Travis Kelce is winning at life in many ways right now. His Kansas City Chiefs are in the Super Bowl again, he’s having another great postseason with 3 touchdown catches, and the girlfriend by his side is the most famous woman in the world, Taylor Swift.
Kelce was already in the conversation for greatest tight end in NFL history before this season, but his off-field romance with Swift has raised his profile more than ever despite the fact he turned in his least impressive regular season since the days when Alex Smith was his quarterback.
However, Kelce is thriving again before the Big Game and some have speculated throughout the season that Swift’s appearances at the games have Kelce on his ‘A’ game for her.
But is there any kernel of truth to that? Let’s review the season Travis Kelce had in 2023, focusing on his scoring production, the Chiefs’ final result and whether Taylor was at the game or missed out on the fun.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday, February 11, 2024 – 06:30 PM ET at Allegiant Stadium
Week 2 at Jaguars
- Chiefs won 17-9 (No Taylor Yet)
After missing Week 1 against Detroit with an injury, Kelce made his season debut and caught his 1st touchdown of the year in Jacksonville. But it proved to be a low-scoring game, something the Chiefs would get used to this season in ways they never had before in the Patrick Mahomes era.
Taylor Swift was not in the picture yet as the only report was he asked her to come to a game to see him play sometime.
How Did Travis Kelce Do?
- Total Receiving Yards O/U 76.5 Yards: Under
- Total Receptions O/U 6.5: Under
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer: Yes
- Player To Score First Touchdown: No
- Player To Score Last Touchdown: Yes
Week 3 vs. Bears
- Chiefs won 41-10 (Taylor’s First Game)
The story begins as Swift shows up in Kansas City to watch Kelce and the Chiefs crush Chicago. It was the only game all season where the Chiefs scored more than 31 points, so a show was definitely put on with Kelce finding the end zone again.
How Did Travis Kelce Do?
- Total Receiving Yards O/U 76.5 Yards: Under
- Total Receptions O/U 6.5: Under
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer: Yes
- Player To Score First Touchdown: No
- Player To Score Last Touchdown: Yes
Week 4 at Jets
- Chiefs won 23-20 (Cameras Can’t Escape Taylor in New York)
Since Taylor spends time in New York, what better way than to check out a Sunday night game with the Chiefs beating the Jets? Kelce didn’t score a touchdown but it was an exciting game and closer than expected.
How Did Travis Kelce Do?
- Total Receiving Yards O/U 76.5 Yards: Under
- Total Receptions O/U 6.5: Under
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer: Yes
- Player To Score First Touchdown: No
- Player To Score Last Touchdown: Yes
Week 5 at Vikings
- Chiefs won 27-20 (No Taylor, Travis Hurt)
Once is an accident, twice is a coincidence, but three times is a pattern. If there was any idea of Swift being a good luck charm for Kelce, it started here. The Chiefs were 2-0 with her at the game, but she missed the game in Minnesota and the Chiefs gasped as Kelce looked like he suffered a serious injury as he just crumbled to the ground during a drive.
But Kelce was able to return and even caught a touchdown to help the team win another game. Still, that injury was scary because the Chiefs had nothing going at receiver outside of Kelce at the time.
How Did Travis Kelce Do?
- Total Receiving Yards O/U 76.5 Yards: Under
- Total Receptions O/U 6.5: Under
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer: Yes
- Player To Score First Touchdown: No
- Player To Score Last Touchdown: Yes
Week 6 vs. Broncos
- Chiefs won 19-8 (Taylor Returns for Thursday Night Game)
With Swift back in attendance, the Chiefs won another low-scoring game against Denver, a team they hadn’t lost to since 2015. But Kelce did not have a touchdown this time as the Chiefs were a little too cute with the ball in scoring territory.
How Did Travis Kelce Do?
- Total Receiving Yards O/U 76.5 Yards: Under
- Total Receptions O/U 6.5: Under
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer: Yes
- Player To Score First Touchdown: No
- Player To Score Last Touchdown: Yes
Week 7 vs. Chargers
- Chiefs won 31-17 (Vintage Chiefs with Taylor There)
The Chiefs looked more like the high-powered offense we are used to seeing as Swift got to watch some vintage Mahomes and Kelce in a big win for the AFC West race.
How Did Travis Kelce Do?
- Total Receiving Yards O/U 76.5 Yards: Under
- Total Receptions O/U 6.5: Under
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer: Yes
- Player To Score First Touchdown: No
- Player To Score Last Touchdown: Yes
Week 8 at Broncos
- Chiefs lost 24-9 (No Taylor, Another Bad Loss)
Here we go again. Swift could not attend this one in Denver, and the Chiefs had their ugliest road loss of the season, ending a 16-game winning streak against the Broncos. Kansas City turned it over 5 times and only settled for 3 field goals in a 15-point loss.
How Did Travis Kelce Do?
