Travis Kelce’s had a bit of an underwhelming year so far. He did manage to get his first touchdown of the season against the Raiders, but we’re nearly halfway through the season. It’s not like you can single him out for having a bad season, he’s still 9th overall for receiving yards among tight ends. But he’s just set the standard so high for himself that, coming into his 12th season, people are asking questions. Questions about whether he’s still got it.

Well, safety Justin Reid, Kelce’s teammate with the Chiefs, breaks it down for us. Reid’s had the privilege of playing both alongside and against Kelce, so he knows what he’s talking about. Reid used to play for the Houston Texans from 2018 to 2021, during which they played the Chiefs thrice. Chuckling in amazement, he describes Kelce’s play style, “He will sometimes change his route on the fly. And he knows not to get in anyone else’s lane, and he just gets open. Him and ’15’ have that connection, and it is impossible to guard.”

This isn’t really news to anyone, we already know that one of Kelce’s biggest strengths is his intelligent route running. He’s adaptive, unpredictable, and effective. Reid brings up his experiences during a 2019 playoffs game where the Texans played the Chiefs, “I was guarding him, and I knew it. I’d seen this play over and over again, I knew he was doing an out route, bro. He did an out pivot on me. It messed up my entire game plan. I can’t even trust my film study the whole week.” He’s the kind of player you just can’t prepare for.

And then there’s that ’15’ connection. Patrick Mahomes and Kelce have a legendary partnership, and they’ve both played incredibly well off each other. Last year, they broke the record for most career touchdowns for a quarterback/receiver duo in playoffs, surpassing the mighty Brady-Gronkowski. They’re both deceptively intelligent players and a smart route-runner like Kelce needs a deep-field thinking quarterback like Mahomes. There’s a reason Kelce’s stats skyrocketed after Mahomes broke into the team in 2017. And with Kelce’s recent ‘comeback’ at the Raiders game (90 yards over 10 receptions and a touchdown), we’re looking forward to what he can do for the Kansas City Chiefs this season.

Can the Chiefs keep the momentum going now that Kelce’s ‘back’?

It’s undeniable, the Chiefs have been on a roll this year. They are the only undefeated team in the whole league, on a 7 game-winning streak. That doesn’t mean they should be resting on their laurels though. Nobody’s going to hand them a playoff qualification on a platter, and they have their sights set on their 3-peat. The team struggled offensively towards the start of their season but had their defense to fall back on. Still, there were some close shaves like the 26-25 win over the Bengals.

But for the last three or so games, they look like the old Chiefs again. Mahomes is back in his stride, and now Kelce’s playing like his old self again too. Sure, they’ve had to contend with a number of injuries, most notably Rashee Rice, but they’ve managed. They’ve plugged the gaps with a few hasty but economic trades (most recently Joshua Uche and DeAndre Hopkins) and they look in fine form.

Their upcoming games are going to be tough ones; it’s the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Denver Broncos, and Buffalo Bills all lined up. That’s two of the toughest teams in the league right now. And the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, all kidding aside, have built a reputation as giant killers after they beat the Commanders and Lions early on, but since then, they’ve been disappointing. Will they pose a credible threat to the Chiefs? Well, they’re not to be underestimated, but the Broncos and Bills look more threatening right now. Let’s see just how long that Chiefs win streak lasts.