Holding the weight of the heavens; Travis Kelce is more than a tight end

The Chiefs' star had a legacy game against the Jaguars, dragging the Chiefs' offense to the AFC Championship.

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A man is not supposed to be able to hold up the heavens. Only a titan could do that.

And yet, one man did. One of the most famous exploits of Hercules was as simple as holding something in place for a time. Of course, that thing was the entirety of the sky, a terrible burden that the titan Atlas held up to keep the world from being crushed. Hercules needed an apple from the garden of Hera, and Atlas offered to fetch it for him if the hero would simply hold up the sky. Hercules did so in a feat of strength unmatched by any man, and so was able to complete one of his labors.

A tight end is not supposed to be able to carry an offense. Only a quarterback could do that.

And yet, one man did. And he did it while not having a play over 15 yards.

Josh Norris @JoshNorris

Travis Kelce has 17 targets Kadarius Toney has 7 No other Chief has more than 2

After Patrick Mahomes was injured early against the Jaguars, the Chiefs found themselves in uncharted territory; Needing to move the ball and do enough to win without Mahomes (while Chad Henne filled in) and with Mahomes playing on one leg (the 2nd half). Mahomes’ performance was incredibly gutsy, one of the greatest feats I’ve ever seen an athlete perform (finishing a playoff game and playing at an above-average level on one foot is incredible). But without Kelce, it becomes meaningless.

We could talk bout the stats, with Kelce catching 14 passes for 98 yards and a pair of touchdowns. But that doesn’t remotely capture what he did for the offense on a night the Chiefs desperately needed him to be more than just a tight end. They needed him to hold up the weight of the heavens. And that’s exactly what he did.

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Yes, the defense, Isiah Pacheco, Kadarius Toney, MVS, the offensive line, and a bunch of other players stepped up against the Jaguars. But time and again, it was Kelce who made the difference at the most crucial points.

Let’s talk about the night Travis Kelce held up the weight of the world for the Chiefs, in a way that no other tight end could have. While we’re at it, we’ll talk about how by making the game look exponentially simpler than it is, Kelce becomes easy to take for granted.

There were multiple moments where the Chiefs desperately needed positive yardage, and in most of those times Kelce was the one who got them. It started early in the game (even leaving out how well Kelce had played the first few drives). After Mahomes was clearly hurt and hobbled, the Chiefs were sitting just outside good field goal range on 1st down in a tie game. Where does the ball go?

Kelce, in one of his patented “I’m going to see what the defense does in coverage and then just run wherever there’s space” routes, gives a hobbled Mahomes an easy target across the middle to push the Chiefs into a simpler field goal range. That proved crucial a few plays later when Butker gave the Chiefs a 10-7 lead.

This looks easy. But it’s not. Which sums up so much of what Kelce has made a career out of doing. It requires understanding in real time what coverage is being played, what the route combinations are surrounding you, how that’s going to affect the defense, and where you need to place yourself to present a clear target for the quarterback (then, you know, acting on it instantly). And in a moment where every yards was crucial (and tough to come by), Kelce was the place Mahomes could go.

In the 2nd quarter, when Henne temporarily took the reins, the Chiefs needed points to get some distance between themselves and the Jaguars. They managed to do just that (Hennething is possible!) on a 98-yard drive that chewed up over six minutes of clock. Kelce’s stat line on that drive (3 catches for 14 yards) doesn’t look like much, but there were 2 moments in which he was the calming influence the offense needed. The first was the first play of the drive (a quick 6-yard gain to get Henne going). That was important on its own. But the second was much more pivotal.

Facing 3rd and 3 on Kansas City’s 23-yard-line, the Chiefs looked like they were about to punt the ball back to the Jaguars with their slim 10-7 lead hanging by a thread. So where do you go? To the guy everyone knows is getting the ball.

This isn’t a complicated play. It’s just “I’m better than you and my team needs this. So.” The Jaguars line up in man coverage, and Kelce (knowing that he’s the hot route if the blitz creates a free rusher), makes sure to present in time for Henne to get the ball out. He then fights, drags, and pulls his defender forward for a first down that keeps the drive alive and gets the offense a little momentum.

Pacheco’s massive run doesn’t happen if Kelce doesn’t just put the team on his shoulders in that moment. Neither does Kelce’s own touchdown a few plays later (because of COURSE it was Kelce who scored). This is what it means to hold the weight of the heavens on your shoulders; Fighting and clawing for every inch that your team needs because if you don’t do it, it won’t happen.

Fast forward to the 3rd quarter. The Chiefs, still struggling to move the ball with Mahomes back but banged up (they opened the half with a pair of punts), end up in a 3rd and 19 after a penalty pushes them out of field goal range. With a single-score lead leaving control of the game up for grabs, they needed yards. Hey look, it’s Travis Kelce.

