Travis Kelce isn’t losing hope. even as his Chiefs endure “one of the most unlucky seasons in recent memory.”
Reflecting on the team’s crushing 31-28 Thanksgiving loss to the Cowboys that dropped them to 6-6, Kansas City’s star tight end recognized that while they’re not out of the woods, this season still has a pulse.
“I’m sure everyone is sick of us saying it, but we’re a few plays away from being a one seed in my mind,” Kelce said on Wednesday’s installment of his “New Heights” podcast.
“… All of the losses are within one score, and there’s a handful of plays within those games that are determining the outcome. It’s hard, it’s plays like my drop against the Eagles [in Week 2], it’s penalties that are keeping us behind the sticks, it’s coming away with three points instead of touchdowns in some games, it’s crazy that you watch the film and you see what’s real, and what’s real is we’re f–king this close, man, we’re this f–king close.”
The Chiefs, winners of two of the past three Super Bowls, dropped three of their four November games, all decided by seven points or fewer.
Currently on the outside of the AFC playoff picture, Kelce — in his 13th NFL season with a 14th year yet to be decided — noted that despite the dire reality of the situation, “all that f–king matters” to him is that Kansas City still has something to play for with five regular-season games remaining.
“We’re holding teams at the right moment, and in other situations, we’re just not scoring enough. It’s tough, man, it’s tough to be a part of this reality right now cause we’re 6-6 and we’re fighting for our lives, and you know, find a way into the playoffs,” he said.
“What’s real is that we still have a chance, baby, and that’s all that f–king matters to me, is we got a chance and we keep coming into work with the mentality and the sense of urgency that we need to have to get the ship fixed and turn those handful of plays that are losing us the game into a handful of plays that win us these games.”
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Kelce’s older brother, retired Eagles center Jason Kelce, empathized with the three-time Super Bowl champ as he navigates “one of the most unlucky seasons in recent memory.”
“You guys are actually performing really well on both sides of the ball, it’s just like these crucial mistakes and end-of-game scenarios, which you guys have been so good at for so long, just have not fallen your way this year. Last year they all fell your way, this year they just haven’t,” Jason said.
Entering Wednesday, the Chiefs’ playoff probability stood at 34 percent.
With a win against the Texans (7-5) this week on “Sunday Night Football,” that percentage would increase to 49. However, a loss would shrink that percentage to 11.
The Chiefs last missed the playoffs in 2014.
