The Chiefs did not have superstar tight end Travis Kelce in the lineup on Thursday night and they definitely appeared to be missing him during their 21-20 loss to the Lions.
Chiefs receivers dropped several passes and the team didn’t score a touchdown after halftime of the home loss. After the game, head coach Andy Reid refused to use Kelce’s absence as an explanation for why the team is now 0-1.
Reid pointed to the Lions converting a fake punt deep in their own territory in the first quarter and a pass that went off Kadarius Toney’s hands for a 50-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter as plays that swung the game Detroit’s way.
“No excuses at all,” Reid said, via KSHB. “We’ve got guys that can play. We were right there to take care of business. They got us on special teams and continued the drive. They got us on the tipped ball.”
Reid said Kelce’s knee, which was hurt in Tuesday’s practice, “wasn’t feeling right” and Melissa Stark of NBC reported during the game that the team said Kelce struggled during a workout in a pool on Thursday morning. Stark added that there’s optimism about Kelce’s availability for Week Two’s game against the Jaguars and, excuses or not, the Chiefs will need him to put forth the best version of their offense.