Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce, the NFL’s Best Duo, Is All the Way Back

Mahomes and Kelce's stars shined bright on the national stage in a big overtime win to seize complete control of the AFC West.

Mark Van Sickle | Dec 18, 2021

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When the Kansas City Chiefs needed a spark, down by eight points in the fourth quarter against the division-rival Los Angeles Chargers, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce came through in the clutch. It had been a long winding road to get to this point in the season, but the pair finally reconnected in the way fans had all been hoping to see down the home stretch of the season. What led up to the heroics from the superstars tonight?

Over the past several weeks, Mahomes and Kelce hadn’t been putting up big-time performances the same way they had early in the season or in previous years. Both of their numbers had been pedestrian by their own sky-high standards. After all, the two superstar Chiefs players are widely regarded as the best at their respective positions.

Mahomes played well against the Las Vegas Raiders, but Kelce was only around for three catches for 27 yards. Against the Denver Broncos the week before that, Mahomes didn’t throw for 200 yards and Kelce had the same three catches for a 27-yard stat line. It’s been a strange stretch of games for the offense in general, but especially for the dynamic duo of Mahomes and Kelce.

In fact, Kelce’s last receiving touchdown before the Chargers game came on Nov. 7 against the Green Bay Packers. Yes, it had been over a month of a touchdown drought for the best tight end in the NFL with the best quarterback in the NFL throwing him the ball.

That all changed on Thursday Night Football in Los Angeles at SoFi Stadium, home of the upcoming Super Bowl LVI. Against the Chargers, Kelce took in 10 receptions for a career-high 191 yards, including two touchdowns, in a game where the winner would take control of the AFC West.

Dec 16, 2021; Inglewood, California, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in overtime against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Kelce had a brilliant 69-yard catch-and-run that got the Chiefs down to the one-yard line when they were losing 21-13 midway through the fourth quarter. Kansas City would score a couple of plays later and convert on the two-point conversion to tie the game up.

It wasn’t all rainbows and roses for Mahomes, who missed wideout Mecole Hardman for a touchdown on fourth and short from inside the two-yard line. After the game, Mahomes used a choice word to describe the throw that skipped off the grass yards away from Hardman. I think anyone who saw the play would agree.

There was also a bad throw on an attempted screen to running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire that got intercepted inside the Chiefs' five-yard line, setting up the Chargers for a go-ahead touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Mahomes wouldn’t let that phase him, either.

Down 28-21 with just over two minutes left in the game, Mahomes calmly led the team down the field. The drive ended with a touchdown pass to Kelce and that was what ultimately led the team to overtime. Winning the coin toss gave the Chiefs the advantage heading into OT, needing a touchdown to put the game away. Once again, it was Mahomes to Kelce that connected on a play that would be the walk-off winning touchdown.

(It shouldn’t go unnoticed that Tyreek Hill somehow quietly caught 12 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown. That’s what happens when a quarterback goes full MVP mode and a first-ballot Hall of Fame tight end takes over a game down the stretch.)

Dec 16, 2021; Inglewood, California, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Tyreek Hill (10) runs the ball against the Los Angeles Chargers during the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Mahomes and Kelce also eclipsed some personal season-long benchmark stats as well. Mahomes went over 4,000 passing yards on the season and Kelce went over 1,000 yards receiving on the season. This is an NFL record sixth-consecutive season that Kelce has reached the 1,000-yard receiving mark. Kelce has also extended a streak by catching a pass in 124 consecutive games.

There’s no denying that Mahomes and Kelce make each other better. When they're clicking, the Chiefs' offense is running at an elite level. Against the Chargers, with first place in the division on the line, the league's best playmakers stepped up and made plays when the team needed them the most.

It was a championship-level effort in front of a national audience, and now the team gets a bit of an extended week to prepare for its next game. The Chiefs need to keep the momentum rolling into the home stretch of the season with the AFC’s No. 1 playoff seed and lone postseason bye in play.

Read More: Ignore This Weekend, the Chiefs Are the Team to Beat in the AFC