Travis Kelce wary of MVP contender Lamar Jackson 'knocking on the door' in playoffs as Chiefs prep for Divisional Round

If the wild-card round was anything to go by, the NFL playoffs are about to get a lot spicier in the divisional round. The Washington Commanders were the only lower-ranked seed to knock off a higher seed (the No. 3 Tampa Bay Buccaneers) this postseason, with the Minnesota Vikings-LA Rams showdown calling an end to an eventful wild-card weekend.

The divisional round will kick off with the Houston Texans taking on the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, while the Baltimore Ravens will travel to Orchard Park to play the Buffalo Bills in the second AFC divisional round matchup.

As things stand, there is a strong possibility that the Ravens and Chiefs will square off in the AFC championship game, and it seems Travis Kelce is fully aware of that fact.

NFL: Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers - Source: Imagn

On Wednesday's episode of the "New Heights" podcast, where LeBron James was a guest, the NBA legend talked a little bit about where Jackson stands heading into the divisional round.

"For Lamar [Jackson], this is what they want," James said. "This is why they grabbed Derrick Henry. This is why they made the change at offensive coordinator to be able to get to the point where they will be able to play either Buffalo or play Travis and them boys. If you want to be crowned, you have to beat the top teams in the AFC.”

For his part, Travis Kelce outlined that he was fully aware of the threat the MVP contender carries in the playoffs.

“He’s been knocking on the door for sure,” Kelce said on the podcast.

From the 13:30 mark:

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Where Travis Kelce's Kansas City Chiefs and Lamar Jackson's Baltimore Ravens stand in the playoffs

The MVP votes will likely already have been decided, which means the Josh Allen vs. Lamar Jackson showdown in Buffalo will not dramatically alter the grand scheme of things in the NFL MVP race.

When it comes to their respective matchups, it's difficult to bet against the pedigree of the Chiefs, who have had two whole weeks to rest most of their starters, including Kelce, Patrick Mahomes and Isiah Pacheco.

For his part, Jackson suited up in Week 18 as well as the wild-card round but didn't have to break much of a sweat given how the Pittsburgh Steelers offense fared in the first round of the playoffs. Jackson finished wild-card weekend going 16-of-21 for 175 yards and two touchdowns, while Derrick Henry rushed for 186 yards and two scores.

If we're talking about the Ravens-Bills matchup, we're leaning toward Baltimore, especially given how Buffalo was dispatched 35-10 in Week 14 in a game where the Bills thoroughly struggled to keep Henry in check.