As he attempted to dissect the cause for the Chiefs’ second-half offensive struggles, lineman Mitchell Schwartz eventually settled on an old phrase. “A tale of two halves,” he called it.
Equally apt: a tale of an offense playing with and without tight end Travis Kelce.
Kelce was forced out of the Chiefs’ 22-21 playoff loss in the second quarter on Saturday after taking a crushing helmet-to-helmet hit from Tennessee Titans safety Johnathan Cyprien. Kelce was diagnosed with a concussion and did not return.
Teammate Albert Wilson helped Kelce to his feet after the hit. Kelce took a couple of wobbly steps before leaning into the arms of Schwartz to maintain his balance.