Travis Kelce is no stranger to post-game controversies. The Kansas City Chiefs’ nail-biting victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 2 was one such scenario. A late-game pass interference call when Patrick Mahomes targeted Rashee Rice set the Chiefs up for a game-winning field goal that left the Bengals fans fuming.
Kelce Comments on Close Call vs. Bengals
The Kansas City tight end addressed the incident on the “New Heights” podcast with his brother Jason Kelce. The duo shared their thoughts on the much-debated call with the former Philadelphia Eagles center not seeing it as a controversy.
“I don’t even know how this is controversial. I really don’t. I get that people are frustrated with the officials and the Chiefs, I guess. I mean, you can’t run through a receiver’s back and check to make a play on the ball,” Jason Kelce said [36:18].
While he acknowledged the frustration from the perspective of a Bengals fan, he didn’t think for a moment that the officials made the wrong call, especially given the high stakes of the final two minutes.
Travis also agreed with his brother, admitting he understood why the Cincinnati faithful were upset but said, “It is what it is.” However, his take on the issue contained some introspection, too.
Jason and Trav shared their thoughts on the “controversial” end to the Chiefs game pic.twitter.com/Xem9wnBwUB
— New Heights (@newheightshow) September 18, 2024
“There were flags on both teams late. Obviously, the Bengals got the last of that with the pass interference at the end. I’m not gonna argue for this point. I think we need to f***** keep ourselves out of that situation so we don’t have to rely on the officials.”
The Chiefs, who are defending back-to-back champions, have had a hard-working start to the season, having edged out AFC rivals like Cincinnati (26-25) and the Baltimore Ravens (27-20) in close games.
Travis Kelce Implores ‘Right Mentality’ From Kansas City Offense
The 34-year-old TE knows that Kansas City needs to clean things up on offense if they want to stay on track for a historic third consecutive Super Bowl title. A 2-0 start to the season is good, but it is not convincing enough for Kelce.
The Chiefs offense has struggled to dominate. Kelce has just four receptions for 39 yards and no first downs this season. Taking accountability and discussing the lackluster performance on the podcast with Jason, Travis put the onus on the offense.
“We got to play better as an offense. The defense is playing their a**es off, getting turnovers, making opposing quarterbacks uncomfortable.
“I think it starts with making sure you’re going with the right mentality. I didn’t play my best. It spreads if you don’t fix it. So, I got to get that thing fixed, man,” he added [20:17].
Kansas City will face even more challenges in the coming weeks, especially with running back Isiah Pacheco sidelined for 6-8 weeks after a fibula injury. The offense, led by Mahomes and Kelce, will be tested when they face the Atlanta Falcons this week, followed by tough matchups against the Los Angeles Chargers and undefeated New Orleans Saints.