Travis Kelce Comments on Eric Fisher's Holding Penalty After Steelers vs. Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs appeared to tie Sunday's AFC Divisional Round game against the Pittsburgh Steelers with a two-point conversion in the closing minutes, but it was called back due to a holding penalty on offensive lineman Eric Fisher.

Kansas City failed on the second attempt, and tight end Travis Kelce did not hold back when asked about the penalty following the 18-16 loss:

Spencer Ware scored to pull the Chiefs within two, and quarterback Alex Smith hit Demetrius Harris in the end zone to temporarily tie the game. Alas, Fisher held James Harrison to help set up the completion, despite Kelce's protestations.

While the hold stands out given its timing, the Chiefs could have still won after the penalty. Justin Gilbert misplayed the ensuing kickoff and left the Steelers at their own 5-yard line with 2:38 remaining and one timeout for Kansas City (in addition to the two-minute warning).

A stop would have put Kansas City in ideal scoring position, but Ben Roethlisberger found Antonio Brown for a critical 3rd-and-3 conversion to essentially clinch the win.

The Chiefs allowed 108 receiving yards to Brown and 170 rushing yards to Le'Veon Bell and couldn't match Chris Boswell's six field goals.

Still, the hold was what Kelce remembered, and he wasn't alone. Sam Mellinger of the Kansas City Star deemed it "The Eric Fisher Hold Game," and Smith said, "I've seen a lot worse not get called."

Fisher weighed in as well: "Game on the line, and for me to let the team down, it's going to be a hard one to let go."

The 27-year-old Kelce will be a major part of the team moving forward; he had a career year with 1,125 receiving yards and four touchdowns. The four-year veteran was solid again in Sunday's game with five receptions for 77 yards.

Kansas City won arguably the toughest division in football, the AFC West, with a 12-4 record and nearly clinched a spot in the AFC Championship Game. While the loss—and the holding call in particular—will linger during the offseason, fans can take some solace in knowing the Chiefs may be one or two moves away from cracking the NFL's top tier.