Travis Kelce’s status could tip the scales in Sunday’s AFC West showdown. The Chiefs head to Empower Field at Mile High to face the Denver Broncos, and with Kansas City’s nine-year division streak under threat, every decision matters. The 8-2 Broncos are leading the standings, while the 5-4 Chiefs are looking to regroup after their bye week. And now, Kelce’s recent health admission could make this encounter very interesting.

Adding to the tension, Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce recently shared the health update regarding the altitude on his “New Heights” podcast that has understandably raised a few eyebrows in Chiefs Kingdom. He admitted that the elevation of Denver is a constant hurdle.

“Denver’s not the easiest place to go in and play football, man. That altitude gets me every single time. It may not make me play terrible, but it definitely makes a difference when you’re playing up there.”

Despite the physical challenge, Kelce is making it clear he is ready for the fight. Fortunately for Kansas City, they are coming off a bye week, and there is a major silver lining in the form of Head Coach Andy Reid‘s post-bye week magic.

Reid has a legendary track record of success after a week off, boasting a career regular-season record of 22-4 in games, the best in NFL history in this particular situation. That extra time to prepare is a huge advantage for the Chiefs, especially considering who they are playing against as their division rival, currently top of the table. This will be a tough road test facing a red-hot Broncos team, but Kansas City is banking on a fully prepared squad and Coach Reid’s advantage to deliver a much-needed performance.

Andy Reid speaks about Chris Jones’ strategy ahead of the Broncos

The stakes couldn’t be higher for the Chiefs’ trip to Denver, and Head Coach Andy Reid isn’t pretending otherwise. He knows the team needs a universal jump in performance, even from their top guys who might be struggling to find their rhythm.

Speaking to the media on Monday, Reid specifically addressed star defensive tackle Chris Jones, whose dominant presence hasn’t translated into his usual stat sheet-stuffing season. Reid’s message wasn’t a call-out, but a clear expectation for improvement across the board.

“I think we all need to do better, I would say that, Chris is always striving to do better every day. That’s what has made him such a good player. He’s the guy that they’re going to focus on, that’s who’s getting doubled. He’ll get his as we go forward, it’s just important that he stays consistent and keeps working hard,” Reid said.

The coach’s point was pragmatic. Jones is still drawing double-teams, which is opening up opportunities for others, but the team collectively, especially the offense, needs to capitalize on those advantages to secure the win.

This Week 11 matchup in Denver is arguably the Chiefs’ most critical game of the year. With the Broncos sitting atop the AFC West, a loss would create a substantial gap in the standings, making it nearly a must-win for the reigning AFC champions to keep their legitimate hopes of securing a 10th consecutive division title alive.