- Total Receiving Yards O/U 76.5 Yards: Under
- Total Receptions O/U 6.5: Under
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer: Yes
- Player To Score First Touchdown: No
- Player To Score Last Touchdown: Yes
Week 9 vs. Dolphins
- Chiefs won 21-14 (Taylor Doesn’t Make Trip to Germany)
With the game held in Germany, Swift was unable to attend. The Chiefs had a solid 1st half, but Kelce was quiet, and the offense did nothing after halftime. At least the Chiefs held on for a win this time after nearly blowing a 21-0 lead.
How Did Travis Kelce Do?
- Total Receiving Yards O/U 76.5 Yards: Under
- Total Receptions O/U 6.5: Under
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer: Yes
- Player To Score First Touchdown: No
- Player To Score Last Touchdown: Yes
Week 11 vs. Eagles
- Chiefs lost 21-17 (No Taylor and Travis’ Worst Moment)
In a shocking twist, Taylor did not attend the big Monday night Super Bowl rematch in Kansas City with her hometown Eagles in action. Was this all just a sham relationship to make Kelce sad and underperform against her Eagles?
It ended up being a disappointing loss for the Chiefs. While Kelce scored a touchdown, he coughed up a fumble in the red zone when the Chiefs had a chance to take a 2-score lead. The Eagles came back to win instead.
How Did Travis Kelce Do?
- Total Receiving Yards O/U 76.5 Yards: Under
- Total Receptions O/U 6.5: Under
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer: Yes
- Player To Score First Touchdown: No
- Player To Score Last Touchdown: Yes
Week 12 at Raiders
- Chiefs won 31-17 (Taylor Ditches Vegas, Chiefs Come Back)
Taylor did not go to Vegas this time, and the Chiefs were down early to Aidan O’Connell and the Raiders. But the offense finally snapped a 3-game streak without any points after halftime and finished strong.
However, Kelce was about to start a 7-game drought without a touchdown that would tie the longest streak in his career.
How Did Travis Kelce Do?
- Total Receiving Yards O/U 76.5 Yards: Under
- Total Receptions O/U 6.5: Under
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer: Yes
- Player To Score First Touchdown: No
- Player To Score Last Touchdown: Yes
Week 13 at Packers
- Chiefs lost 27-19 (Chiefs Fall to 4-1 with Taylor Present)
Speaking of streaks, the Chiefs were no longer perfect with Taylor in attendance. Swift made the trip to Green Bay to see classic Lambeau Field on a Sunday night. However, the Chiefs played their worst game of the season on defense and the offense had some situational struggles on 3rd down. The Packers held on for the 8-point win.
How Did Travis Kelce Do?
- Total Receiving Yards O/U 76.5 Yards: Under
- Total Receptions O/U 6.5: Under
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer: Yes
- Player To Score First Touchdown: No
- Player To Score Last Touchdown: Yes
Week 14 vs. Bills
- Chiefs lost 20-17 (The Worst Heartbreak of Taylor’s Life)
This may have been the day Taylor became deadly serious about Kelce and football. She went from watching Kelce make the play of the year on an improvised lateral to Kadarius Toney for a late go-ahead touchdown only to see it taken away on an offensive offsides penalty that seldom gets called.
If Taylor wasn’t furious, then Mahomes sure was as he was more animated than any other game in his career at the call. Suddenly, the Chiefs lost 2 in a row even with their good luck charm there.
How Did Travis Kelce Do?
- Total Receiving Yards O/U 76.5 Yards: Under
- Total Receptions O/U 6.5: Under
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer: Yes
- Player To Score First Touchdown: No
- Player To Score Last Touchdown: Yes
Week 15 at Patriots
- Chiefs won 27-17 (Taylor Sees Her Man Get a Win Again)
See, she was definitely getting serious if she traveled to New England in December weather to see Bailey Zappe play football. The Chiefs won but Kelce looked a bit old and slow in the red zone, unable to come down with any touchdowns from Mahomes.
How Did Travis Kelce Do?
- Total Receiving Yards O/U 76.5 Yards: Under
- Total Receptions O/U 6.5: Under
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer: Yes
- Player To Score First Touchdown: No
- Player To Score Last Touchdown: Yes
Week 16 vs. Raiders
- Chiefs lost 20-14 (Taylor Sees Worst Home Loss of Mahomes’ Career)
With her Christmas hat featuring Kelce’s number, Taylor was ready for a good holiday with the Chiefs a heavy favorite. Only problem was the Raiders showed up like this was their Super Bowl and the Chiefs never matched their intensity. Mahomes turned the ball over for 2 touchdowns in a span of 7 seconds, and it was an uphill battle the rest of the day.
The Chiefs lost despite not allowing a pass to be completed in the final 3 quarters of the game. You could say this is the most embarrassing loss of the Mahomes era.
How Did Travis Kelce Do?
- Total Receiving Yards O/U 76.5 Yards: Under
- Total Receptions O/U 6.5: Under
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer: Yes
- Player To Score First Touchdown: No
- Player To Score Last Touchdown: Yes
Week 17 vs. Bengals
- Chiefs won 25-17 (Taylor Enjoys Playoff Atmosphere)
With the AFC West still not clinched, things were looking rough for the Chiefs, who were 2-4 since the bye week. But Taylor watched the team rally from an early 10-point deficit to beat the Bengals and clinch the No. 3 seed.
