How the Chiefs schemed for weeks to turn Travis Kelce into ‘Playoff Trav’

Travis Kelce's opening catch against the Houston Texans on Saturday will tell you a lot about what the Kansas City Chiefs have done with their offense over the past few weeks. 

It's not that Andy Reid is doing something unrecognizable, exactly. He's doing much of what he's always done. To some degree, the key players are less recognizable.

Reid and Patrick Mahomes have found production with rookie receiver Xavier Worthy and even tight end Noah Gray. But it's not like Kelce has altogether disappeared. That's what made the divisional round so strange. Houston often lost track of the greatest pass-catching tight end in NFL history. You know: the guy dating Taylor Swift. And the guy who is among the most prolific pass-catchers in the history of the postseason? We all know him. 

"It's Playoff Trav," Mahomes said after the game.

But it was like the Texans forgot who he was.

That was on display from Kelce's first catch. He was wide open to catch and run for 23 yards. All year, the Chiefs have complained that Kelce has been double-teamed. (Those claims were not totally accurate, but that's a whole different argument.) On this play, it was Worthy who got the double team. He was streaking downfield and the safeties bracketed him to prevent a big play. As Mahomes rolled out to his right, the QB seemed to do something with his eyes to make it seem like he would target Gray. So two Texans linebackers stepped up at once (away from Kelce). Mahomes easily floated the ball to his favorite target for a big gain.

Six weeks ago, Kelce wouldn't have been that open. 

Not before Worthy legitimized himself. Not before Gray legitimized himself.

"I just think that you have a variety of guys that we've been able to use around [Kelce]," Reid said