After the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers 28-18 in a Week 7 Super Bowl rematch, tight ends Travis Kelce and George Kittle embraced each other with a hug. Both players then forecasted that the teams would meet again during the Super Bowl in February.
Kelce and Kittle, two of the league’s premier pass-catching tight ends, met in the middle of the field, encased around a swarm of players from both organizations. The Chiefs tight end extended his arm for a handshake to Kittle, who acknowledged the embrace and gave Kelce a chest bump.
Kelce attempted to put his face inside Kittle’s shoulder pad to shield the cameras from making out his comments. The audio picked up the three-time Super Bowl winner’s words, as he was heard saying, “Let’s do it again in Februrary, bro,” indicating deep playoff runs as a potential back-to-back Super Bowl game.
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Kittle responded, “Yeah I know, why not,” despite the 49ers’ 3-4 record and third of fourth place position in the NFC West. While Kansas City features the NFL’s best odds to win the Super Bowl, San Francisco’s projected chances of representing the NFC come after the NFC’s heavily favored Detroit Lions so far through the season.
One fan responded to the clip and said, “I love Kittle, but they aren’t making it back this year.” Another fan replied, “San Fran got too many injuries. They ain’t gonna make the playoffs,” referencing star wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who tore his MCL and ACL during the game, rendering him out for the rest of the season.
Travis Kelce had another quiet game against the 49ers (
Getty Images)
FOX listed the Super Bowl rematch as America’s game of the week, and over 27 million watched it, making it the most-watched telecast out of all networks during the seven days. The network capitalized on the game’s success, seeing a 14 percent increase from last year’s game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons.
While the teams did well for ratings, the on-field product left much to be desired. Patrick Mahomes and Brock Purdy threw no touchdowns and combined for five interceptions, with Purdy leading the way with three. Purdy and Mahomes threw back-to-back picks on the third and fourth drives of the game, followed by both teams punting away the ball. The game saw points scored at 59 seconds remaining in the first quarter, a 55-yard field goal from 49ers kicker Anders Carlson.
Kittle outshined Kelce in the game as the 49ers relied upon target with a team-high six receptions for 92 yards. His biggest moment came late in the second quarter after connecting with Purdy on a 41-yard pass that set up the field goal.
Kelce, who has yet to eclipse the 100-yard receiving mark this season, was relatively ineffective with four catches for 17 yards. While Kittle leads all tight ends in reception yards with 477, Kelce’s 245 yards falls outside the top 10. Last year’s Super Bowl saw the Chiefs defeat the 49ers 25-22 in a thrilling overtime win at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. The win made Kansas City the first champions to repeat in 19 seasons, with Mahomes earning his third Super Bowl MVP.
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