Travis Kelce Reveals Cool Way Andy Reid Handled Game-Losing Offsides Call

How did the Chiefs avoid killing Dee Ford for being offsides on a game-winning interception against the Patriots in the AFC Championship game???

Travis Kelce tells TMZ Sports it was simple ... they just listened to their head coach, Andy Reid.

"Andy Reid said it best in the meeting room the day after the game," Kelce tells us at the EA Sports Madden Bowl event in Atlanta.

"He said, 'You know what, Dee Ford was four inches to a foot offsides. Everybody on that team could have been four inches -- including coaches -- coulda been four inches to a foot better that game, for 60 minutes, and the outcome could've been different.'"

The play will go down in Kansas City sports lore forever -- Charvarius Ward picked off Tom Brady while up 28-24 with 54 seconds left to play in the game.

But, Ford lined up offsides ... the play was called back ... and the rest is now history.

Kelce tells us there are no hard feelings whatsoever toward Ford for the play ... and Kansas City players don't even joke with the guy about the miscue.

"I feel bad for my guy, man," Kelce says ... "You can't put it on him."

The worst part of the story??? Ford did it again in the Pro Bowl last weekend!!!