How Chiefs beat Colts in dramatic, must-have-it win at Arrowhead in overtime

The Kansas City Chiefs defeated the Indianapolis Colts 23-20 in overtime Sunday afternoon at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

With the win, the Chiefs snapped a two-game losing streak and improved to 6-5 this season.

Here are some immediate observations from the Chiefs’ Week 12 NFL victory:

Turning point: Mahomes and the offense wake up to force overtime

At the time of Kareem Hunt’s early fourth-quarter lost fumble, the game appeared all but finished. The Chiefs’ offense had been sluggish all afternoon, and an 11-point lead at that stage felt insurmountable.

Not quite.

Mahomes appeared hesitant to push the ball downfield in the first half, but he came out much more decisive after halftime. That led to what could have been a touchdown drive if not for Hunt’s fumble, and then an actual touchdown drive (plus two-point conversion) to pull Kansas City within three.

The game’s true turning point came two drives later, with the game on the line as Mahomes snapped the ball from his own end zone. With the Colts playing soft coverage, Mahomes hit Rashee Rice across the middle, finally giving the receiver room to showcase his yard-after-catch ability — turning it upfield for 47 yards.

Later on that same series, facing a blitz on fourth down, Mahomes fired another strike to Rice on a crosser.

Kansas City couldn’t cash in with a game-clinching touchdown, but the drive ended in a game-tying field goal that forced overtime — opening the door for Kansas City’s eventual win.

Rapid reaction: Kansas City’s offense — balanced and improved

Coming out of Denver the next morning, Chief head coach Andy Reid acknowledged what he believed to be two shortcomings in his offense: run balance and red-zone execution.

On Sunday, the Chiefs committed to the run, resulting in more than 100 rushing yards from Kareem Hunt and helping drive six trips into the red zone. It wasn’t until the fourth attempt — partially extended due to a questionable facemask call — that KC finally punched in a touchdown.

But that score seemed to open the floodgates, so to speak.

As mentioned, Mahomes wasn’t particularly sharp early, and several times missed open receivers. But with the season essentially hanging in the balance, he found that vintage form, looking far closer to the MVP version who has delivered three Super Bowl championships.

Kansas City’s offense is best when it sticks with the run and Mahomes plays loose, working through his reads and distributing the ball freely. The quarterback hit nine different teammates in the comeback win. By game’s end, the Chiefs outgained the Colts, 494-255.

At 5-5, a tie would have been as bad as a loss. That had to be on the mind of the Chiefs when facing third-and-7 from their own side of the field in overtime. With pressure closing in, Mahomes stepped up and unveiled the jump-pass once again — connecting with Xavier Worthy to extend the drive.

Moments later, Mahomes found Rice over the middle, setting up Harrison Butker’s walk-off field goal.

Defensively, especially in the first half, I thought Colts head coach Shane Steichen was getting the better of Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. But to Kansas City’s credit, the team tightened in the red area, forcing Indianapolis to kick field goals.

It would be difficult to put the first touchdown on the defense considering the Colts’ starting position. Take that away, and Indianapolis managed just one touchdown and Taylor was contained — a rarity in 2025.

Maybe most importantly, Spagnuolo’s unit finished with four straight three-and-outs, giving Mahomes enough opportunities to deliver.

Critical stat: Jonathan Taylor, handled

Taylor had just 58 rushing yards, his second-worst output of the season.

This story was originally published November 23, 2025 at 3:51 PM.

Pete Sweeney

The Kansas City Star

Pete Sweeney is The Star’s Kansas City Chiefs insider and beat writer. He has covered the team since 2014.