Cris Collinsworth Yearns For The ‘Magic’ Of Patrick Mahomes & Travis Kelce
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce are one of the most prolific quarterback-tight end duos of all time. But so far in 2024, Kelce hasn't been a major part of the Kansas City Chiefs' offensive game plan. And Cris Collinsworth, for one, will not stand for it.
As the Chiefs headed to the locker room, down 1 point to the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Night Football, the longtime NBC broadcaster bemoaned the surprising lack of a Mahomes-Kelce connection.
"I'm just flabbergasted. I mean, one game, big deal. Two games, alright," Collinsworth began. "This is the third game now where we have not seen the magic of Mahomes and Kelce, and I can't really explain that one."
In the first two games, Kelce had just seven targets for four catches and 39 yards with no touchdowns. That's a bizarre stat line for a four-time First-Team All-Pro who is usually his QB's best friend. For comparison, Kelce had 11 catches for 90 yards and two touchdowns in his first two games last season.
Perhaps listening to Colinsworth, the Chiefs did call Kelce's number a handful of times on Sunday — but still not enough to satisfy his fantasy football owners. The nine-time Pro Bowler had four catches (five targets) for 30 yards.
According to head coach Andy Reid, though, Kelce isn't "slowing down" at the ripe old age of 35. Rather, it's more like the Chiefs are using him as a decoy.
"He'll get his catches," Reid said on Monday. "It's not that he's slowing down or any of that bit. That's not what the deal is. It's just teams focus on him and kind of know he's been Pat's go-to guy. What it's done, though, is that it's allowed us to utilize the other guys around him, and they've been productive."
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce have won three Super Bowls together.
(Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
Even without Kelce's production, though, something is working for the Chiefs. The defending Super Bowl champs held on to get the win over Atlanta, 22-17, to remain undefeated on the season.