Getty Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce at Arrowhead Stadium on December 25, 2023.
The Kansas City Chiefs took a devastating 20-14 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Christmas Day.
Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and his offense couldn’t get anything going. With mistake after mistake, poor decisions, dropped passes, and penalties, it was a tough game to watch. While Raiders quarterback Aiden O’Connell didn’t complete one pass during the final three quarters of the matchup, Kansas City still couldn’t get out of their own way.
Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, who finished against the Raiders with just five catches for 44 yards, got testy on the sidelines during the first half. The CBS broadcast caught Kelce spiking his helmet on the sidelines in anger, a video of which quickly went viral on X, formerly known as Twitter.
TRAVIS KELCE IS EXTREMELY PISSED OFF.
DOES A GRINK SPIKE HIS HELMET ON THE SIDELINE
😳😳😳
Head coach Andy Reid kept a Chiefs staffer from giving the helmet back to Kelce, before approaching his tight end for a chat. After a brief discussion, Reid gave Kelce a shove. Speaking to reporters after the game, Reid was asked what happened with his All-Pro tight end.
“Things happen,” Reid said, per KSHB 41’s McKenzie Nelson.
Andy Reid and Travis Kelce talking it out
“He went back in and did a nice job,” Reid added, per the KC Star’s Sam McDowell. “Travis is emotional and sometimes my red hair gets to me a little bit. But it all works out.”
As for the team’s performance as a whole, “We were just off a tick,” Reid said, per Forbes Sports’ Jeff Fedotin. “And that’s my responsibility.”
However, the Chiefs were way more than just a tad off. The Ringer’s Sheil Kapadia posted, “The Chiefs have played 109 games with Patrick Mahomes as their starter. Among that sample, today’s performance ranked 109th in offensive EPA per drive.”
Travis Kelce Predicted the Chiefs-Raiders Matchup Would Be Highly Competitive
GettyChiefs tight end Travis Kelce at Gillette Stadium on December 17, 2023.
Kelce was not sleeping on the Raiders, a team fresh off defeating the Los Angeles Chargers 63-21 in Week 15. On the bonus episode of his “New Heights” podcast, “They’re riding high right now,” Kelce said.
“[Raiders interim head] Coach Pierce has got those guys playing well. You don’t just put up 63 points by accident.” While Las Vegas was considered double-digit underdogs, Kelce predicted a highly competitive matchup.
“That game is going to be electric,” the 34-year-old said. “There’s a lot of people knowing their families are watching back home and we’re the first game on the tube that day. So we’re fired up for it and know we’re going to have a big challenge before us. And we always like to say, it’s on us… We’re still working on being the best versions of ourselves on the field.”
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Unfortunately, fans watching on Christmas saw the worst version of the Chiefs. While Kelce’s girlfriend, Taylor Swift, usually gives the team a boost, the Chiefs shot themselves in the foot on Christmas. After the matchup, Swift was seen consoling Patrick Mahomes’ wife, Brittany Mahomes, at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Chiefs Can No Longer Win the No. 1 Seed in the AFC
Final.
At 9-6 with two games to play, the Chiefs can still win the AFC West, however, they are no longer capable of winning the No. 1 see in the conference, per CBS Sports. That means Mahomes is set to make his first career playoff start on the road.
After the loss, the Chiefs need to win or tie in one of their next two games to clinch the AFC West. Next up, the Chiefs host the Cincinnati Bengals on December 31.
“If we don’t (clean it up), we’ll be going home (in the playoffs),” Mahomes told reporters after the game, per A to Z Sports’ Charles Goldman. “All you can do is move onto the next game and next day… I still believe we can go do what we want to do.”
Before losing to Las Vegas, a team they defeated 31-17 in Week 12, Mahomes said he wasn’t stressed over the team not clinching the No. 1 seed. He told CBS Mornings, “Everything’s out in front of us. And everybody talks about the No. 1 seed (etc.). I’m like ‘I’ve been to the Super Bowl without it being the No. 1 seed before.’ So I think it’s just more about how can you find a way to win the game ahead of you and let the rest take care of itself.”