Travis Kelce vs. Rob Gronkowski Among The Top Matchups In Chiefs-Patriots AFC Championship

The tight end position has long been considered the glue to an offense. They are usually sure-handed, run their routes efficiently and often are a quarterback's main target in the red zone and on crucial third downs.

When the Kansas City Chiefs host the New England Patriots on Sunday in the AFC Championship there will be ample attention paid to both starting tight ends. The Chiefs' Travis Kelce, who is heading to his fourth Pro Bowl, and the Patriots' Rob Gronkowski, who has five Pro Bowls on his resume, are expected to play key roles in their team's pursuit of a Super Bowl title.

Gronkowski enters the matchup amid retirement questions. The 29-year-old weighed retirement at the end of last season and there is once again talk of this being his last season, as injuries continue to take their toll. Since entering the league in 2010, Gronkowski has endured knee, ankle, back, arm, chest and concussion injuries.

But through all the physical hardships, Gronkowski has continued to be an effective offensive weapon. In 2017, he caught 69 passes for 1,084 yards and eight touchdowns and in 2018 he had a respectable 47 receptions for 682 yards and three touchdowns. Tom Brady only threw one pass to Gronkowski on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers, a 25-yard completion in the third quarter that included Gronkowski breaking two tackles.

How Gronkowski performs in the AFC title game might be affected by the status of safety Eric Berry. It's still unclear if the veteran Berry, who played in just two games in 2018, will be available or if the Chiefs will continue to rely on Jordan Lucas. Indianapolis Colts tight end Eric Ebron caught five passes for 51 yards and was targeted nine times on Sunday against the Chiefs.

When the Patriots and Chiefs met in Week 6, Gronkowski had three receptions and led New England with 97 receiving yards. Kelce had a slightly below-average stat line of five receptions for 61 yards.

But how the Patriots contain Kelce might be the difference Sunday. Like Gronkowski, Kelce is 29 years old but he hit his stride in 2018, setting career highs in receptions (103), receiving yards (1,336) and touchdowns (10).

It was no surprise that Pat Mahomes targeted the six-year veteran 10 times against the Colts. Kelce didn't disappoint, with seven receptions for 108 yards to help put the game out of reach. The Chiefs had a 9-1 record in the regular season when Kelce had 75 or more receiving yards.

Veteran safety Patrick Chung will likely be called upon to contain Kelce, who is capable of making catches just about anywhere on the field. The Patriots defense did a serviceable job Sunday against longtime Chargers tight end Antonio Gates, who had five receptions for 41 yards and a touchdown.

The Patriots defense may feel some confidence that Kelce has better numbers on the road than at Arrowhead Stadium. He finished with eight touchdowns on the road compared to two touchdowns at home.

Bobby Ilich contributed to this report