[ad_1]
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Travis Kelce regarded prepared for per week on the seashore after the Kansas City Chiefs claimed one other slender victory on Sunday, this one in opposition to the Atlanta Falcons. He was nursing the standard bumps and bruises that come from having to play a full 60 minutes.
He will not get that trip, at the very least not till the Chiefs’ season is completed. However after the 14-1 Chiefs secured the AFC’s prime playoff seed and solely first-round postseason bye, Kelce has some downtime forward.
He seemed like somebody wanting ahead to the prospect.
“To have the ability to get per week off or per week of preparation, per week of actually locking in and getting the physique proper that late within the season is so key and it is a lot wanted if you wish to actually make that playoff push and that is what you’re employed your tail off for all season,” Kelce stated. “I am simply proud to be part of this workforce, to have the ability to do it but once more this yr.”
This is how the postseason bracket appears in the mean time and what situations lie forward.
• Playoff picture (ESPN+) »
• Playoff Machine: See scenarios »
• Standings » | Football Power Index »
The Chiefs end the common season on Sunday in opposition to the Los Angeles Chargers at Arrowhead Stadium (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox), and Kelce, quarterback Patrick Mahomes and some of the Chiefs’ different prime gamers may get a bye before their bye.
The sport is meaningless — the Chiefs have clinched a fifth straight AFC West championship along with the highest seed — so there is not any incentive for them to place prime gamers in hurt’s method in opposition to the Chargers.
Coach Andy Reid stated some starters would sit, however he wasn’t particular apart from to say there was a very good likelihood Chad Henne would exchange Mahomes in some unspecified time in the future through the recreation, maybe at its begin.
The Chiefs had an identical scenario beforehand in two completely different seasons underneath Reid. In 2013 and 2017, they went into their remaining regular-season video games having clinched a playoff spot however unable to enhance their seed by successful.
So Reid determined to relaxation among the Chiefs’ prime gamers in every of these video games. The distinction is that this yr, the Chiefs have a first-round playoff bye. They did not in 2013 and 2017, so that might give Reid extra pause in resting gamers like Mahomes and Kelce.
“I am simply going to return in on Wednesday and prepare to work,” Kelce stated. “If I find yourself suiting up and I get an opportunity to play in opposition to the Chargers, then you definitely’ll see me on the market giving it my all. And if not, then I will be on the market cheering on my guys and making an attempt to be each bit part of the sport that I could be for the blokes.”
If Mahomes, Kelce and different main gamers are achieved for the common season, the Chiefs aren’t heading into the postseason at their finest. They’ve received 10 straight video games, however every of the previous seven video games by six factors or much less. That is an NFL document.
The Chiefs had their lowest scoring recreation of the yr in beating the Falcons 17-14 on Sunday. The Chiefs dedicated 5 turnovers of their first eight video games, however 10 up to now seven.
So even when Mahomes, Kelce and different prime gamers aren’t within the lineup in opposition to the Chargers, the Chiefs have some issues to work on throughout follow.
“I’ve acquired to deal with fixing the issues I made errors on through the recreation,” stated Mahomes, who threw an interception in opposition to the Falcons, his fourth within the final three video games. “There was numerous reads, numerous safety calls, numerous changes on the line of scrimmage that I made flawed or that I did not make the suitable method that put us in dangerous positions and so I’ve acquired to deal with getting myself higher to assist out the workforce.
“[The Falcons] have numerous nice gamers over there. They’ve a ton of expertise. They have been in shut video games each single recreation this yr, just about. Positively they did some stuff that was some good things, however there was stuff that I did not see that I normally do and so there was some instances that I used to be [under pressure] within the recreation as a result of I did not slide the road the suitable method. There have been some instances I checked to sure performs they usually weren’t open and so you bought to be higher if you wish to win soccer video games on this league.”
[ad_2]
Source link