Travis Kelce lateral: Chiefs TE executes designed trick play to Samaje Perine for big 3rd down gain vs. Saints

Kyle Irving

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Travis Kelce lateral: Chiefs TE executes designed trick play to Samaje Perine for big 3rd down gain vs. Saints image

Travis Kelce finally started to break through during the first half of the Chiefs' "Monday Night Football" matchup with the Saints.

The star tight end was off to the slowest start of his NFL career, rookie season aside. He only had 15 receptions for 158 yards over the first four games and failed to score a single touchdown. His 3.8 receptions and 39.5 yards per game were the lowest marks of his career.

Star quarterback Patrick Mahomes made sure to get Kelce out of his funk, targeting his usual No. 1 option early and often against New Orleans.

Kelce exceeded his season-high in receptions in the first half alone, picking up eight catches for 67 yards. You could tell the 35-year-old started to find his groove again, even executing a risky trick play during one of Kansas City's drives in the second quarter.

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Travis Kelce's lateral to Samaje Perine vs. Saints

Midway through the second quarter, the Chiefs were trying to respond to a 43-yard bomb of a touchdown reception by Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed.

Kansas City still led 10-7, but its offense was moving in the wrong direction on its ensuing drive. A trick play was busted on first down, resulting in a loss of 14 yards. On the next play, offensive guard Trey Smith was called for holding, pushing the Chiefs back to 2nd-and-34.

Mahomes completed a 13-yard pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster to make it 3rd-and-21, then he went to his favorite target, Kelce, over the middle on third down.

Kelce caught a quick pass on a five-yard route, but the first-down marker was nowhere in sight. Instead of trying to pick up the 16 extra yards needed with his feet, he pitched the ball to running back Samaje Perine.

Perine surged forward to pick up 15 yards, cutting 3rd-and-21 to a manageable 4th-and-1 because of Kelce's savvy lateral.

Kelce's girlfriend Taylor Swift was loving the impromptu play, as shown on the ESPN broadcast as Chiefs Kingdom went crazy.

The Chiefs elected to go for it on fourth down, and Kareem Hunt picked up the yardage necessary to keep the drive alive.

Kansas City ended up settling for a field goal to extend their lead to 13-7, but it would have been a much tougher kick if not for Kelce and Perine's heads-up play.

Was Travis Kelce's lateral to Samaje Perine designed?

At halftime, head coach Andy Reid said Kelce's lateral to Perine was by design.

"We do it every day in practice, so I can't tell you the name of [the play]," Reid told ESPN's Lisa Salters.

Mahomes said he just told Kelce that the Chiefs needed to get in field goal range, but didn't expect the tight end to "underhand shovel it across the entire field," he joked with the media after the game.

Kelce, on the other hand, wouldn't admit that the play was on purpose after the Chiefs' victory over the Saints.

“I can neither confirm nor deny that it is in the playbook,” Kelce quipped about the crafty play that helped Kansas City pick up an extra three points.

Kyle Irving

Kyle Irving Photo

You read that wrong – not Kyrie Irving. From Boston, graduated from the University of New Hampshire. Sixth season as a content producer for NBA.com's Global editions. Covering the NBA Draft has become his annual "dream come true" moment on the job. Irving has a soft spot for pass-first point guards, with Rajon Rondo and Steve Nash being two of his favorite players of all time.