[suzzer99]

So I guess it wasn't just me: https://theathletic.com/669600/2018/...rce=dailyemail

Kelce made some crucial mistakes

It may seem odd to point out the “bad” in a player with 10 catches for 127 yards and a touchdown, and this is not an indictment of Kelce as an overall player. After all, he’s arguably the best tight end in the NFL.

However, Kelce made some crucial mistakes against the Rams, starting with a catastrophic missed block on 3rd and goal early in the game.

The Chiefs were down, 16-7, at this point and were attempting to punch it in from the 1-yard-line. They dialed up one of their favorite short-yardage plays: a speed option. The linebacker played it relatively well but still was forced to give up the edge to Hunt, who had the angle to score given his burst and ability to absorb contact.

However, Kelce failed to slow down the safety despite having a clear angle. Instead, he glances inside at another Rams defender who is about to be picked up by left tackle Eric Fisher. The safety uses that opportunity to run past Kelce and blow up the play behind the line of scrimmage, and the Chiefs are forced to settle for a field goal. It was, quite literally, a four-point mistake by Kelce.

During the same drive, Kelce had slowed down against zone coverage and caused an incomplete pass to sail over his head.

During the broadcast view, it appeared like Mahomes simply sailed the ball over his head. Watching the “all-22” film, however, it becomes clear that Kelce slows down at the 30-yard-line and continues to run at half speed while looking for the ball. This is a strange decision given that the Rams’ deep zone defenders are at least 15 yards behind him and there was plenty of space in the zone “window” to get depth. Mahomes released it to where Kelce should have been, and found air instead.

Finally, on a crucial fourth-quarter drive, the Chiefs faced 3rd and 3 from their own 32-yard-line with a little more than eight minutes remaining in the game. Mahomes found Kelce for what should be an easy pitch-and-catch first down.

The announcers, for some reason, praised the coverage on this play by Peters. However, it’s clear that Kelce has separation and the ball hits him right in the hands. He simply drops it. The Chiefs’ defense was able to force a punt the ensuing Rams drive, but it’s impossible to know how continuing the drive here could have affected the dynamic of a close game.

Kelce looked a bit off much of the night, seeming a bit slower than normal. It didn’t affect his overall productivity, and it’s worth noting that he made several clutch catches in the game as well. However, much like Mahomes, Kelce’s brilliance Monday night came with an asterisk.