Getty Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (left) and Las Vegas Raiders CB Jack Jones (right).
Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Jack Jones heard what Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce said about KC’s loss to the Raiders on Christmas Day and had something to say about it.
“He said they gave us that game? Tell him to go watch that game. We took that game,” said Jones, via Vegas Sports Today.
During the most recent episode of the “New Heights” podcast, Kelce said the Chiefs gifted the Raiders the win on Christmas Day.
“We handed that team a win on Christmas,” Travis told his brother and co-host, Jason Kelce. “We literally played Santa and gave them a present. All I got for you is that was embarrassing. Everybody in the building knows how embarrassing that was.”
Travis Kelce: Everyone Needs to Be Accountable
Prior to throwing shade at the Raiders, Kelce detailed the Chiefs’ struggles and how their struggles aren’t tied to certain individual players, but the team as a whole.
“It’s not just one guy. It’s not just me playing like dog s–t. It’s not just us not being able to get the run game going. It’s not just us not being on the same page passing wise. Everybody’s in this f–king thing together. Everybody at some point isn’t being accountable,” Kelce said.
“Every single play is somebody not doing their job, and it’s me … it’s everybody on the team,” he continued. “And whether that’s prep, whether that’s having the confidence and understanding of what the defense is in their coverages, their gaps in the run game, how we’re picking up blitzes, how we’re running routes versus certain coverages. All the above.”
In Week 16, the Chiefs’ offense was the primary reason for the team’s loss. Quarterback Patrick Mahomes completed 27-of-44 pass attempts for 235 yards and 1 touchdown, but he also had a pick-six, was sacked 4 times, and had to run the ball 10 times due to having no open receivers downfield.
The Chiefs’ leading receiver against Las Vegas was rookie Rashee Rice, who had a team-high 12 targets and caught 6 of them for 57 yards. Receiver Justin Watson caught Mahomes’s lone touchdown late in the fourth quarter and finished the day with 4 catches for 38 yards. The team’s leading rusher was Isiah Pacheco, who ran the ball 11 times for 26 yards, scored 1 touchdown, and had a costly fumble on an errant handoff to Mahomes in Kansas City’s territory that resulted in a scoop-and-score for the Raiders’ defense.
Though Kansas City’s defense wasn’t the main problem, it didn’t make enough plays to keep the team in the game. The unit allowed Raiders rookie QB Aidan O’Connell to complete just 9 passes for 62 yards. But Las Vegas’ backup running back Zamir White ran the ball 22 times for 145 yards, which negated any lack of passing game the team had, especially in the second half when the Raiders had the lead and were trying to drain the clock out. The Chiefs’ defense didn’t force any turnovers and sacked O’Connell 2 times.
Chiefs’ Remaining Schedule
The Chiefs have two games remaining on their regular season schedule.
In Week 17 on New Year’s Eve, the defending Super Bowl champions play host to the Cincinnati Bengals. The game will kickoff at 3:25 p.m. Central time and can be watched on CBS and ABC.
Kansas City’s regular season finale will be on the road against the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers. That game will be played on Sunday, January 7. It has yet to be determined what time that game will kickoff at.