Here’s what the Kansas City Chiefs must do to beat the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday
The unbeaten Chiefs travel to Indianapolis to take on the winless Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.
That opening statement would carry more weight if this were Week 12 instead of Week 3.
Yes, the Chiefs (2-0) are riding high after a hard-fought 27-24 win over the Los Angeles Chargers in their home opener, and yes, the Colts (0-1-1) are off to a sluggish start after two straight road games (most recently, a 20-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2).
But Chiefs coach Andy Reid isn’t overlooking Sunday’s noontime opponent.
“We know they’re a good football team, and in this thing, record aside, I mean, they’re talented, they’re well-coached, well-organized organization,” Reid said. “We’ve got to make sure we have a good week of practice.”
These two teams know each other plenty well. Sunday represents the 28th time the Chiefs and Colts will meet, including the postseason. The Colts hold a 17-10 edge in the all-time series and are 3-2, including the postseason, against the Chiefs since Reid arrived in 2013.
On paper, of course, this looks like a classic NFL mismatch. The Chiefs are averaging 35.5 points per game, fifth-most in the league, while the Colts average a dismal and league-dead-last 10.
Here are four key areas to monitor for the Chiefs as they seek to improve to 3-0:
CONTAIN TAYLOR
Game-planning for the Colts’ offense? Start in the backfield, where one name should come immediately to mind: Jonathan Taylor.
Here’s how Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton describes the Colts’ All-Pro running back: “He’s special, an elite running back in this league. When the ball is in his hands, he can get north and south quick, and in a hurry, and break tackles in the second and third levels.”
Yep, the 5-foot-10, 226-pound Taylor is a load. He’s produced two straight 1,000-yard seasons running the ball, which includes last season’s league-high 1,811 yards. Through two games this season, Taylor has 215 yards and a touchdown on 40 carries, averaging 5.4 yards per attempt.
The guy can wreck a game with his 4.39 speed, and he’s powerful enough to engage linebackers and even bowl over safeties once he gets beyond the line of scrimmage.
“If you let him get through the second level, he’s a tough tackle for the guys on the back end,” Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo said. “And an aside from that, I mean, even last week he ran over a safety.”
The Chiefs, meanwhile, will be missing linebacker Willie Gay Jr., who is serving a four-game suspension. With Gay, the Chiefs ranked 11th against the run, allowing 89 yards rushing per game.
The Chiefs will turn to Darius Harris to fill in for Gay alongside Bolton and likely rookie Leo Chenal. The Chiefs’ linebackers must stay disciplined with their technique and gap responsibilities. Especially against Taylor. Veteran quarterback Matt Ryan and wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. are capable enough, but Taylor is the top priority.
“We’ve got to make sure that we set a front with our seven guys and attack the hip and make sure we make tackles in space,” Bolton said. “That’s going to be the name of this game.”
ACCOUNT FOR LEONARD (IF HE PLAYS)
If Taylor is the player Kansas City’s defense must look out for when the Colts are on offense, then linebacker Shaquille Leonard is the player the Chiefs’ offense needs to identify before every snap.
The 6-foot-2, 230-pound Leonard is elite in his own right, garnering three first-team All-Pro honors and four straight Pro Bowl selections since entering the league in 2018. He flies all over the field and is a high-impact tackling machine who’s racked up 538 tackles, 15 sacks, 20 quarterback hits, 11 interceptions and 17 forced fumbles over the past four seasons.
“He’s a great linebacker, one of the best (if) not the best linebacker in the league,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said.
Leonard, who underwent back surgery during the offseason, has missed the Colts’ first two games. But he practiced fully Wednesday and Thursday, a sign the star linebacker could be on track to make his return.
If he does, he will be a problem for the Chiefs’ offense.
FEED CEH
Chiefs running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire is riding a two-game hot streak.
Entering Week 3, Edwards-Helaire has 116 yards rushing on 15 carries, averaging a career-high 7.7 yards per attempt. And he’s added 76 yards receiving and two touchdowns through the first two games.
It’s a small sample size, of course, but the Chiefs are pleased with what a healthy Edwards-Helaire has shown so far. He battled injuries the past two seasons.
“Probably the first time in a while where he’s had an offseason where he can train the entire offseason,” Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy said. “But on top of that, he’s just been healthy, and so it’s been great seeing him perform and practice.”
Edwards-Helaire has momentum, in other words, and he’ll need it Sunday because the Colts’ run defense boasts such standout defensive linemen as DeForest Buckner, Yannick Ngakoue and Grover Steward. Through two games, the Colts rank ninth against the run (86.5 yards allowed per game) ... and that was without Leonard on the field.
IGNORE THE RECORDS
Favored by 5.5 points Sunday, the Chiefs are saying the right things when it comes to their winless opponent.
“This is going to be a rallying cry,” Bieniemy said. “And one thing since we’ve been here, we know any time we’re going to anybody’s home or they’re coming here, we’re going to get their best. So we’re expecting their best.”
Spagnuolo echoed Bieniemy’s caution.
“We’re anticipating everything they have as an offense,” Spagnuolo said. “That’s how we’re going to go about it.”
A fairly recent matchup serves as a reminder that the Chiefs shouldn’t take the Colts lightly. In Week 5 of the 2019 season, the Colts were 2-2 and facing a 4-0 Chiefs team at Arrowhead Stadium. Much like this weekend’s game, the Colts appeared doomed on paper ... but Indy stunned the Mahomes-led Chiefs 19-13.
There’s another factor at play here, too: The Chiefs can’t get caught looking ahead to their Week 4 showdown against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
This story was originally published September 23, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
