In Monday night's game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Travis Kelce faced high expectations as the Kansas City Chiefs aimed to bounce back after their bye week. However, the absence of his girlfriend, Taylor Swift, in the stands raised speculation about Kelce's performance.

Kelce, who recently visited Swift during his bye week while she was on tour in Argentina, had a strong start to the game, ending his touchdown drought with a catch just before halftime. Nevertheless, it took until the second quarter for him to receive his first target and catch.

As the game progressed, Kelce had several crucial moments that left fans questioning his performance. In the fourth quarter, he made a catch but had the ball punched away, and on the Chiefs' final drive, he dropped a pass from quarterback Patrick Mahomes. Despite seven catches for 44 yards and a touchdown, Kelce's efforts were not enough to secure a victory for Kansas City. The Chiefs ultimately lost to the Eagles with a score of 21-17.

The absence of Swift and her family at Monday night's game added fuel to the ongoing chatter surrounding Kelce's performance when she is not in attendance. Statistics show that Kelce's numbers tend to improve significantly when Swift is present. In the games she has attended, he has recorded 34 catches for 432 yards and two touchdowns. Notably, in their last game together on October 22, Kelce had a standout performance, with 12 catches for 179 yards and a touchdown, helping the Chiefs secure a 31-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Chiefs coach Andy Reid had previously acknowledged the positive impact of Swift's presence at games, stating, "Taylor can stay around as long as she wants." However, with Swift's international tour concluding on November 26 and her next tour leg not starting until February 7 in Tokyo, it remains uncertain whether she will attend any more Chiefs games during the regular season.

As the speculation continues, all eyes will be on Kelce and his performance in the absence of his superstar girlfriend. With Swift's influence seemingly playing a role in his on-field success, fans and analysts are eager to see how he will fare without her support in the stands. The Chiefs and Kelce will need to regroup and find their stride as they navigate through the remainder of the regular season without the Swift effect.