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A20 SPORTS
Friday 28 december 2018

Kelce, Kittle chase Gronkowski’s record for best TE season

By JOSH DUBOW with 24 TD passes, the sec-
AP Pro Football Writer ond-most ever for a rookie.
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) Mayfield needs three TD
— Getting a Twitter follow passes this week to break
from Travis Kelce was one the record set by Peyton
of the major accomplish- Manning in 1998.
ments this season for San RECORD RECEPTIONS: Mc-
Francisco 49ers second- Caffrey and Philadelphia
year tight end George Kit- tight end Zach Ertz have
tle. already set receiving re-
Now heading into the final cords. McCaffrey’s 106
game of the season, Kittle is receptions this season are
in a race with Kelce for the the most ever by a running
most productive season back, beating the mark of
ever for a tight end. 102 for Forte in 2014. Mc-
Kelce goes into Kansas Caffrey has also joined
City’s season finale against Forte and Hall of Famer
Oakland with 1,274 yards LaDainian Tomlinson (2003)
receiving, the fourth-most as the only players with at
ever for a tight end. He least 1,000 yards rushing
needs 54 yards against the and 100 catches in a single
Raiders to break the mark season.
set by New England’s Rob RUN TO DAYLIGHT: Running
Gronkowski in 2011. the ball has never been
But Kelce might need more easier in the NFL, with the
than that to hold off Kittle, average carry going for
who goes into San Francis- 4.42 yards per attempt.
co’s finale against the Los That would be the highest
Angeles Rams with 1,228 mark for a season in the
yards on the season and In this Dec. 13, 2018, file photo, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce (87) during warm-ups NFL since at least 1940. The
a chance to pass not only before the start of an NFL football game in Kansas City, Mo. previous high was 4.29 ypc
Gronkowski but also Kelce Associated Press in 2011. This season is also
with a big game. downfield threat, with his most productive receivers after the catch, gaining on pace for the fewest rush
Kelce and Kittle have put average catch coming in the league like Antonio an average of 9.8 yards attempts per game with
up their huge numbers 7.5 yards beyond the line Brown and Michael Thom- after making the catch — just 25.9, a tick below the
this season in very differ- of scrimmage, a number as. a number surpassed only 26.0 mark set in 2016.
ent ways. Kelce is more a comparable to some of the Kittle does most of his work by four running backs who DOMINANT PATS: Few
make their average catch teams have ever had a run
in the backfield. as dominant as the one by
Kittle has 775 yards in all the New England Patriots
after the catch, trailing under coach Bill Belich-
only Carolina running back ick and quarterback Tom
Christian McCaffrey with Brady. The Patriots won
824. The only other play- their 10th straight AFC East
ers since at least 2010 with title, setting a record for
more yards after the catch most consecutive playoff
in a season are Le’Veon berths, and have tied San
Bell (816 in 2014) and Matt Francisco (1983-98) for the
Forte (788 in 2014). most consecutive 10-win
“The thing he is doing bet- seasons with 16. New Eng-
ter, that I can say he has land has 199 wins the past
done better than any tight 16 years, 35 more than the
end I have had, is what he second-place Steelers.
is doing after the catch,” That gap is bigger than the
coach Kyle Shanahan difference between Pitts-
said. “He does a good job burgh and 16th-place Cin-
beating man coverage, cinnati with 131.
and does a good job in his UNDRAFTED GEM: Denver
routes and does a great running back Phillip Lindsay
job blocking. But when that passed the 1,000-yard rush-
ball is in the air, the play is ing mark last week, join-
just starting. He is trying to ing Dominic Rhodes and
catch it. He runs angry and LaGarrette Blount as the
runs confidently, that he only undrafted rookies to
expects to score on every top 1,000 in a season in the
look.” Super Bowl era. Lindsay has
Here’s a look inside some 1,037 yards on the season
more interesting numbers but will end up 68 yards shy
heading into Week 17: of breaking Rhodes’ record
SPLENDID START: Cleve- set in 2001 for Indianapolis
land’s Baker Mayfield after being sidelined by a
heads into the final week wrist injury in Week 16.q