Kelce: Chiefs have every piece needed to be great

Adam Teicher, ESPN Staff WriterNov 3, 2023, 03:02 PM ET
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- Covered Chiefs for 20 seasons for Kansas City Star
- Joined ESPN in 2013

FRANKFURT, Germany — The Kansas City Chiefs heading into Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins haven’t been an offensive power as in previous seasons. But tight end Travis Kelce said that’s not because the Chiefs are deficient at wide receiver.

“This team has every piece that it needs to be great,” Kelce said on Friday after the Chiefs arrived in Frankfurt earlier in the day. “Everybody can talk about whatever they want to talk about …

“I know that we’ve got a team that can put points up, and I know we’ve got the coaches to be able to put us in the great positions to succeed, and that’s where we’re moving going forward, and it just takes guys to lock in and just be ready for those big-time moments when we need them most.”

The 6-2 Chiefs are averaging about seven points fewer than they were last season through eight games. Last week against the Denver Broncos, the Chiefs were held without a touchdown for the third time since Patrick Mahomes became their starting quarterback in 2018.

Kansas City’s wide receivers have come under criticism for a lack of production. The Chiefs lead the NFL with 19 dropped passes, most by wide receivers. Drops cost the Chiefs a couple of big plays against the Broncos, including one where Skyy Moore couldn’t make a catch in the end zone in the fourth quarter.

“If you watch that game, there’s a lot of turnovers, and the statistics for when you turn the ball over, they’re not very high on winning,” Kelce said. The Chiefs committed five turnovers. “So the biggest thing for us is being able to control those turnovers, being able to control the dropped passes. There’s a few missed assignments and I take accountability in all this, and I think everybody in that locker room on the offensive side has taken that same approach this week.”

The Chiefs arrived in Germany days after the Dolphins, who came early in the week. Kelce promised they would have the energy to correct their problems.

“There’s been a lot of talk about us coming out here later and maybe not having that time to acclimate and everything, and I’ll be the one to say that we got a team that we’re ready to roll,” he said. “Anytime, anywhere, whether it’s in the parking lot, whether it’s on some nice grass or a mud field, we don’t care. It is all mental for us and we’re ready to rock and roll.”

Kelce has played better when Taylor Swift has attended Chiefs games. He averages nine catches for 108 yards when she’s watching in person, five for 50 when she isn’t.

“I think it’s pretty much a coincidence,” Kelce said. “I’ve had some pretty big games in my career, so yeah, I think it is a bit of a coincidence, for sure.”

He would not say whether she would be in Frankfurt on Sunday.

“When I mention or everybody knows that she’s at the game, the over-under on my catches kind of goes up and down,” he said. “The spread goes up and down. I don’t want to mess with any of that stuff, so I’m just going to keep it to myself.”