Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes Send Clear Message as Chiefs Return
The Kansas City Chiefs are looking for redemption and bounce-back on Sunday, November 16, when they take on the defense-heavy Denver Broncos on the road. The Chiefs are coming out of their NFL bye week and had a loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, November 2, so they’re ready to get a win.
But, going up against the Browns won’t be easy. Denver has an 8-2 record going into the contest, and Kansas City is 5-4. The Chiefs aren’t used to being the underdogs, but they’ve had a few extra losses this season, which puts them in the unfamiliar place of, in a way, being the underdog in contests such as Sunday’s game.
If anyone can motivate this team to get a win done it’s Kansas City Chiefs franchise quarterback Patrick Mahomes and tight end Travis Kelce. They’re the heart of this team, but really, every member of the Chiefs is an important piece of the puzzle. Still, Mahomes and Kelce are the franchise’s most high-profile players, so they’re often the face of the message that the team is sending.
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce Highlighted in Pregame Video
On Thursday, November 13, the Kansas City Chiefs took to X to share a video of Matt McMullen of the team’s reporting staff hyping up Sunday’s game. In it, McMullen makes the point that head coach Andy Reid is 22-4, and 6-1 in the Mahomes era, following a regular-season bye in his career.
The video features footage of Kelce, Mahomes, Rashee Rice and the team in their element, running, jumping and playing their very best. “Good determination,” one commenter said on X. “Back on track sounds like a solid plan,” another said.
, and they’re heading into an important game against the Denver Broncos on the road on Sunday, November 16. While the Broncos haven’t been much competition in the past, this is a different season, and Denver has an 8-2 record heading into the game. The Chiefs are 5-4.
The Challenge of the Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are the real deal. They’re the No. 1 seed in the AFC West, and their quarterback, Bo Nix, is performing at a high level. Even more than the offense, the Broncos’ defense is strong. They have a No. 1 red zone defense and come in at third in points allowed in the NFL at 17.3 per game. They’ve also allowed the third-fewest yards in the league, according to NFL research.
On Wednesday, November 12, Mahomes talked about the challenges that the Broncos bring, admitting that they are “first in the division, and they have a couple games on us.”
“It’s huge for the division, and that’s always our first goal is win the division,” he added. “And so, it’s a really good football team. There’s no way around it, and so we have to go out there and play our best football.”
Mahomes added that, “I don’t think we’ve done that yet. So, after this bye, let’s go out there, put a great week of practice together and find a way to win in a hostile environment against a great football team.”
Jameson Williams: Lions Will Come Out on Top Over Eagles 'For Sure'
Jameson Williams didn’t mince words when assessing the Detroit Lions’ offensive performance in Week 10 against the Washington Commanders.
After a month of inconsistency and stalled drives, Williams said the difference was undeniable. The offense, he emphasized, was “so much smoother” with Dan Campbell calling the plays in the Lions’ thrashing of the Commanders.
For the first time in a long time, Detroit looked like the explosive, high-octane offense it had been built to be.
The Lions racked up a season-high 546 yards and 44 points, scoring on eight straight possessions and never punting.
“It felt good with the play-calling and being so much smoother, going out there and just being free and playing. That was a good thing for us,” Williams told reporters Thursday. “We converted, we had a lot of explosives on our end. Shout-out to the defense, they got us the ball a lot of times. We scored on our possessions, executing is the main thing. So, that was the main thing, we just went out there and executed.”
Williams himself was a major beneficiary of Campbell taking over the play-calling duties from offensive coordinator John Morton.
The fourth-year receiver delivered his best performance since Week 2, hauling in six catches for 119 yards, including a crucial three-catch, 47-yard sequence on the opening drive of the second half. Before returning to the field for the final half of play, Campbell made sure Williams knew his number was going to be called.
“He just told me he’s coming to me and that just got me,” Williams said. “I was already ready, but that just gave me, it let me know it was coming and that whole drive he dedicated it to me, he called plays for me and I just went out there and made plays. It was something where I had a great feeling. It felt great getting the ball and moving well with the offense.”
Williams capped off that five-play, 72-yard drive with a 14-yard touchdown reception, stretching Detroit’s lead and further demonstrating how comfortable — and confident — he looked in an offense that showcased his blazing speed and play-making ability.
For a player whose involvement has been infrequent throughout the season, the direct communication from Campbell and the intentional play design carried real meaning.
Beyond praising the rejuvenated offense, Williams also shifted his focus to what lies ahead: a road contest with the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, in one of the league’s toughest home environments.
Though he’s never played in Philadelphia, he made clear the Lions cannot allow the crowd to be a factor.
“I’ve heard it’s crazy,” Williams said of the environment in Philadelphia. “But, if we go out there and do our thing, make plays, execute, the crowd and the fans will be a non-factor to us. So, we just gotta go out there and do our thing and we’ll be good.”
Williams added that he rarely hears opposing fans anyway. He’s typically too focused on the next offensive series.
However, he did hear the chants of his name in Washington, a moment that reflected how electric his performance was and how strongly Detroit fans responded to it.
As for the magnitude of the Lions’ Sunday Night Football showdown with Philadelphia, Williams has a simple mindset: “Every game is (a) must win. We just got to go out there and execute, and we’re gonna come out on top for sure.”
If Detroit’s offense continues to operate with the same rhythm it displayed a week ago, the Lions will have a legitimate shot to escape Philadelphia with a win Sunday.
For Williams, Week 10 was a turning point in his season and perhaps the Lions’ season, too – the week where everything finally clicked.
