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Kelce: Chiefs embracing villain role ahead of Super Bowl

Aaron M. Sprecher / Getty Images Sport / Getty

Star tight end Travis Kelce is embracing the villain role as the Kansas City Chiefs prepare to pursue a historic third consecutive Super Bowl title.

"I love it. I love it," Kelce said on the latest episode of his "New Heights" podcast. "At one point in time, it wasn't that. I was the 'Do you feel bad for 'em?' guy. I'm enjoying doing this with ... the guys that we have in there. Because it just makes us even more of a family.

"You just circle the wagons when ... people are saying whatever they want. You just band together, and it just makes you appreciate more of what you have, because people want what you have."

Some fans and pundits have criticized the Chiefs, asserting that the team has benefited from favorable officiating during its latest postseason run. The Houston Texans were flagged on two separate occasions for making contact with quarterback Patrick Mahomes during Kansas City's 23-14 win in the divisional round. The penalties helped extend a pair of drives that ultimately generated 10 points for the Chiefs.

Kansas City earned a rematch with the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX by defeating the Buffalo Bills 32-29 in the AFC Championship Game.

Kelce said that the conference's top seed hasn't internally discussed a possible three-peat.

"Everybody in the building is just focused on doing their job," Kelce said. "That's how we got here. That's how we got the first one. That's how we got the second one. It's the only way you win football games and get to the Super Bowl, is if you focus on the task at hand. And we got a huge task coming up."

Kelce said that he knows the Eagles have a "sour taste in their mouth" after losing Super Bowl LVII to Kansas City by a score of 38-35.

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