Teams aren’t supposed to dial up screens to tight ends at crucial moments. But the Chiefs can, because of who Kelce is. At 33 years old, he remains a yards after catch monster, even with his explosion diminished. His legs churn up yards with deceptive speed once he cuts uphill, and he’s able to push forward through contact. It wasn’t a conversion, but it gave them the yardage they needed to push the lead to two scores again. Again, in a game where every yard counted and was hard to come by, it was Kelce who grabbed what was needed.

And then there was the 4th quarter drive. Most people are going to remember Mahomes’ heroics on a touchdown throw to MVS. And honestly, they should. But that shouldn’t eclipse how they got to that point. Remember, Jacksonville (on the back of some nifty play calling by Doug Pederson) had scored to bring themselves within a field goal. The Chiefs needed to move the ball. They needed to score. They needed yards. And who got them to midfield? I’d say his name again, but you already know.

After Mahomes missed Kelce on 1st and 10, they went back to the well of Kelce making difficult things look easy. Kelce reads the coverage, sees where he can drop into a gap, and gets JUST far enough outside to give Mahomes a window while still giving him space from the secondary help to the outside.

It’s hard to describe to people how difficult it is to consistently read defenses accurately and find the openings as a receiver. When people watch Kelce, it often looks like he’s just left wide open constantly, or like he just runs a few yards and turns around. It looks like anyone could do it. But there’s a reason literally no one else plays this way. It’s because no one else can. Kelce is one of one in reading and understanding the defense and knowing where to go to pick at those gaps.

If you’ve read this far, you love the Chiefs and love reading about the game at a more in depth level. Hey, look, it’s that “subscribe for $12 a year” button again! You should press it so that when I write about Spags and Mahomes later this week, you can read it.

The next play, Mahomes showed just how mortal he was feeling by dumping a short pass to Toney into the grass. The Chiefs needed someone to manufacture yards. And this time, the Jaguars changed up their strategy in covering Kelce, trying to beat him up at the line. It didn’t work.

Whatever it takes. Even if it means fighting off contact (and a hold) from a defensive end to break loose into the second level. Kelce’s strength is underrated, but the only way he’s survived the beatings defenses have given him over the years is by being able to push back when he needs to.

A few plays later, Kelce made a key block in space on a Kadarius Toney option (a hilarious “option” in which Mahomes instantly pitched the ball) that got the Chiefs right up to the goal line. Which is interesting given the endless conversation about Kelce as a blocker (he’s much better than he’s given credit for), but I digress. The Chiefs were knocking on the door in large part due to Kelce.

And there, Atlas returned. Mahomes was able to buy enough time to find MVS in the end zone, and the Chiefs regained a two-score lead late in the 4th quarter. The defense proceeded to step up in its own right (BELIEVE me when I say we’ll be talking about Spagnuolo later this week), and the man who held up the sky for the Chiefs was given respite from his labors.

But those labors shouldn’t be forgotten. Like Hercules, Kelce (who of course has the nickname “Zeus” in a bit of a coincidence) shouldered a burden he was not supposed to bear. The weight of an offense fell upon him on one of the biggest stages in football, and Kelce summoned the strength to find every single yard the Chiefs needed from him on a day they couldn’t get it from their normal hero.

My wife, watching the game, said that it makes her sad that Kelce and Mahomes didn’t come into the league at the same time so they could spend their whole careers together. It was a good (and tragic) observation that what we’re seeing right now is so unique. Most teams don’t have an Atlas, who can bear the burden of the entire world on his shoulders for days, weeks, months, years. Kansas City has been blessed to have someone like that in Mahomes.

But they also have Kelce, who is nearly as rare as his quarterback. Tight ends aren’t supposed to be able to bear the burden of carrying an offense. The position isn’t designed for it. They’re a part of the scheme, not THE foundational piece of it. They’re a complementary dish, not the main course. And they’re never asked to do it on their own.

One day, when Kelce retires, there will be many debates about who the “Greatest Of All Time” tight end is. Was it Tony Gonzalez in his seemingly ageless excellence? Rob Gronkowski in his blocking and seam-running dominance? People will argue numbers, and Kelce will (in all likelihood) make a strong case for himself there. He already has, really.

But the strongest case will be made by remembering nights like this one. Nights that aren’t supposed to happen for tight ends. A tight end is not supposed to be able to carry an offense. Only a quarterback could do that.

But for one night, in multiple spots, Kelce was asked to hold the heavens on his shoulders at 33 years old. And, as they’ve ever been, those shoulders were strong enough to carry whatever weight was needed. Because he does the things he’s not supposed to be able to do. The things that are supposed to be impossible. And honestly, he makes it look easy. He’s more than a tight end.

And that, more than any number, is what makes him the greatest to ever do it.