How the Raiders Plan to Stop Chiefs Superstar

The Las Vegas Raiders will have a tall task on their hand when they travel to Kansas City on Friday. They must find a way to slow down TE Travis Kelce.

Oct 27, 2024; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) looks to evade the tackle of Las Vegas Raiders linebacker Divine Deablo (5) during the first quarter at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images / Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

The Las Vegas Raiders will face off against one of the best teams in the league and undoubtedly the best quarterback and tight end duo in the National Football League. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce have become arguably one of the best offensive duos ever.

Kelce has usually played some of his best football against Las Vegas. Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce noted what makes Kelce a matchup nightmare.

"Everything,” Pierce said. “I mean, he's skilled, he's savvy, he's a vet, there's not a coverage that he hasn't seen. Him and the quarterback are dialed in all the way. I mean, they're running their own routes. Those aren't being drawn up by Andy Reid, that's 15 and 87 playing backyard football at times. And the thing about it is, he's a competitor. I mean, I even saw in our game, there's a lot of trash-talking this offseason, and he was giving it back to us, and we were giving it to him. 

"And he likes playing the Raiders, right? He always makes that known. So, I think when you watch him play, what you're looking at is an ultimate professional who's going to go down as one of the greatest tight ends of our time, probably more likely a gold jacket. And we have respect for him. And I think the one thing you can't question is his toughness and his love and passion for the game. And he's a winner."

Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham echoed a similar sentiment, noting that Kelce and Mahomes have a unique connection built over time. Graham knows the Raiders must figure out a way to slow them down.

“Obviously, they have a rapport, himself and the quarterback, so I mean they're comfortable with one another, especially at that position, based on the route tree, sitting over the ball, checking to the flat and things of that nature. Those are outlets for the quarterback. So, naturally, I would feel like you're going to accumulate some receptions there. 

“But the biggest thing that stands out, aside from just athletically, he's big. He can catch, he can run. The big thing is just the intelligence in terms of understanding how to sit down in zones, understanding how to work away from leverage and man-to-man coverage. Those are things that I believe, from my experience watching the league, they get better as you get older. And then it's about taking care of your body and making sure that you can execute it as long as your body's keeping up with your mind. Those are all attributes that end up improving as you get older, in terms of how to work leverage, how to use your hands, how to sit down and zone. So, it's impressive.”

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