Travis Kelce did what he could for Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs in their highly anticipated Thanksgiving Day matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. The four-time All-Pro tight end registered five catches for 45 yards and one touchdown, but it wasn’t enough to help lead the Chiefs to a win over the Cowboys.
Dallas turned in another strong performance, securing a 31-28 win against the mighty Chiefs. This marked the Cowboys’ third straight win as they have suddenly become one of the hottest teams in the league. The Chiefs, on the other hand, fell to 6-6 after the loss and are now in serious danger of falling out of the playoff race.
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Chiefs coach Andy Reid celebrates on the podium with tight end Travis Kelce, left, after Kansas City defeated the Eagles in Super Bowl 57.(Michael Chow / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Kansas City was not eliminated from playoff contention after losing to Dallas. However, their playoff hopes took a significant hit. They will now need to win all five of their remaining regular-season games and hope that will be enough to get them through.
Chiefs head coach Andy Reid sent a defiant message after the Cowboys loss. The three-time Super Bowl-winning coach has been in this situation before, and he is confident his team is still very much capable of making a run at this point in the season.
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“If you’re coming to me,” Reid said Monday, “we’re going to go after you every game, and that’s how we roll. We’re going to tickle your tonsils on every play, every game. But that’s the attitude we’re coming in with, and then you let the chips fall where they may.”
Kelce could not help but comment on Reid’s strong message. In particular, the 10-time Pro Bowler focused on his coach’s “tickle your tonsils” statement and the 67-year-old coach’s ability to say the right things at the right time.
“Never heard him say that one,” Kelce said on Wednesday’s episode of his “New Heights” podcast. “Nope, that’s a new one. He’s got a bunch of bangers in his pocket, though.
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“He’s got so many, and he’s been doing this for so long, he knows which ones really get the people going. That’s the fun you get playing for him.”
Kelce isn’t messing around either. He also sounded the alarm for the Chiefs in his recent podcast episode. They will be back in action on Sunday against the Houston Texans, and Kelce expressed how that’s going to be a must-win game for his team.
Kansas City will host Sunday’s crucial matchup against Houston, with kickoff from Arrowhead Stadium scheduled for 8:20 p.m. ET.
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This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Dec 4, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.