See Chiefs’ Travis Kelce shoved in for touchdown against Chargers in this photo sequence

Nick Wagner
·3 min read

The play took just three seconds to transpire, but one photo unlike any other captured Travis Kelce’s first-half touchdown score in Sunday’s Kansas City Chiefs game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

With just 21 seconds to play in the opening half, Mahomes received the snap, faked a handoff to running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire, and checked right to wide receiver Kadarius Toney who was covered. He then quickly shot the ball to his favorite target, tight end Travis Kelce, AKA “Taylor’s boyfriend.”

The pass was at his knees. Kelce bobbled it before he wrangled it on his right shoulder. He then hoisted it above his head with both hands, eyeing the goal line.

His teammates shoved him as he leaned backward toward the goal line.

Chargers defenders mobbed him.

Meanwhile, I was squeezing off frames (taking a rapid series of photos with the aid of the camera’s motordrive) from the back corner of the end zone. I managed to shoot five clean frames before Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who scored the first touchdown of the game, blocked my shot.

After a few seconds, the officials signaled touchdown and I quickly plugged my phone into my camera to download the shot which was a horizontal image. I sent the best frame out of the five shots to my photo editor. He made a vertical crop on the selected image and this is how we led our Morning Sports Edition cover.

See the sequence of photos below to learn how we chose what we considered the best image.

This is the first of five frames that captured the peak moment Travis Kelce was being pushed by his teammates into the end zone against the defensive force of several Chargers players. You can see the top of his helmet and the ball but his face is blocked by Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. (3). Nick Wagner/nwagner@kcstar.com
This is the first of five frames that captured the peak moment Travis Kelce was being pushed by his teammates into the end zone against the defensive force of several Chargers players. You can see the top of his helmet and the ball but his face is blocked by Los Angeles Chargers safety Derwin James Jr. (3). Nick Wagner/nwagner@kcstar.com
In the second frame in the series, we see Kelce’s head and the ball and a set of hands from a Chargers player reaching for the ball. The photo would be a telling image of the moment but there were other images to choose from. Nick Wagner/nwagner@kcstar.com
In the second frame in the series, we see Kelce’s head and the ball and a set of hands from a Chargers player reaching for the ball. The photo would be a telling image of the moment but there were other images to choose from. Nick Wagner/nwagner@kcstar.com
In the third frame in the series, we start to see Kelce’s face and his determined expression. At this point the Chargers player on the other side of the pile has his hands on the ball. It’s another frame that had everything going for it that could have told the story well. Nick Wagner/nwagner@kcstar.com
In the third frame in the series, we start to see Kelce’s face and his determined expression. At this point the Chargers player on the other side of the pile has his hands on the ball. It’s another frame that had everything going for it that could have told the story well. Nick Wagner/nwagner@kcstar.com
In the fourth frame in the sequence, we see the Charger player’s hands still trying to rip the ball away from Kelce. At this point Kelce has turned his head a tiny bit to his left where we see more of his face. His left eye, perfectly framed by his face mask, is now cocked to the left as if he is trying to spot the goal line. Nick Wagner/nwagner@kcstar.com
In the fifth frame in the sequence, Kelce’s face is still the face of determination but by this time Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling has moved into the frame and his arm blocks some of our view of Kelce. Nick Wagner/nwagner@kcstar.com
In the fifth frame in the sequence, Kelce’s face is still the face of determination but by this time Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling has moved into the frame and his arm blocks some of our view of Kelce. Nick Wagner/nwagner@kcstar.com
We picked the fourth frame in this series. Kelce appearing to keep an eye out for the goal line and the lack of other obstructions in the shot made it the winner. Here is how the photo appeared on Monday’s cover of the Morning Sports Edition.
We picked the fourth frame in this series. Kelce appearing to keep an eye out for the goal line and the lack of other obstructions in the shot made it the winner. Here is how the photo appeared on Monday’s cover of the Morning Sports Edition.

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