The KC Chiefs are in tune with their usual spirit after Travis Kelce's first big game of the season

It wasn't exactly dominant, but the Kansas City Chiefs secured a big win over a division rival on Sunday afternoon. The Week 4 win over the Los Angeles Chargers maintained the team's undefeated record while also being a breakthrough performance for one of the game's brightest stars.

Some would call it a long overdue performance from tight end Travis Kelce. The future Hall of Famer started the season slowly, although his numbers finally picked up on Sunday. Kelce led Kansas City in targets, receptions, receiving yards and yards after catch and performed like his younger self less than a week before his 35th birthday.

Head coach Andy Reid, as he has said all season, has always believed in Kelce doing things the right way.

“To be honest, I really don’t care what anyone thinks,” Reid said. “I watch what the defense does and how they respect him. I stay away from that. I watch Trav every day. I see him and how he works. He never wants to come out in training and games, that's him. “All in all, I'm not worried about it.

Kelce's impressive play came under unfortunate circumstances when wide receiver Rashee Rice was sidelined in the first quarter with a knee injury. That put Kelce back in the prominent offensive lineman role, and he ran with it. Of his seven receptions and 89 yards, five and 74, respectively, came in the first half of the game. That includes a 38-yard pickup on the Chiefs' first possession.

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes has never wavered in his support of Kelce, and he wasn't the least bit surprised that the results of a thorough process finally paid off.

“I think it’s a mix of everything,” Mahomes said. “Obviously you have to take that into account with Rashee going out early and you have to get Kelce back in the situation where he's making a lot of catches and we left the middle of the field open and we were able to get it to coverage in some of those zones. The whole Kelce thing generally hasn't worried me, whenever we need him he'll make plays.

If Rice misses significant time (a torn ACL was reported as of this writing; MRI pending), all roads could lead back to Kelce. It's a point he knows based on his career, and he emerged from the fountain of youth in last season's playoffs. His 32 receptions, 355 yards and three touchdowns in four games led all NFL pass catchers.

Do the Chiefs need something similar in a world without Rice? It is possible. Is that a realistic benchmark for an aging Kelce? Maybe not. The real answer probably lies somewhere in the middle, but Sunday reminded us of what Kelce is capable of when things get tough. Kansas City hasn't forgotten at all.

Read more: Patrick Mahomes explains Rashee Rice's injury game and Chiefs' mindset without star WR