The Colts are back at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday afternoon with plenty to clean up after a brutal trip to Jacksonville, and the next assignment doesn’t get any easier. Kansas City comes in at 1 p.m. ET riding a win, while Indianapolis is trying to shake off a 24-0 loss that never really got off the ground.
Last week was one to forget for the Colts. They never held even a temporary lead against the Jaguars, and by the third quarter the game was effectively done at 24-0. Matt Ryan was the story for all the wrong reasons, finishing without a touchdown and throwing three interceptions while passing for 195 yards.
The Chiefs, on the other hand, survived a tight one against the Chargers, edging Los Angeles 27-24. It wasn’t a game built around one big offensive performance, but Kansas City still found the end zone through Jerick McKinnon, Justin Watson and Jaylen Watson. Patrick Mahomes put together a strong day as well, finishing with a passer rating of 143.80.
Oddsmakers have Indianapolis listed as a 5.5-point underdog, and the Colts haven’t been rewarding bettors lately. They’ve failed to cover the spread in each of their last two games.
There is one recent memory the Colts can point to. When these teams last met three seasons ago, Indianapolis squeezed out a 19-13 win. The question now is whether that result says anything about Sunday, or whether Kansas City has a much cleaner answer this time around.
In Other News...
Colts Fans Wont Love What Mahomes Said After That Overtime Call
The Colts left Kansas City with a 33-30 overtime loss that will linger, and not just because Harrison Butker ended it with a final field goal. The game swung on a crucial fumble call against Indianapolis that was overturned after replay review, a ruling that changed the tone of the night and gave the Chiefs a break they needed as Patrick Mahomes kept the offense moving.
Mahomes certainly noticed the break, and he did not try to hide how much it helped. After the game, he addressed the reversal with relief and a little humor, a reaction that Colts fans probably wont appreciate given how much that sequence shaped the outcome. On the field, he was sharp enough to capitalize, finishing 32 of 47 for 382 yards and three touchdowns to help Kansas City escape with the win. [Read more 🡒]
Mahomes Weighed In On The Colts Call Everyone Is Arguing About
The overtime sequence between the Chiefs and Colts had enough drama on its own, but Patrick Mahomes added another layer afterward by weighing in on the officiating decision that had plenty of people talking. The Chiefs quarterback said he was relieved the play was not ruled a fumble against Kansas City, knowing full well how quickly a controversial call can take over the conversation once fans get on social media.
Mahomes also pointed to the bigger issue any time a game ends with a disputed judgment call: teams still have to settle it on the field. For the Colts, that leaves the frustration of a heated moment hanging around longer than they would like, especially in a game that turned on a decision everyone seemed to have an opinion about. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Were Nearly Burned By A Brutal Overtime Rules Mistake
The Colts came dangerously close to turning a routine overtime coin toss into a self-inflicted mess before the extra period even began. Captain Cam Bynum initially said defer, a choice that is not available in overtime, and the moment briefly gave Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs a chance to press their case with the referee before the situation was sorted out.
In the end, the ref went back to Bynum to clarify the decision, and the Colts settled on starting on defense, which meant kicking off to begin overtime. Mahomes later acknowledged he was trying to take advantage of the miscue, a small but telling reminder that in the NFL, even the rules at the coin toss can become part of the strategy. [Read more 🡒]