Kelce addresses critical drop-turned-interception that swung Chiefs-Eagles game

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - For the second week in a row, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce addressed a critical error via his podcast.

With the Chiefs trailing 13-10, Kelce dropped a pass on 2nd and goal with just over 13 minutes remaining in Sunday’s game. The drop turned into a tipped ball which went directly into the arms of Eagles defensive back Andrew Mukuba for an interception, turning a would-be Chiefs lead into a multi-score deficit when the Eagles scored on the ensuing drive.

“Gotta catch the ball,” Kelce said on the New Heights Podcast on Wednesday. “Gotta catch the ball and give ourselves a chance.”

After the game Sunday, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said he may have thrown the ball a tick too early. Kelce downplayed that assertion.

“The ball was where it needed to be,” Travis said, “when it needed to be there. I just have to get my head around out of the break. It’s one of those plays that happens bang bang. I just have to be able to get my head around right now so that I don’t put myself in a position to let the ball surprise me like that.

“It’s frustrating, man. I’ve scored on that play a million times in my life. It should’ve never happened and it cost us big time. But we’ll get it fixed.”

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The drop from Kelce moved the Chiefs’ expected win probability from 53% to 24% and was worth -7.1 points according to rbsdm.com and was the most impactful play Sunday by win probability added.

Kelce finished the game with 4 receptions for a team-high 61 receiving yards. Still, the 17 points are the Chiefs fewest points scored in a home-opener in the Patrick Mahomes era.

“We’re just not executing to the degree that we hold ourselves accountable to,” Kelce said. The comments were Kelce’s first since the loss after declining to speak to reporters in the locker room on Sunday. “It starts up top with Coach Reid and how he holds us accountable and then us players have to hold each other accountable.”

The 35-year-old tight end was seen throughout Sunday’s game expressing his emotions and frustrations with the Chiefs’ lackluster offense.

“I’ve gotta be there for my guys,” Travis said. “They put a lot on my plate to be a good player for this team and I need to f------ answer that bell. An 0-2 start is not how you envision the year starting. We played two solid teams... but we’ve gotta get the train rolling on the right tracks.

“We’re a play here and a play there from being 2-0. That’s what we see when we watch the film.”

Debating the tush push

Some of the discussion during and after the game concluded Sunday was centered around the execution and legality of the Eagles’ tush push operation after Philadelphia ran its signature play on more than 10% of the Eagles offensive snaps.

Travis’ brother, former Eagles center Jason Kelce, is one of the biggest advocates for the play and pushed back on the idea it needs to be banned.

“People love to point out the false start thing,” Jason said. “I think it is very difficult when you see these things in real time... There’s been an alleging that this is an on purpose thing that guys are going offsides. As an offensive line, it’s imperative that you get off on the snap.”

ALSO READ: Problems officiating the tush push could be the new argument to support banning it

Jason admitted the Eagles will be under the microscope when running the play from now on after comments from FOX analyst Tom Brady and rules analyst Dean Blandino.

“Everybody’s taking pictures of it,” Jason said. “So they need to be very, very cautious. Because the calls are going to start to come.”

“If guys are doing something that’s playing that line of legal or illegal on the field those tapes get sent into the NFL to review,” Travis said. “So those tapes get eyeballs from the NFL, from the refs and the refs next week go into the game... and start looking for those things.”

Jason joked the line judges need binoculars to see the action at the line of scrimmage they’re watching from nearly 70 feet away.

“That’s the view everyone at home is getting,” Jason said. “They’re getting the zoomed in look at it that the line judge doesn’t get.”

Ultimately, Travis said the tush push isn’t to blame for the Chiefs being 0-2.

“It’s not the reason we lost the game,” Travis said. “I don’t care what anyone else says about that. We should’ve won that game in other aspects of the entire four quarters that we played.”