Former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre said that singer Taylor Swift will likely be blamed if the Kansas City Chiefs lose in the NFL playoffs.
The Chiefs resoundingly defeated the Miami Dolphins on Saturday night, 26–7. During a number of Chiefs games, Ms. Swift, who is currently dating Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce, is often shown cheering from the owner’s box area. She was also seen during Saturday’s game.
He said that Ms. Swift, whose relationship with Mr. Kelce has been prominently featured in media reports throughout the season, will be blamed if Kansas City fails to get to the Super Bowl, coming after the team won two Super Bowls in recent years.
There has been speculation that the couple’s relationship would impact Mr. Kelce’s play this season. However, he netted 984 yards on 93 catches with five touchdowns, although he dropped several passes during Saturday night’s game, during which players performed in sub-zero temperatures.
“Until Andy Reid is unseated as the champion,” said Mr. Favre, a Super Bowl champion who is now in the NFL Hall of Fame, referring to the Chiefs head coach. “I have to see it to believe it.”
On offense, the Chiefs scored on four of their six first-half drives. Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes capped the first with his touchdown toss to wide receiver Rashee Rice, and while ensuing drives continually fizzled in the red zone, kicker Harrison Butker added a trio of field goals to help Kansas City forge a 16–3 lead.
“Butker was phenomenal,” Mr. Reid said. “That was like kicking a block of ice.”
The game was minus 4 degrees Fahrenheit at kickoff, easily setting a record for the coldest game at Arrowhead Stadium. But it was wind gusts, whipping through at more than 25 mph and driving the wind chill to a bone-rattling minus 27 degrees, that made the weather truly miserable for just about everyone.
The Chiefs added another field goal in the third quarter, but it was still a two-possession game in the fourth when the Dolphins appeared to force another field goal. But a late flag on Christian Wilkins for roughing the passer on third down gave Kansas City a fresh set of downs, and Pacheco plowed into the end zone moments later to give the Chiefs a 26–7 lead.
The Dolphins otherwise struggled on offense, though, just as they did in a 21–14 loss to the Chiefs in November in Germany.
They were just 1 for 12 on third down, and they never put together a truly sustained drive until the fourth quarter. After an early touchdown score, the Dolphins never threatened down the stretch in their 11th straight loss when game-time temps are 40 degrees or less.
The Chiefs will play in the divisional round of the playoffs next weekend.
If they win, they'll head to the AFC Championship game, which could bring them to the Super Bowl on Feb. 11 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
