs’ Win
Despite the general overreaction to the tackle — which did not draw a penalty flag — Wilson was quick to reach out to Mahomes on Twitter after the game, a sportsmanlike gesture that Mahomes returned.
In a separate tweet, the second-year linebacker sent a strong message to the people flooding him with insults and threats on social media.
Never been a dirty player in my life. I just try my best to play fast and make plays. Don’t try to insult me & keep the threats to yourself. 💯
Andy Reid on Mahomes: ‘He’s Doing Great’
During his postgame press conference, head coach Andy Reid provided an encouraging update on his fourth-year quarterback.
“He got hit in the back of the head and it kind of knocked the wind out of him and everything else with it, so we took him out,” Reid told reporters on Sunday afternoon, via Yahoo Sports’ Terez Paylor. “He’s doing great right now, which is a real positive as we looked at this. [He] passed all the deals that he needed to pass. So, we’ll see where it goes from here.”
Mahomes’ fiancée, Brittany Matthews, also tweeted that both she and her husband were “fine” following the scary-looking injury. Meanwhile, in the hours following the game, FOX NFL Sunday’s Jay Glazer joined the caravan of hopefuls weighing in on the head injury — which the NFL insider compared to being “choked out” in this instance, rather than a concussion from a more standard head-on collision.
Jay Glazer on the Fox Sports post game show speaking about Patrick Mahomes status.
With Chiefs Kingdom hoping for continued improvement on the injury front, the Chiefs are considered early 2.5-point home underdogs for next Sunday’s AFC Championship against the Buffalo Bills — the third consecutive appearance for Kansas City, a new NFL record.
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Chris Licata is an NFL contributor covering the Kansas City Chiefs from enemy territory in Denver, Colorado. Follow him on Twitter @Chris__Licata or join the Heavy on Chiefs Facebook community for the latest out of Chiefs Kingdom!