https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/travis-kelce-on-fourth-quarter-drop-turned-interception-against-eagles-gotta-catch-the-ball-and-we-give-ourselves-a-chance-144817793.html
Travis Kelce summed up the key fourth-quarter play that could have turned Sunday’s Super Bowl LIX rematch in the Kansas City Chiefs‘ favor during this week’s “New Heights” podcast.
“Gotta catch the ball,” Kelce said. “Gotta catch the ball, and we give ourselves a chance.”
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The Chiefs tight end was talking about his drop early in the fourth quarter that ended up in the arms of Philadelphia Eagles safety Andrew Mukuba in the end zone. It was a play that would have given Kansas City the lead but instead gave the Eagles the ball with a 13-10 lead.
Patrick Mahomes blamed himself after the game for not making a better pass in order for Kelce to make a cleaner catch and potentially score. But Kelce was shouldering the focus, saying the Chiefs quarterback put the ball where it needed to be.
“I just got to get my head around out of the break,” Kelce said. “It’s one of those plays where it happens bang, bang, and I know that that’s the window that it needs to be in. I know it’s coming out of armpits and earholes of the offense and defensive line getting their hands up and I just got 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.”
The play was second down and goal from the Eagles’ six-yard line. According to Football Reference, Kelce has made 63 receptions for 240 yards and 43 touchdowns from inside an opponent’s 10-yard line in his NFL career.
Eagles rookie safety Andrew Mukuba recorded his first career NFL interception during a key moment early in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s Super Bowl LIX rematch. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
“It’s frustrating, man. I’ve scored on that play a million times in my life,” Kelce said. “It’s something that should have never happened and then it cost us big time and that sh** hurts, but we’ll get it fixed.”
Minutes later, the Eagles added a touchdown to take a 20-10 lead. The Chiefs went three-and-out on their next possession, but would later cut Philadelphia’s lead to 20-17 after a Tyquan Thornton 49-yard touchdown. But it wasn’t enough, and Kansas City is now 0-2 for the first time since 2014, which was Kelce’s rookie season, Andy Reid’s second year in charge and three years before they drafted Mahomes.
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Despite the tough start to the season, Kelce was trying to stay positive, buoyed by the play from offensive lineman Josh Simmons to track down Mukuba and prevent a touchdown on the key interception.
“He’s a f****** unbelievable athlete, showed tremendous effort on that play to save a touchdown and give our defense a chance to at least hold them,” Kelce said of Simmons. “As long as we keep that kind of effort, that kind of focus throughout the year, throughout the work week and everything, we’re gonna get this execution thing figured out, man.”
The Chiefs face the New York Giants on “Sunday Night Football” as they look for their first win of the season.
https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/article/travis-kelce-on-fourth-quarter-drop-turned-interception-against-eagles-gotta-catch-the-ball-and-we-give-ourselves-a-chance-144817793.html
