Chiefs star Travis Kelce poked fun at the idea there is a rivalry between him and Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski this week while speaking with reporters, but then he quickly pointed out that he is aware of his record against Gronk and his running mate, Tom Brady.

“I’ve never beat Rob Gronkowski and Tom Brady in a playoff situation,” Kelce said. “I’m very aware of that. I think the AFC Championship game a couple of years ago has fueled me to be more accountable for my teammates, to be better out there on the field when it’s needed the most in the playoffs. With that being said, I feel like this game is another opportunity to get a tally on the board in the ‘W’ column in trying to get a win in this so-called, quote-unquote rivalry that the media likes to make it.”

Kelce and the Chiefs lost to Gronkowski, Brady and the Patriots twice in the playoffs during Kelce’s career. The last time was that AFC Championship game after the 2018 season, when the Patriots delayed the start of Kansas City’s Super Bowl run with an epic overtime victory.

Now, Kelce sees Gronkowski and Brady in Buccaneers uniforms, standing between him and a second straight Lombardi Trophy.

Kelce has been a key piece of this Chiefs run. This season, he set a record for receiving yards by a tight end with 1,416 in just 15 games. He has not slowed down in the postseason, catching 21 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns in the Chiefs’ two wins.

It would not be surprising if Kelce plays a major role in Sunday’s game. He will give the Buccaneers’ coaches nightmares this week.

“It’s really hard,” Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians said. “He reminds me a lot of Tony Gonzalez back when he was unbelievable just trying to stop him. He’s got wide receiver skills and he runs like a wide receiver. He runs routes like a wideout [and] he beats corners. It’s a hard, hard challenge, but [defensive coordinator] Todd [Bowles] will come up with some schemes. Again, we’ve got to get after the quarterback [Patrick Mahomes] and we can’t let him run around and make those plays that he and Kelce do so well.”

The unreal chemistry that Arians referenced seems to be on display each time the Chiefs play. Mahomes escapes the pass rush, scrambles and finds a wide-open Kelce downfield.

“There are one or two catches he gets every game where you say, ‘If he doesn’t have Patrick Mahomes escaping the pocket and throwing the ball sidearm across the field, nobody is going to throw that ball,’ ” said former NFL quarterback and current NBC analyst Chris Simms. “There are some benefits of that. Along that line, they have a phenomenal chemistry. I wonder if they could look at each other and go, ‘He’s thinking dog.’ Yup, that’s right, it was dog. They are amazing when Mahomes breaks the pocket.

“Kelce has a great way to make himself feel available. I can’t tell you how many plays where I see Kelce double-teamed and Mahomes just says, ‘I don’t care. He’s going to split them or run the route the right way and I’m going to throw the ball the right way and it doesn’t matter.’ Andy Reid is always putting pressure on defense.”

When the Chiefs and Buccaneers met in November, wide receiver Tyreek Hill was the star, with 13 catches for 269 yards and three touchdowns. If Bowles and the Buccaneers adjust to try to take away Hill, that could open things up for Kelce, who had eight catches for 82 yards in the first meeting. The two create opportunities for each other.

“I think what makes each of them great really complements the other well,” Mahomes said. “The fact that Tyreek can beat man coverage, catch over the top, be able to make big plays happen opens up the middle for Travis. And so to be able to have guys that complement each other so well and individually are such great talents, I think is what makes them such a dynamic duo and a group of guys who I’m glad are on my team.”