Swift’s game presence a boost for Kelce
It’s been a new era for Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, as he’s gone from NFL star to global celebrity, thanks to Taylor Swift.
Ever since Swift showed up alongside Donna Kelce during Kansas City’s Week 3 win over the Chicago Bears, football and music fans have wondered how often the pop icon would be seen attending Chiefs games. She showed up to several more games, with the last being the Chiefs’ thrilling divisional round playoff victory at the Buffalo Bills. Swift had been busy with her Eras Tour in Argentina and Brazil, which included a visit from Kelce in Buenos Aires.
But with the regular season over and the NFL playoffs underway, Swift could be in attendance for the team’s shot to make the Super Bowl before her Eras Tour resumes in early February. Not only will it captivate audiences, but it could give Kelce a boost in his stats.
Here is how much different Kelce’s performance has been with Swift cheering him on versus when she isn’t around:
Travis Kelce stats with Taylor Swift in attendance
It was nothing but good karma for “the guy on the Chiefs” when Swift first started going to games, but things turned into a losing skid for a time before wins started to happen again.
When Swift is in attendance for a Chiefs game, Kansas City is 8-3, while Kelce has 69 catches for 830 yards (75.5 yards per game) and four touchdowns. During those games, Kelce snags 12.0 yards per reception.
After winning their first four games with Swift in attendance, the Chiefs lost three of the next four she was at, including a Christmas Day defeat against the Las Vegas Raiders. Swift ended her regular-season appearances with a win over the Cincinnati Bengals on New Year’s Eve that clinched the AFC West title.
During the Chiefs’ two playoff victories, Kelce has compiled 146 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 12 receptions, an average of 73 yards per game. Both of his touchdowns came during K.C.’s divisional round takedown of Buffalo.
Here are the games for which Swift was in attendance, along with Kelce’s stats in that game:
⬤ Week 3 vs. Chicago Bears: Seven catches for 69 yards and one touchdown; win, 41-10.
⬤ Week 4 at New York Jets: Six catches for 60 yards; win, 23-20.
⬤ Week 6 vs. Denver Broncos: Nine catches for 124 yards; win, 19-8.
⬤ Week 7 vs. Los Angeles Chargers: 12 catches (season high) for 179 yards (season high) and a touchdown; win, 31-17.
⬤ Week 13 at Green Bay Packers: Four catches for 81 yards; loss, 27-19.
⬤ Week 14 vs. Buffalo Bills: Six catches for 83 yards; loss, 20-17.
⬤ Week 15 at New England Patriots: Five catches for 28 yards; win, 27-17.
⬤ Week 16 vs. Las Vegas Raiders: Five catches for 44 yards; loss, 20-14.
⬤ Week 17 vs. Cincinnati Bengals: Three catches for 16 yards; win, 25-17.
⬤ Wild-card round vs. Miami Dolphins; Seven catches for 71 yards; win, 26-7.
⬤ Divisional round vs. Buffalo Bills: Five catches, 75 yards, two touchdowns; win, 27-24.
Travis Kelce stats without Taylor Swift in attendance
Without Swift, the Chiefs are still good, but they haven’t been perfect and there’s certainly a blank space left in Kelce’s results.
When Swift isn’t there and Kelce is playing, Kansas City is 4-2. Kelce has also had some of his statistically worst games without Swift there. Four of his lowest receiving yard games came with her not in the stands.
In those six games, Kelce has 36 catches for 300 yards (50 yards per game) and three touchdowns. That adds up to 8.2 yards per reception.
Those games include when Kelce had a season-low three catches for 14 yards against the Miami Dolphins in Germany, and when he had a drop and his lone fumble of the season against the Philadelphia Eagles. Even after the loss to Philadelphia, Kelce said, “I’m not playing my best football right now.”
Kelce also hasn’t topped 100 receiving yards in any of the games Swift wasn’t at. The games have also been closer, as the road win against the Raiders was the only regular-season victory in which the Chiefs won by more than one score.
Will Taylor Swift be at Chiefs playoff game vs. Ravens?
It hasn’t been confirmed, but there is a good chance Swift travels to Baltimore for her third playoff game Sunday, when Kansas City takes on the Ravens in its sixth consecutive AFC championship game.
Since the Eras Tour isn’t scheduled to restart until Feb. 7 in Tokyo, the pop star can continue to attend playoff games. If the Chiefs are able to make their second consecutive Super Bowl, it might be tough for Swift to attend. She is performing in Tokyo on Feb. 10 and Super Bowl 58 in Las Vegas is on Feb. 11.
Swift did speak about how “football is awesome” in her TIME Person of the Year cover story and how she’s just trying to support Kelce rather than be shown on the broadcast.
“I’m just there to support Travis. I have no awareness of if I’m being shown too much and pissing off a few dads, Brads, and Chads,” Swift said.