The Panthers were no match for the Commanders, who completely ran the show in that 40-7 blowout. It felt like watching Madden on rookie difficulty—seriously, yikes! But while everyone’s riding that victory high, there’s always some fun in the mix. One of the Commanders’ touchdowns? It came from the ‘Taylor Swift’ play. Yep, you read that right—Travis Kelce’s beau got a nod in the playbook.

Ben Sinnott snagged his first career touchdown on a play literally named after Taylor Swift. And OC Kliff Kingsbury spilled the beans: “The tight ends came up with the name, so I think he must like Taylor Swift on a deeper level.” And get this—there’s a “Kelce” play too, but Kingsbury clarified, “It’s not Travis Kelce. Just Kelce. And they’re not married together.” 

So, we can’t say for sure if it’s really named after Trav. Or is it after his retired brother and the Eagles’ legend Jason Kelce? We hedge our bets on the play being after Travis since one’s after Tay-Tay. But hey, your guess is as good as ours.

So, what’s up with naming plays after pop stars? Honestly, it doesn’t happen too often, but here we are. And it kind of makes sense. Hear us out: on this particular play from the Carolina 3-yard line, Sinnott’s movement was key. He slipped to the outside, finding a blank space in the Panthers’ coverage, and caught Mariota’s pass. The pass hit him as if an invisible string connected them. A Swift-themed play executed to perfection—coincidence? We think not.

If you’re a Swiftie, the references probably jumped right out at you. “Blank Space”? Taylor Swift’s hit from 2014. And that invisible string? Another Taylor song that might’ve inspired the move. Okay, maybe we’re stretching it a bit, but the dots are right there to connect, right?

Kingsbury admitted the play had been sitting in the playbook for three weeks, waiting for its moment. “We probably carried it three weeks and just finally got to calling it,” he said. And what a moment it was—Sinnott’s first-ever NFL touchdown. The last time he scored in a meaningful game? November 25, 2023, when Kansas State took on Iowa State.

So, what’s next? More pop star-inspired plays, maybe. But Kingsbury likes the Taylor one, “But that’s a good one,” he added. “We’ll use that again.”

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s relationship working its magic

See, the thing is, that Commanders’ TD was just one of many moments since Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift went public with their relationship last year. And to be honest, we might have gotten Swift’s Effect all wrong. Huh? That’s not even it. Trust us.

You might think this is all about the Swift Effect—Taylor showing up at a game and boom! The league suddenly gets millions of new eyeballs. All the players are suddenly Swifties. But there’s more to it. Much more.

Remember September 2023? That’s when Swift first attended a Chiefs game, and let’s just say, the NFL couldn’t help but lean into the hype. They posted about Swift 34 times, racking up 170 million impressions. And Kelce’s jersey sales? Yup, it skyrocketed 400%, and Chiefs’ Instagram followers? Yeah, they increased by more than 200,000.

It was like Swift came in and literally “Enchanted” everyone. Even NFL commissioner Roger Goodell gave a nod, saying, “We hear the stories, we see the data… And whatever that reason is, I’m good with it.”

Here’s where it gets interesting. From Swift’s first game appearance to now, female NFL fans have grown by more than four million, with Chiefs Kingdom adding 3.4 million women to their ranks. Tay-Tay showed the NFL something they hadn’t tapped into—an entire demographic ready to dive into football. And it’s not just about merchandise sales; these new fans are learning the game, becoming genuine followers of the sport. Swift gave them the invitation, and they RSVP’d in record numbers.

Ahh! So, Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” is literally reaping rewards for the league? That’s some influence. In other words, that’s a massive aura right there for you.