Harrison Butker ended it with his leg and the Chiefs handed the Colts another painful finish, 33-30 in overtime Sunday night at Arrowhead Stadium.
For Indianapolis, the loss dropped the team to 0-2 and extended a brutal skid to nine straight games. That stretch began with an overtime loss in Kansas City, and this one followed a familiar script before finally turning into a shootout that went all the way to the extra period.
The Colts came out fast, just as they did last week against the Ravens. Daniel Jones guided an 11-play, 65-yard opening march that ended with a one-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Warren. Kansas City answered with a 46-yard Butker field goal, and then the game started tilting back and forth.
Jones was intercepted on Indianapolis’ second possession, with Chiefs cornerback Kristian Fulton picking off a throw intended for Keenan Allen. Kansas City made that mistake count, as Patrick Mahomes hit Travis Kelce for a 13-yard touchdown and a 10-7 lead.
Indianapolis didn’t fold. Spencer Shrader drilled field goals from 42 and 49 yards to push the Colts back in front, 13-10.
Then the teams traded touchdowns before halftime. Mahomes found Xavier Worthy for a one-yard score, and Jonathan Taylor answered with a 24-yard touchdown run to send Indianapolis into the break ahead 20-17.
Kansas City took control out of halftime with a long, grinding drive. The Chiefs opened the third quarter by going 80 yards in 14 plays and seven minutes, highlighted by a 45-yard Mahomes strike to Tyquan Thornton on third-and-11. After the Colts stopped Kenneth Walker III three times from the one-yard line, Mahomes hit Jalen Royals on fourth down for Royals’ first career touchdown and a 24-20 lead.
Butker added a 28-yard field goal early in the fourth to make it 27-20, and the Colts answered again. Jones kept a 13-play, 64-yard drive alive with a three-yard run on fourth down and two third-down completions, and Taylor punched in his second touchdown of the night from five yards out to tie it at 27-27.
Overtime brought one more twist. Both teams settled for field goals on their first possessions, with Indianapolis’ drive helped by a 48-yard Jones-to-Laquon Treadwell completion.
Treadwell fumbled on the play, but a replay review ruled him down by contact. That only delayed the finish.
Butker came back at the end and drilled the 40-yarder as time expired to seal it for Kansas City.
The Colts also took injury hits along the way. Alec Pierce, who had offseason ankle/heel surgery, left in the first quarter with a heel injury and did not return. Starting cornerbacks Charvarius Ward and Sauce Gardner also were injured during the game.
Indianapolis heads home next week to face Houston, a division matchup set for 1 p.m. on CBS4.
In Other News...
Colts Fans Had Every Reason To Hate NBCs SNF Intro
NBCs Sunday Night Football buildup ahead of the Chiefs-Colts matchup had little to do with what Indianapolis had done to earn the spotlight and a lot to do with the leagues biggest pop-culture crossover. Comedian Nikki Glaser fronted a promotional video that leaned into Travis Kelces marriage to Taylor Swift and the noise surrounding Kansas Citys recent run, turning the pregame tease into something closer to a national talking point than a simple game preview.
For Colts fans, the reaction was easy to understand. Instead of a showcase for two teams preparing to meet in prime time, the promo seemed to brush past Indianapolis entirely, and the backlash quickly followed. It was the kind of attention-grabbing NBC clip that got people talking, but not necessarily for the reasons a Colts audience would have wanted. [Read more 🡒]
Colts Just Lost The One Receiver Their Passing Game Needs Most
Alec Pierces availability has been a major part of the Colts passing-game puzzle, and Sunday brought another setback when the wideout was carted off with an apparent left heel injury against the Chiefs. Pierce had already been working through heel discomfort tied to offseason ankle surgery, so the latest injury only adds to the concern around a player whose speed and vertical routes help stretch defenses and open up the rest of the offense.
For Indianapolis, the timing is especially tough because Pierce has become the teams primary deep threat. When he is on the field, the Colts can threaten more than just the short and intermediate game, which makes his status worth tracking closely going forward. What happens next with the injury is now the bigger story for a passing attack that can least afford to lose its field-stretching option. [Read more 🡒]
Travis Kelce Brings Unexpected Off-Field Drama Into Chiefs Colts Spotlight
Taylor Swifts appearance at a Kansas City Chiefs game, where she was seen celebrating Travis Kelces touchdown, only added to the attention surrounding a matchup that already draws plenty of eyes from Colts fans. But off the field, the Chiefs star found himself connected to a far different kind of spotlight when his name surfaced in a federal Ponzi scheme case tied to Siddharth Jawahar, who was recently sentenced to 11 years in prison.
According to the case, investor funds were misused for personal expenses and fraudulent payments, and Kelce was identified as one of the victims whose money was caught up in the scheme. For Indianapolis, it is another reminder that the Chiefs-Cults storyline often stretches well beyond the field, with major names and unexpected off-field developments following Kansas City wherever it goes. [Read more 🡒]