The Sports Xchange
Oct 30, 2016
INDIANAPOLIS -- Backup quarterback Nick Foles, who had not completed a pass this season, came off the bench when Alex Smith suffered a concussion and led the Kansas City Chiefs to a 30-14 victory Sunday against the struggling Indianapolis Colts.
Foles completed 16 of 22 passes for 223 yards and two touchdowns and combined with Smith (9 of 19 for 127 yards and a TD) to give the Chiefs 350 passing yards.
Kansas City (5-2), which has won three in a row, got seven catches for 101 yards and a touchdown from tight end Travis Kelce.
Indianapolis (3-5), which has not won consecutive games this season, fell to 2-2 in Lucas Oil Stadium. Andrew Luck completed 19 of 35 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns for the Colts.
Cairo Santos' 22-yard field goal with 8:00 left gave Kansas City a 27-14 lead, although the Chiefs had a first-and-goal from inside the 1 and had to settle for three points. Santos' 44-yard field goal with 3:35 remaining extended the lead to 30-14.
Indianapolis had cut the deficit to 24-14 with 2:05 remaining in the third quarter on Luck's 3-yard touchdown pass to Donte Moncrief. The Colts drove 75 yards in 10 plays to get to within two scores of the Chiefs.
Kansas City increased its lead to 24-7 with 7:34 to play on Foles' 34-yard touchdown pass to Tyreek Hill, who broke free along the left sideline, capping a 10-play, 75-yard drive. Smith left the game five plays into the drive after hitting his head on the artificial surface for a second time in the game and was ruled out of action with a concussion moments later.
The Chiefs grabbed a 17-7 halftime lead when Smith threw a 13-yard touchdown pass to Jeremy Maclin with 19 seconds remaining in the second quarter, three plays after Kansas City cornerback Phillip Gaines intercepted Luck at the Indianapolis 36-yard line. Smith's 23-yard middle screen pass to Spencer Ware set up the TD to Macklin.
Kansas City took the opening kickoff and drove 60 yards in 12 plays, setting up a 33-yard Santos field goal with 10:20 left in the first quarter. Smith left the game after nine plays after hitting his head on the playing surface while trying to slide.
The Chiefs increased their lead to 10-0 with 12:58 left in the second quarter when Foles -- filling in briefly while Smith was evaluated for a possible concussion -- threw a 14-yard touchdown pass to Kelce, capping a six-play, 80-yard drive that included a 49-yard completion to Tyreek Hill to the Colts' 31-yard line.
Indianapolis pulled to within 10-7 with 10:07 remaining in the second quarter on Luck's 23-yard touchdown pass to Frank Gore. The Colts moved 63 yards in six plays.
NOTES: QB Andrew Luck struggled in the first half, completing only 9 of 17 passes for 103 yards with an interception and two sacks, compiling a 66.5 rating. ... The Chiefs lost RB Spencer Ware (concussion) and OG Parker Ehinger (knee) in the second half. ... Colts OT Joe Reitz was lost in the fourth quarter with a concussion, WR T.Y. Hilton left the game in the first half with a hamstring pull, and CB Vontae Davis was evaluated for a concussion. ... While QB Alex Smith sat out after hitting his head the first time, QB Nick Foles completed 6 of 9 passes for 85 yards, including a TD pass to TE Travis Kelce. ... Before Sunday's game, the Colts had beaten the Chiefs three consecutive times, including a 45-44 playoff victory on Jan. 4, 2014 in Lucas Oil Stadium.