Chiefs' Travis Kelce voices frustration over red-zone struggles and lack of chemistry with Patrick Mahomes

While the Kansas City Chiefs are tied with the Detroit Lions for the best record in the NFL at 11-1, tight end Travis Kelce is frustrated with his performance, particularly in the red zone.

Kelce, who currently ranks fifth among NFL tight ends with 75 receptions for 637 yards, has struggled to find the end zone, managing just two touchdowns through the first 12 games of the season. His red-zone issues have been compounded by what he describes as a lack of chemistry with quarterback Patrick Mahomes. 

Speaking on the "New Heights" podcast on Wednesday, Kelce expressed his frustration with the disconnect, particularly in critical scoring situations.

"Where I take a lot of pride is once we get in that red zone, man," Kelce said. "I get a little hungrier. Right now, for whatever reason this year, I just can’t find my way in the end zone. I’m just not on the same page as Pat. It can get frustrating. It can get [expletive] frustrating. That’s for d— sure."

Despite catching seven passes for 68 yards in last week's 19-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, Kelce was once again kept out of the end zone. This marks his third consecutive game without a touchdown, a rarity for the nine-time Pro Bowler. Last season, at this point, Kelce had already posted five touchdowns and 813 receiving yards.

The Chiefs offense as a whole has also been struggling in the red zone, ranking 24th in the NFL in red-zone efficiency. In their win over the Raiders, the Chiefs' drives stalled multiple times inside the 20-yard line, limiting scoring chances.

"As s— as I’ve played, it does feel good to be in my 10th year in a row making the playoffs," Kelce said. "We gotta win the division, that’s another goal that we gotta reach… We just gotta finish strong, baby. Just finish strong and get violently accurate with our intentions."

For Mahomes and Kelce, who are no strangers to high-pressure moments as back-to-back Super Bowl champions, resolving their chemistry issue is crucial. 

Jason Kelce, a seven-time Pro Bowl center and co-host of the "New Heights" podcast, pointed out that there was one play in which Mahomes and his brother seemed to cross wires, but Travis emphasized that the problem runs deeper than just a single miscommunication.

"It has been more than one play," Travis said.

With the Chiefs already clinching a playoff spot, the remaining regular-season games now represent a key opportunity to fine-tune their offense. For Travis Kelce, the focus will be on reconnecting with Mahomes to rediscover their red-zone magic — because when the stakes are highest, the Chiefs will need their dynamic duo to perform as they have in the past.

Kelce and the Chiefs will look to improve their red-zone play when they host the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday.