Kelce Addresses Crucial End-of-Half Sequence

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Of all the missed opportunities the Chiefs had in Sunday’s 28-21 loss at Buffalo, the sequence at the end of the first half hurt the most.

With the Chiefs trailing 21-10, Hollywood Brown’s elbow had touched the turf centimeters from the goal line, a 40-yard play with 20 seconds left that gave Kansas City first-and-goal from the 1-yard line. But in perhaps the three most important plays of the game, Buffalo stopped Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs three straight times to force a field goal.

Looking back, Travis Kelce said the end of the first half greatly affected the end of the game.

“It's frustrating,” Kelce said on Wednesday’s edition of New Heights. “It's frustrating, especially when you think – you know, you put it on yourself. I'm looking at this score right here, and if I find a way to get my head and hands around on the pass that Pat threw me in the end zone right before half, yeah, I feel like we have a we have a better chance at getting a field goal there late instead of a tough catch.

“All I'm thinking of is that last drive. Like, now we're throwing a Hail Mary instead of trying to kick a field goal to tie it.”

Late-game FG better than three Hail Marys

Sure enough, Patrick Mahomes at game’s end threw three desperation heaves into the end zone, attempting to tie a 28-21 game. All fell incomplete. But it was the incompletion seconds before halftime that Kelce lamented most.

On that third-down incompletion – on which Kelce said he got the wind knocked out of him after a big hit from Cole Bishop – Kelce ran a short corner route but Mahomes fired the pass behind his left shoulder.

cole bishop, rashee ric — Nov 2, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) is brought down by Buffalo Bills safety Cole Bishop (24) in the second quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

On the play before, Mahomes got flushed out of the pocket and sent an incompletion over the right pylon. Kelce was wide open in the middle of the field.

“Yeah, we got to find a way to get in the end zone,” Mahomes said after the game.” Just after the big play, and getting down at the half-yard line. Kind of the run play where we weren't able to get in, and two chances, two chances for me, and I tried to get the ball to Trav, and obviously took the big hit. But we got to find a way to get in the end zone. So, I got to be better there.”

On the run play Mahomes mentioned, Kareem Hunt getting stuffed on first down, Kelce was blocking Greg Rousseau at the point of attack. Jordan Phillips overpowered Jawaan Taylor – who looked to be favoring an ankle injury at that point – and Rousseau snuck around Kelce to make the tackle.

“Yeah, you gotta score,” head coach Andy Reid said after the game. “You gotta score a touchdown. You don’t want to come out with a field goal. Although, listen, we were still within striking distance; we had opportunities.”

They had opportunities but getting a touchdown on any of those four plays, including the long completion to Brown, would’ve greatly affected the momentum heading into the second half. Instead, the Chiefs opted for a 19-yard chip-shot field goal from Harrison Butker.

“I wanted points,” Reid said. “We had to come out of there with points. I thought about it, for sure, but I thought getting the field goal was the right thing to do there.”

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