Kansas City Chiefs vs. Indianapolis Colts: Live updates, commentary from Week 12
We’re still more than a month from the postseason, but doesn’t this one almost feel like a playoff game? At least for the Kansas City Chiefs.
The Chiefs won’t officially be eliminated from postseason contention with a loss, but a defeat Sunday would drop them below .500 and slash their postseason odds, according to some models, into the 33% range.
Of course, the Chiefs are better than your typical 5-5 team, and that’s not just based on making the Super Bowl the last three seasons. But key plays at inopportune times have left them staring up at a larger-than-normal group in the AFC standings, with some notable tiebreakers working against them.
Sunday offers a chance for Kansas City to get back on the right track. But it won’t be easy.
Here’s how to watch and listen to today’s Chiefs-Colts game.
KC Chiefs vs. IND Colts: Stats, score updates and commentary
Follow updates and commentary from our KC Star team, including Chiefs beat reporters Pete Sweeney and Blair Kerkhoff and columnists Vahe Gregorian and Sam McDowell live at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
You can also see stats, scores and play-by-play below:
Three storylines for Chiefs-Colts
1. A must-win game for Kansas City?
If you’re in Kansas City, you’ve undoubtedly heard, talked and thought about this at some point over the last week: The odds don’t look good if the Chiefs lose Sunday, and there’s still work to be done even with a win.
But the underlying numbers — and quotes from the team, for that matter — tell a different story. It’s possible, maybe even likely, this Chiefs team is better than last year’s team that reached the Super Bowl, albeit after a crazy run of last-second finishes.
So is it a must-win game for KC? Maybe, maybe not, but a lot of the chatter will quiet if the Chiefs look good on offense and snap their second two-game losing skid of 2025.
2. How legit are the Colts (and Daniel Jones)?
At a certain point — even while the national experts continue to pick the Chiefs — you are what your record says you are. And if a banged-up Daniel Jones and the Colts were to send the Chiefs to a 5-6 record, it’d be hard to have confidence in KC running the table — and actually winning more in its final six games than the first 11.
Likewise, the Colts have been the class of the AFC. They’re 8-2, have the best record against AFC teams (6-1) and have lit up the scoreboard all season.
That said, ESPN ranks the Colts’ strength of schedule No. 31 (out of 32) ... and their remaining SOS No. 1. Sunday’s game starts a very difficult stretch for Jones and company, who could make a statement with a win at Arrowhead.
3. The key matchup in Chiefs-Colts
We’ll all be keeping an eye on Josh Simmons and Kansas City’s offensive line. And there are some things worth tracking with Patrick Mahomes, like his deep ball.
But make no mistake, the key matchup in this game, as Chiefs insider Pete Sweeney wrote about, is the KC defense vs. Jonathan Taylor, one of the best running backs in the NFL.
Taylor ran for 244 yards and three touchdowns in his last game against Atlanta. He has 1,139 rushing yards this season — or 457 more than Kareem Hunt and Isiah Pacheco combined. Add to that his 15 rushing touchdowns (Hunt and Pacecho have seven), and the Chiefs will be tested by one of the NFL’s best players.
