In practice this week, Travis Kelce casually mentioned to Patrick Mahomes his belief that Taylor Swift would accept his invitation to watch the Kansas City Chiefs play the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
“Some things with Travis,” Mahomes explained later, “he says it, and you don’t know if it’s true or not; he says it so calmly.”
As it turns out, it was indeed true.
Mahomes and Kelce certainly put on a show for the pop star.
The reigning league MVP threw for 272 yards and three touchdowns, with his All-Pro tight end hauling in seven passes, including one for a score. The Chiefs secured a convincing 41-10 victory over the Bears, much to the delight of their newest fan. Throughout the afternoon, Taylor Swift enthusiastically pounded on the glass of her Arrowhead Stadium suite.
“I haven’t had the chance to meet her,” said Mahomes, who found himself fielding questions about Kelce and Swift’s budding relationship after his friend ducked out on reporters. “I suppose if she ends up being with Travis, I’ll meet her at some point.”
Jerick McKinnon contributed with a pair of touchdown catches, and Isiah Pacheco and Clyde Edwards-Helaire added rushing touchdowns. This helped the Super Bowl champion Chiefs (2-1) hand the Bears (0-3) their 13th consecutive loss, dating back to last season.
The game became so one-sided by the third quarter that Mahomes and most of the Chiefs’ starters were able to rest for the remainder of the day.
“We got things rolling, and that’s a positive outcome against a defense that, you know, is dealing with some injuries,” remarked Chiefs coach Andy Reid.
For the embattled Bears quarterback Justin Fields, the day proved challenging, as he completed 11 of 22 passes for 99 yards, including an interception and a late-game touchdown. Fields led the Bears in rushing with 47 yards, but the league’s 27th-ranked offense managed just 203 total yards against the Chiefs’ steadily improving defense.
“We need to keep things tight within our locker room. That’s the most crucial thing,” said Bears coach Matt Eberflus. “There will always be external noise in the NFL. We’ve played three games this season. We have a great opportunity ahead of us with two games in 11 days, so our focus will be on that.”
Nonetheless, the Bears’ poor performance on Sunday marked a difficult end to a challenging week filled with distractions. Defensive coordinator Alan Williams abruptly resigned for health and family reasons, and Fields had to clarify comments about his playstyle. Eberflus was forced to call defensive plays, and Reid’s Chiefs capitalized on the situation.
The Chiefs initiated their offensive onslaught with the first of Mahomes’ two touchdown passes to McKinnon, followed by a one-yard touchdown run by Edwards-Helaire, establishing a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter. Mahomes connected with McKinnon again after the Bears punted for the third consecutive time, extending the Chiefs’ lead. Kansas City proceeded to score on their next four possessions.
Fields struggled with accuracy, missing open targets downfield, and was intercepted by Mike Edwards late in the first half, resulting in a touchdown run by Pacheco. The Chiefs led 34-0 at halftime after Harrison Butker’s second field goal.
Kelce added a short touchdown catch in the second half and celebrated by pretending to rev an imaginary motorcycle engine in the back of the end zone. Swift, watching from her suite above the stadium, clapped alongside Kelce’s mother, Donna Kelce.
Mahomes reflected on the unfolding situation after the game, saying, “On Friday, he was like, ‘Yeah, I think she’s coming to the game this weekend,’ and went about his business, and you’re like, I guess that just happens. That’s Travis.”
Notable statistics and streaks from the game include the Bears’ last win in Kansas City dating back to Week 5 of the 2015 season. Coach Andy Reid secured his 271st career win, moving past Hall of Fame coach Tom Landry into fourth place on the career list. Mahomes surpassed 25,000 career passing yards in just 83 games, the fastest in NFL history. Additionally, Mahomes recorded his 22nd game with three touchdown passes and no interceptions, tying Aaron Rodgers for the most by a quarterback before turning 30.
Looking ahead, Kelce needs three more touchdown catches to surpass Tony Gonzalez (76) for second place in Chiefs history.
In terms of injuries, the Bears had several players dealing with injuries during the game, including starting safety Eddie Jackson, cornerback Josh Blackwell, cornerback Tyrique Stevenson, and defensive backs Jaquan Brisker and Jaylon Johnson.
Next up, the Bears will host the Denver Broncos next Sunday, while the Chiefs will visit the New York Jets next Sunday night.
The NFL scoreboard from Week #3:
Thursday, 9/21/23:
San Francisco 30, NY Giants 12
Sunday, 9/24/23:
Indianapolis 22, Baltimore 19 (OT)
Cleveland 27, Tennessee 3
Detroit 20, Atlanta 6
Green Bay 18, New Orleans 17
Houston 37, Jacksonville 17
Miami 70, Denver 20
LA Chargers 28, Minnesota 24
New England 15, NY Jets 10
Buffalo 37, Washington 3
Seattle 37, Carolina 27
Arizona 28, Dallas 16
Kansas City 41, Chicago 10
Pittsburgh 23, Las Vegas 18
Monday, 9/25/23:
Philadelphia 25, Tampa Bay 11
Cincinnati 19, LA Rams 16
