Bills Central

What LB Terrel Bernard said about holding Travis Kelce to worst career game vs. Bills

The Buffalo Bills made Travis Kelce a non-factor in their Week 11 win over the Kansas City Chiefs. Terrel Bernard spoke about the team's strategy after the win.

Kyle Silagyi

Terrel Bernard
Terrel Bernard / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
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As the final moments ticked off the clock in both the Kansas City Chiefs’ Week 11 bout with the Buffalo Bills and their potentially perfect 2024 campaign, quarterback Patrick Mahomes looked to a familiar target in an attempt to create some last-second magic.

On a fourth-and-long while down two scores, Mahomes threw a prayer over the middle of the field to seven-time All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce, something he’s done against Buffalo in the past to frequent success. The result was a bit different this time around, however, as third-year middle linebacker Terrel Bernard undercut the pass to tally an interception and secure the victory.

The pick capped off not only Kansas City’s first loss of the 2024 season, but Kelce’s worst career game against the Bills. The veteran pass-catcher generally feasts against Buffalo, routinely finishing with a triple-digit receiving total; he was a non-factor in Week 11, catching just two of four targets for eight yards.

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Mitigating Kelce helped to limit the Chiefs’ offensive efficiency, as Kansas City posted its third-lowest point total of the year in its loss. Bernard, who clinched the game with his last-minute interception, spoke about Buffalo’s plan to limit Kelce’s role after his team’s 30-21 win, telling reporters that constantly knowing his whereabouts allowed the defense to consistently account for him.

“I think the main thing is just having awareness of him,” Bernard told WIVB’s Carl Jones. “He’s obviously one of the best tight ends the league’s ever seen, so having awareness of where he’s at, pre, post-snap, trying to get guys around him as much as possible, playing within our scheme and our system still but understanding he’s going to be one of the first options every pass play. 

“I think having that awareness, [defensive coordinator] Bobby [Babich] did a great job in the gameplan, all the coaches did, putting him in our minds all week and knowing where he was at and where he was going to be, what he likes to do in certain spots. I think that was a huge factor, and everybody playing to the details of the defense.”

Bernard finished the contest with a team-high eight tackles, a sack, and his aforementioned game-sealing interception, making a constant impact on the game as he helped to all but eliminate Kelce. Sidelined with an ankle injury for the Bills’ 2023 AFC Divisional Round clash with the Chiefs (a game in which Kelce caught five passes for 75 yards and two touchdowns), fans have long wondered if the outcome of the bout would have been different had Bernard been able to suit up; Buffalo’s Week 11 win perhaps provides an answer to this hypothetical.

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Kyle Silagyi
KYLE SILAGYI

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