The Indianapolis Colts are walking into a tough one at Arrowhead, and the matchup could turn ugly fast if they don’t solve three specific issues.
After getting blown out by the Baltimore Ravens to open the season, the Colts now face the Kansas City Chiefs with the chance to fall to 0-2. The Chiefs, meanwhile, are aiming to move to 2-0 after what they showed on Sunday night against the Denver Broncos. For Indianapolis, that leaves a short list of problems that can wreck the night.
The first is stopping Kenneth Walker III. He led all rushers with 173 yards on the ground last weekend, and while another performance like that may be a stretch, even a day in the 100- to 120-yard range would be dangerous for the Colts. The concern here is simple: Indianapolis cannot afford another game in which an explosive runner gets loose and controls the tempo.
Then there’s Patrick Mahomes, who looked fully mobile against Denver despite last season’s significant ACL injury. He even turned in a rushing touchdown that was called back before running it in again from 15 yards farther out. Mahomes has always been a dangerous scrambler, and if the Colts let him escape the pocket and pile up first downs with his legs, he can make the defense look bad in a hurry.
The third problem is the one that doesn’t show up in the box score: the crowd at Arrowhead. Any visiting team has to deal with the noise, and it can mess with playcalling in a big way. That’s part of why the Colts’ recent switch in their main defensive play-calling lead from Cam Bynum to Akeem Davis-Gaither stands out, since having a linebacker as the main bridge of communication from the sideline should help when the stadium is at its loudest.
So the assignment for Indianapolis is clear. They aren’t going to silence Arrowhead, and they probably can’t let both Walker and Mahomes dictate the game. If they can’t slow one of them down, another rough loss could be waiting.
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Colts Fans Already Have A CJ Allen Question Ballard Didn't Expect
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Now the conversation shifts quickly to what comes next. Akeem Davis-Gaither is expected to handle the green dot duties in Week 2, and the linebacker rotation appears headed toward more work for Bryce Boettcher and Jaylon Carlies as well. For a player Ballard seemed to have pegged for an important early job, Allen's first month is already starting with more questions than anyone around the Colts likely expected. [Read more 🡒]