The offense struggled to get touchdowns, settling for 6 field goals. But it was still a big win with the offense finding some deep passes. They were able to rest starters, including Kelce and Mahomes, in Week 18 against the Chargers, so Taylor obviously wasn’t going to that game. We’d see her and the stars in the playoffs.
How Did Travis Kelce Do?
- Total Receiving Yards O/U 76.5 Yards: Under
- Total Receptions O/U 6.5: Under
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer: Yes
- Player To Score First Touchdown: No
- Player To Score Last Touchdown: Yes
Wild Card vs. Dolphins
- Chiefs won 26-7 (Taylor Braves the Cold)
It might be true love if she was willing to attend the 4th-coldest game in NFL history for Kelce. The Chiefs handled the elements much better than the Dolphins, and while Kelce and the offense struggled to score touchdowns in the red zone, they had plenty of points to get the win and move on.
How Did Travis Kelce Do?
- Total Receiving Yards O/U 76.5 Yards: Under
- Total Receptions O/U 6.5: Under
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer: Yes
- Player To Score First Touchdown: No
- Player To Score Last Touchdown: Yes
Divisional Round vs. Bills
- Chiefs won 27-24 (Travis Scores Twice for Taylor)
All the hype was about this being the first road playoff game for Patrick Mahomes, but it wasn’t the first for Kelce, and we know Mahomes travels better than anyone. The Chiefs were all business and the offense looked as great as it has all season.
Kelce was a big reason for that as he caught 2 touchdowns and could have had a 3rd if Mahomes threw a better ball. Swift loved it, but not as much as Jason Kelce, who removed his shirt in the press box with her and cheered his brother on as the Chiefs held on for a huge win to advance to the title game for the 6th year in a row.
How Did Travis Kelce Do?
- Total Receiving Yards O/U 76.5 Yards: Under
- Total Receptions O/U 6.5: Under
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer: Yes
- Player To Score First Touchdown: No
- Player To Score Last Touchdown: Yes
AFC Championship Game vs. Ravens
- Chiefs won 17-10 (They’re Going to the Super Bowl!)
Temperatures in the upper 40s and rain had to feel like a relief to Swift and the Chiefs after the playoff games they already played this year. Still, Baltimore was a deserving 4.5-point favorite, so the Chiefs had a big challenge ahead of them despite the better weather.
Kelce took over from the opening drive and finished it with a touchdown catch against All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton, the only time this year Hamilton gave up a touchdown to a tight end.
Kelce was fantastic and the defense was great too, helping the Chiefs win 17-10 after another game where they went scoreless after halftime. But Swift got to celebrate the AFC Championship on the field, knowing she would be going to the Super Bowl with her man.
How Did Travis Kelce Do?
- Total Receiving Yards O/U 76.5 Yards: Under
- Total Receptions O/U 6.5: Under
- Anytime Touchdown Scorer: Yes
- Player To Score First Touchdown: No
- Player To Score Last Touchdown: Yes
Final Tally for Travis and Taylor
Admittedly, there were some wild Madden Curse-type moments early on this season when Swift was not at the games. Kelce almost had a season-ending injury in Minnesota and the Chiefs turned it over 5 times in Denver in a brutal loss. But Mahomes having the flu that week in Denver also mattered.
Overall, Kelce is 4-2 (66.7%) with Taylor not at the game, but they are 9-3 (75%) when she is there.
Kelce has scored touchdowns in 3-of-6 games (50%) without Swift present, but he has only scored in 4-of-12 games (33.3%) when she was there. That 7-game drought late in the year had a lot to do with it as she was starting to attend every week by that point.
But he came through when it mattered most in the playoffs, so here are the Chiefs in their 4th Super Bowl in the last 5 years.
Kelce’s Matchup in Super Bowl LVIII vs. 49ers
According to the latest NFL odds at the top online sportsbooks, the Chiefs are a 2-point underdog in the Super Bowl against the 49ers, but we know Mahomes is 9-3 SU as an underdog in his career. Kelce is hoping to have Swift there as she takes a jet from her concert in Japan to make it in time for Super Sunday.
Kelce faces a tough matchup in this game as the 49ers allowed the fewest points in the NFC, but let’s just say he has the experience to get this done. The 49ers allowed 3 touchdowns to tight ends in the regular season, but so did the Bills and Ravens, and we saw Kelce score on both of those defenses in the playoffs.
Kelce was the Chiefs’ first touchdown scorer against the Eagles in last year’s Super Bowl, and his odds are around -130 to score in this game too. Look for him to get it done and find the end zone with the camera immediately going to Swift for her reaction.
As for a Kansas City win to avoid a cruel summer if the Chiefs lose, that’s going to be up to the defense to contain Christian McCaffrey and frustrate Brock Purdy. The Chiefs should feel good about their chances.
After all, they have the most powerful woman and the best tight end in the country on their side.
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