KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In a dominant 28-7 victory over the Washington Commanders at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Monday night, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes turned to his most trusted target time and again: tight end Travis Kelce, the “Big 87.” What began as a sluggish offensive start for the Chiefs evolved into a second-half explosion, with Kelce’s key contributions – including a touchdown catch and a 38-yard reception – proving pivotal. After the game, Mahomes dissected those “big connections” from the podium, crediting Kelce’s patience, reliability, and veteran savvy for helping Kansas City pull away.
The win improved the Chiefs to 3-2 after an 0-2 stumble to open the season, showcasing the resilience Mahomes has preached all year. But it was Kelce’s night that stole the spotlight, as he hauled in six catches for 89 yards and a score, inching closer to Tony Gonzalez’s franchise record for touchdown receptions (77). Mahomes, ever the storyteller, relived the magic with a mix of gratitude and humor.
Patience Pays Off on Kelce’s Touchdown
One of the game’s defining moments came in the third quarter, when Kelce slipped a defender and rumbled into the end zone for a 10-yard touchdown, extending Kansas City’s lead to 21-7. Mahomes, who scrambled to extend the play, explained how pre-snap preparation turned potential chaos into a highlight-reel score.
“The first read was to Trav (Kelce) on a little out and up,” Mahomes said. “He kind of got collisioned on the route, which I thought he probably would’ve won, got collisioned. But we had talked about it all week; I told him just be patient. I was like, ‘Be patient. I’ll be looking that way, but I think you’re going to be open so just be in the spot.’ And he was in the perfect spot at the right time and was able to push up in the pocket and make the throw to him and he got into the end zone.”
That trust in Kelce’s instincts wasn’t lost on Mahomes, who even sprinted to retrieve the touchdown football himself – a gesture that spoke volumes about their bond. “I said it on the broadcast, I mean he’s the true Chiefs Chief,” Mahomes elaborated. “He is the guy that has been here through the whole thing. Been here with Coach Reid the entire time. He has helped set the culture, you know? He helped set the culture of what it means to play for Coach Reid and to play in Kansas City, and I was able to come in and then have that guy to rely on.”
Mahomes added a lighthearted nod to Kelce’s record chase: “He’s breaking all the records now and he’s all about the team, so I want to make sure that he gets that and hopefully we can get another football for him later in the season after he actually breaks the record (most touchdowns in Chiefs history).”
Bouncing Back from a Rare Drop
The night wasn’t without hiccups. Earlier, Kelce’s hands betrayed him on a would-be touchdown pass in the first half, leading to an interception that briefly swung momentum to Washington. Yet true to form, Mahomes and Kelce rebounded immediately on the next drive, connecting for a crucial first-down grab.
“Nah, I mean that stuff happens,” Mahomes shrugged off the pick when asked if they’d discussed it post-drop. “Just like how I threw an interception earlier in the game. You got to move on from mistakes. … The normal is him making the play and making a big play in a big moment. Whenever we get the matchups, they had a lot of guys focus on Rashee (Rice) and some of these other guys. Let’s get it to the big 87 and let him get the first down and move the chains.”
Mahomes later admitted the drive’s scoring play could have gone to rookie Xavier Worthy for six, but settling for Kelce as his “third read” still worked wonders. “Yeah, the one that Travis — I probably should’ve thrown it to Xavier (Worthy) and he probably scores, but I didn’t,” he said with a laugh. “And so, it’s one of those on film that I should’ve thrown it, but we scored a touchdown anyway, so it’s ok. … I left it inside, too, and he was able to come back and make a big strong catch on the football.”
The Improvised 38-Yarder Seals the Surge
Kelce’s most electric play came on a 38-yard reception late in the third quarter – a broken play born from defensive respect and Kelce’s savvy. What was designed as a deep shot to Worthy or Hollywood Brown turned into a Kelce masterclass when the tight end, initially tasked with blocking, spotted soft coverage and leaked out.
“Even though we haven’t been hitting some of these explosive plays, the defenses are respecting it,” Mahomes broke it down. “That was actually a shot play down the field where I think I had 1 (Worthy) and 5 (Hollywood Brown) and they covered it well. The safety was extremely far deep and Trav was supposed to block, and he was blocking, blocking, blocking. And you kind of have to play ball. He just released because he saw no one was guarding him and I threw him the football, and he made a lot of yards happen after the catch. He kind of stumbled; I thought he was going to hurdle the guy. He kind of stumbled a bit but he did a good job of getting a lot of yards after that.”
That grab set up a field goal and epitomized the chemistry Mahomes has cultivated with Kelce over seven seasons. “Yeah, I think just, we’ve built this chemistry over the – obviously those two (Kareem Hunt and Travis Kelce) are guys I’ve played with a lot,” Mahomes said of his playmakers’ knack for freelancing. “They have a good feel of kind of finding those open places.”
A Team Effort, Anchored by the ‘True Chiefs Chief’
While Kelce shone, Mahomes emphasized the collective grit that fueled the Chiefs’ 21 unanswered second-half points. Facing penalties, an early interception of his own, and Washington’s first-half energy, Kansas City regrouped at halftime with a simple mantra: execute.
“When we got in the locker room, we just talked about executing,” Mahomes recalled. “Sometimes you want to press and make stuff happen, especially on a big game like Monday Night Football. We weren’t doing that. They had more energy than we did … We had to match their energy and execute at a higher level, and we were able to do that in that second half.”
The bounce-back from the 0-2 start? “It shows the growth that we’ve had as a team,” Mahomes said proudly. “Offense, defense and special teams. I think we’re getting better and better each and every week. … It’s a lot more fun when everybody is going out there and making stuff happen.”
As the Chiefs eye a road test next week, Mahomes’ faith in Kelce remains unshakable – a connection that’s not just winning games, but defining a dynasty. “You got to have a belief in everybody,” he said of aggressive calls like fourth-and-goal, where running back Kareem Hunt ultimately punched it in. But with the “Big 87” leading the charge, belief comes easy in Kansas City.