Sunday Swiftie – July 6, 2025

💌 Dear Reader

Hey Swifties and Chiefs fans! 🫶 Welcome to Sunday Swiftie — where football meets friendship bracelets, feelings, and fun. This week is full of quirky headlines and one regret Travis definitely wishes he could take back…

Whether you're a Chiefs superfan or brand new to football, there's a place for you here — where fooD, fandom, and feelings come together. ✨

🎯 Sideline Report

Travis Kelce’s biggest regret?
Not a fumble. Not a missed block. Not even spiking the Lombardi trophy. (Yes, I know it wasn’t the real Lombardi!)

In an interview this week, he said it’s... doing his reality dating show, Catching Kelce. 😂
“I should have never done that. It was so embarrassing,” he laughed. Swifties, you are not alone if you just found out that existed. Travis knows it was his cringeY era — and luckily, we’re in his ✨Super Bowl era now.

🏟️ NFL World: Mascot Mayhem

This week, the NFL’s longest-tenured mascot announced his retirement:
🐺 Dan Meers, the man behind KC Wolf, is hanging up the suit after 35 years of entertaining Chiefs fans.

KC Wolf made his debut in 1989 and quickly became one of the most beloved mascots in the NFL. From zip-lining into Arrowhead to dancing in the snow — he brought joy no stat sheet can track. We’ll miss you, Dan! 🫶

🗓️ Mark Your Calendar

The Hall of Fame Game — the NFL’s official preseason kickoff — is set for July 31st:
Chargers vs. Lions in Canton, Ohio.
It may not be the Chiefs, but it is football. And after this long of an offseason, we’ll take it!

Football’s almost here, and so is the preseAson madness! 🏈

📚 Swiftie Study Hall

Lesson of the Week: What does “zone coverage” mean?

Okay! Let’s make this simple — and fun:

In football, defenders (usually cornerbacks and safeties) have two main jobs when it comes to stopping the pass:
They either play man coverage or zone coverage.

• Man coverage means: “I’ve got this one person, and I’m sticking to them like glitter on a friendship bracelet.”

• Zone coverage means: “I’m guarding this part of the field. If anyone walks into my area, I’m all over it.”

🧠 Picture thiS:
You’re standing in a hallway at a school. You’ve been assigned to watch a specific hallway for students wondering the halls. You’re not chasing anyone — but if someone walks by with a suspicious-looking hall pass (or a football), you step up and shut it down. That’s zone defense.

Now here’s the cool part:
Zone coverage requires patience, vision, and smart instincts. You’re watching the quarterback’s eyes, not just following a player.

👀 One of the Chiefs' absolute best at this is Trent McDuffie.
Last season, PFF graded him as the 4th best cornerback in zone coverage in the entire NFL.
Translation? He’s not just fast — he’s smart, calm, and knows how to be in the right place at the right time.

🐣 Swiftie Easter Egg – Capital Letter Hunt

🎁 This week’s challenge is for the detail detectives:

There are 7 oddly capitalized letters hidden throughout today’s newsletter. Find them, put them in order, and you’ll reveal a word that connects the Chiefs' legacy with a Swiftie fan favorite.

👑 Hint: The hidden word is something Taylor sang about — and the Chiefs are currently living out.

💬 Be one of the first 5 people to reply to my Swiftie Sunday tweet from Saturday with the correct word, and you’ll get a shoutout in next week’s issue! 🏆✨

💬 Fan Q&A

Q: Can you explain points and all the different positions the players play?
— @shakeitoffgirl5

A: Absolutely! Let’s break it down like we’re learning a new dance — there are different roles, different steps, and a few ways to score:

🏈 How Do You Score Points in Football?

• Touchdown (6 points): When a player carries or catches the ball in the end zone. The offenses goal is to score a touchdown every time they have the ball!

• Extra Point (1 point): After a touchdown, the team kicks the ball through the uprights from a short distance.

• Two-Point Conversion (2 points): Instead of kicking after a touchdown, they try to run or pass it in again from close range.

• Field Goal (3 points): If they can’t score a touchdown, they might kick it through the goalposts from far away.

• Safety (2 points): Rare — but if the other team messes up badly near their own end zone and the offense gets tacked in THEIR OWN endzone, the defense gets 2 points.

👯 What Are All the Positions?
Here’s the super simple version:

Offense (they have the ball):

• Quarterback (QB): The leader. Throws or hands off the ball. Think of them as the lead singer.

• Running Back (RB): Takes handoffs and runs. Quick and tough.

• Wide Receiver (WR): Catches passes. Fast and flashy.

• Tight End (TE): A mix of blocker and catcher. (Travis Kelce’s role!)

• Offensive Line (OL): The bodyguards. They block and protect.

Defense (trying to stop the other team):

• Defensive Line (DL): Tries to sack the QB and stop runs.

• Linebackers (LB): Do a bit of everything — tackling, covering, blitzing.

• Cornerbacks (CB): Cover the WRs and stop them from catching the ball.

• Safeties (S): The last line of defense. Deep coverage help.

Special Teams (for kicks and punts):

• Kicker: Kicks field goals and extra points.

• Punter: Kicks it far when giving the ball away.

• Returners: Try to run kicks or punts back for big gains.

Q: What exactly is a Nickel? What is Cover-2? What are some of the most common formations we might see on the field? Who is most important when it comes to protecting Patrick Mahomes in the pocket and how do they do that?

— @l1sh29

A: Great questions! Let’s take them one at a time:

🪙 What is a Nickel?

A nickel defense means there are five defensive backs on the field. Usually, defenses have four, but when they expect the offense to pass the ball, they bring in an extra one. This helps cover more wide receivers.

Nickel = 5, just like the coin.

🛡️ What is Cover-2?

Cover-2 is a type of zone defense.

• The field is split in half.

• Two safeties stay deep and each cover one half of the field.

• The other defenders cover short and middle areas.

It’s designed to prevent big plays from happening over the top.

📐 What Are the Most Common Formations?

On Offense:

• Shotgun: The quarterback stands a few yards behind the center.

• Singleback: One running back in the backfield, no fullback.

• Trips: Three wide receivers lined up on one side.

On Defense (the team trying to stop them):

• 4-3: 4 linemen, 3 linebackers — a balanced formation.

• Nickel: 4 linemen, 2 linebackers, 5 defensive backs — good for stopping passes.

• Dime: 6 defensive backs — used when they expect a long pass.

🧱 Who Protects Mahomes in the Pocket?

That’s the job of the offensive line — especially the:

• Left Tackle (LT): Protects Mahomes’ blind side (he can’t see pressure coming from that side).

• Center: Starts the play by snapping the ball and helps direct blocking assignments.

• Guards and Right Tackle: Block defenders coming from the inside and right.

They form a wall to keep defenders away so Mahomes has time to throw the ball.

❤️ If You Enjoyed This…

Send it to a friend who loves football or who still doesn’t know what “zone defense” means. We’ve got room for every kind of fan here.

Sign-up link is in my profile. See you next Sunday! 🏹✨ There’s room for every kind of fan in this communiTy.

🧠 Hidden Word Recap:

Did you catch all 7 capital letters? One more is tucked away for those who paY attention... 👀