Indianapolis @ Kansas City preview
GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium
Last Meeting ( Jan 12, 2019 ) Indianapolis 13, Kansas City 31
The Kansas City Chiefs have proven they can win even when they don’t play to their potential, but they hope to bring their “A” game for a primetime clash with the visiting Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night. The Chiefs are one of three undefeated teams in the NFL, and they’ll try to remain that way against a Colts team that already has lost to two AFC West opponents.
The Chiefs were uncharacteristically sloppy last week, committing three turnovers and needing a late touchdown drive to escape Detroit with a 34-30 win. “You aren’t always going to win by two or three touchdowns,” Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes told reporters. “A lot of times in the NFL, you’re going to have to find a way to score at the end of games.” The Colts were stunned in the preseason by quarterback Andrew Luck’s abrupt retirement but are sitting at 2-2, and their two losses have come by a total of 13 points - with one of the defeats occurring in overtime. Indianapolis has won two of the last three regular-season meetings, but the Chiefs captured the most recent one in 2016 and defeated the Colts 31-13 in last year’s playoffs.
TV: 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC. LINE: Chiefs -11. O/U: 56
ABOUT THE COLTS (2-2): Indianapolis hasn’t fallen off too far offensively with Jacoby Brissett taking over at quarterback, although it has leaned on the running game more often. Marlon Mack has been effective, rushing for 338 yards and averaging a healthy 4.7 per carry while Brissett has thrown 10 touchdown passes and only two interceptions. The Colts’ defense struggled to stop the run in its first two games but held its last two opponents under 100 yards rushing.
ABOUT THE CHIEFS (4-0): Kansas City possesses the highest-scoring offense and top passing attack in the NFL - and that has been without speedster Tyreek Hill, who returned to practice this week. With or without Hill, Mahomes has plenty of weapons as seven players have at least eight receptions and five have caught touchdown passes. The secondary is much improved from a year ago, but the Chiefs are getting gashed on the ground and rank 31st in the league against the run.
EXTRA POINTS
1. The Chiefs have scored 25 or more points in an NFL-record 25 consecutive games.
2. Brissett is the only quarterback in the league with at least two passing touchdowns in each of his team’s first four contests this season.
3. Kansas City TE Travis Kelce has recorded at least 85 receiving yards in four consecutive games.
PREDICTION: Chiefs 33, Colts 23