25 December 2023 , 21:48
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Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes had a tough time during the Kansas City Chiefs' Christmas Day match against the Las Vegas Raiders, which ended in a 20-14 defeat for the Chiefs. The game, held at Arrowhead Stadium, saw the Chiefs struggle to find their usual form.
The reigning Super Bowl champions have had a challenging season, with this first half against the Raiders being perhaps their worst performance yet. The Chiefs' offence seemed slow off the mark, while the Raiders, under interim rookie head coach Antonio Pierce, scored defensive touchdowns on back-to-back plays to take a 10-point lead.
After an interception, Mahomes was seen angrily shouting at his offensive line. The two-time MVP was clearly frustrated as the Raiders' defensive line, led by Maxx Crosby, put constant pressure on him.
Kelce also showed his frustration late in the first half when he threw his helmet on the sideline, leading to a telling-off from head coach Andy Reid.
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Kelce threw his helmet at a bench after the Chiefs had to punt again, but punter Tommy Townsend managed to keep the drive alive with an 11-yard pass to Justin Watson. Watson made a fantastic catch, earning Kansas City a new set of downs.
However, Kelce wasn't on the field during the fake punt. Coach Reid stepped in and stopped a staff member from giving Kelce his helmet back.
Reid spoke to Kelce about the helmet throw, and the tight end seemed to realise he'd made a mistake. His girlfriend Taylor Swift was watching the game, with the couple planning a Christmas Day reunion after she flew in on a private jet that morning.
Travis Kelce threw his helmet in frustration as the Chiefs offense struggled (No credit)The drive ended with a missed field goal just before halftime. The crowd at Arrowhead Stadium booed as the Chiefs went into halftime trailing 17-7.
At halftime, Mahomes had completed 13 of 21 passes for 97 yards with one interception and had been sacked twice. Kelce caught four passes for 42 yards on five targets for the 9-5 Chiefs against the 6-8 Raiders.
Despite their efforts, Mahomes and the Chiefs couldn't pull off a comeback in the final stages. The Raiders secured a big win, with the Chiefs not playing their best.
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