The question has to be asked, in the name of SEO results, is Taylor Swift causing a reverse-Jessica Simpson curse on Travis Kelce's performance on the football field? Or, to put it in a slightly more positive light, is Travis Kelce now only able to perform at a high level when Taylor Swift is in attendance at his games to watch?

Pop stars watching pro football games to cheer on their star boyfriends from the box suites is nothing new. But when Jessica Simpson was famously in attendance to watch her then boyfriend, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, back in the 2007-2008 season, there was a noticeable downturn in his efficiency and production. This resulted in a slightly tongue-in-cheek characterization that Jessica Simpson was somehow causing Tony Romo's poor play at games she attended, and the “Jessica Simpson curse” was born.

Kansas City fans were on high alert for such an effect when Taylor Swift started attending Travis Kelce's games, but much to their relief, the All-Pro tight end actually seems to play considerably better when Swift is in attendance.

However, this can't help but give rise to a new fear — has Taylor Swift caused a reverse-Jessica Simpson curse, in which Travis Kelce is no longer able to play at an elite level unless his girlfriend Swift is in attendance?

Let's consider the stat line evidence — in games Swift has attended since their relationship became public (4 in total), Kelce has 34 catches for 432 yards and two touchdowns.

In the four games Kelce has played without Swift there to watch him, he has totaled only 23 catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns.

In terms of averages, that means in Taylor Swift games, Kelce is on pace for 8.5 catches, 108 yards and half a touchdown a game. In non-Swift games, Kelce averages 5.8 catches, 41.3 yards and a half touchdown per contest. Those are still numbers that many tight ends in the league would like to have, but far below the averages we come to expect from Kelce.

Even Travis Kelce's brother Jason noticed the discrepancy and brought it up during the brothers' New Heights podcast recently.

“When T Swift is at the game, you are averaging 99 yards,” said Kelce (note that this podcast was filmed before the Chiefs-Broncos game, which she attended). “And when you are left with only your friends and remaining family there, you are at 46.5 yards a game,” Jason continued.

“It's kind of hard for me to wrap my head around that sentence,” Travis said.

The Sporting News noted another potential factor at play stemming from a third party — face of the Chiefs' franchise All-Pro quarterback Patrick Mahomes. After the Chiefs' 41-10 win against the Bears in Week 3, Mahomes did acknowledge post-game that Swift's attendance has an influence.

“I heard she was in the house,” Mahomes admitted. “I felt a little pressure, so I knew I had to get the ball to Travis. I think he wanted to get in the end zone just as much as the Swifties did.”

Sounds like Mahomes was trying to do a solid for his good buddy Kelce and make him look extra impressive for his new girlfriend. But when Swift doesn't attend, that extra incentive is gone for Kelce's apparent wing man.

Granted, this is a pretty small sample size, but Kelce's performance was so un-Kelce-like in the Chiefs-Dolphins game this past weekend, the question had to be asked.

There can be a lot worse fates than causing your boyfriend to play better when you attend his games, but Kansas City Chiefs fans might want to study Taylor Swift‘s The Eras Tour international concert dates calendar pretty carefully before the playoffs roll around if they want Travis Kelce at his best on the field.