The Kansas City Chiefs have been one of the NFL's hottest teams since their season-opening loss to the Tennessee Titans. They have managed to reel off six wins in their past seven games without a single touchdown by a wide receiver.
Beyond Jamaal Charles, how is Alex Smith's ball-control offense moving the chains?
After speaking with defensive coordinators and head coaches about the NFL's most underappreciated offensive players, NFL Media analyst Mike Mayock provided an answer on NFL NOW.
Chiefs' second-year tight end Travis Kelce was "the common denominator, the hot name" as the most underrated star, according to Mayock.
Kelce is second only to Dwayne Bowe in receptions and yards and leads Kansas City with four receiving touchdowns. Per the advanced metrics site Pro Football Focus, Kelce has been the most effective run-after-catch tight end in the league this season.
A former quarterback with only two years of experience at tight end, Kelce is an athletic freak with 4.61 wheels and power-forward size.
Although he drew comparisons to Jason Witten, Heath Miller and Jeremy Shockey coming out of Cincinnati two years ago, the Around The League Podcast has been touting him as a less physical version of Rob Gronkowski since August.
Limited to roughly half of the offensive snaps in his first healthy season, Kelce has only scratched the surface of immense potential.
Along with Charles and Smith, he forms the nucleus of the NFL's most unappreciated offense.
The latest Around The NFL Podcast discusses Dez Bryant's contract situation and eliminates more teams from playoff contention during "Stick a Fork in 'Em." Find more Around The NFL content on NFL NOW.
