CHIEFS (4-2) VS. COLTS (3-4)
SUNDAY, 1 P.M. ET, LUCAS OIL STADIUM, INDIANAPOLIS uTV: CBS, DIRECTV 707
Announcers: Spero Dedes, Solomon Wilcots
About the Chiefs: You just can’t beat the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium anymore. Kansas City overcame an early deficit to make the New Orleans Saints its ninth consecutive visiting victim, the longest active home winning streak in the NFL. Now they’ll venture on the road, where they’ve lost two of three this season. Coach Chiefs haven’t played at Lucas Oil Stadium since Jan. 4, 2014, when they let a 28-point second-half lead slip through their fingers and lost a 45-44 thriller in a wild-card playoff game. Don’t expect a similar shootout in this one. Outside of a blowout loss at the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4, Kansas City’s defense has been lights-out. QB
has made plays when the Chiefs needed him, and RB has been a difference-maker.
About the Colts: Another day, another chance of survival for the Colts. America’s favorite fourth-quarter comebackers pulled out another one Sunday at Tennessee, sneaking past the Titans 34-26 to begin their road to redemption after a fourth-quarter collapse the week before at the Houston Texans. QB
orchestrated another game-winning drive in the closing minutes, and the defense even came through with a late insurance touchdown. This weekend, the Colts will need a 60-minute performance against a playoff-caliber team to avoid having to again accomplish the improbable. The Colts will look to come out strong and rely on consistent play from RB Frank Gore and WR T.Y. Hilton.
Matchup to watch: Chiefs LB Dee Ford vs. Colts LT Anthony Castonzo. Kansas The Chiefs’ Jamaal Charles has been limited in his return from an ACL injury.
City’s pass rush has struggled as
continues to recover from a torn anterior cruciate ligament. With 31⁄ sacks, Ford has nearly half of the Chiefs’ eight sacks, and they’ll need all the pressure they can get on Luck. The Colts have allowed a league-high 25 sacks, so maybe this is the opponent Kansas City needs to face to get rolling. On the off chance that Houston is ready for his 2016 debut, this could get ugly.
WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
Kansas City’s cornerstone running back clearly is not himself in his return from a torn ACL. Reid said Charles’ knee “puffed up” last weekend vs. the Saints, when he was limited to one carry for no gain. It will be interesting to see whether the Chiefs play it conservatively again as they face one of the league’s worst defenses against the run. If Charles is held back again, expect another huge game from Ware. Colts K the 43-year-old ageless wonder, converted his 43rd consecutive field goal attempt in Week 7, breaking an NFL record set in 2004 by former Colts K Mike Vanderjagt.
KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Closing time. How many consecutive weeks do Colts fans have to see the graphic pop up on their TV screens in the middle of crunch time about how many game-winning drives Luck has in the fourth quarter?
Smith was 7-for-8 for 120 yards and two touchdowns Sunday against the blitz — a stark difference from his first five games, when he hadn’t thrown a touchdown in 44 such plays. Luck has struggled against the blitz this season, mainly because of poor protection.
Ask Drew Brees why the Chiefs won Sunday, and he’ll tell you about the Saints’ 10 penalties for 75 yards lost. Meanwhile, the Colts defeated the Titans despite committing 12 penalties for 131 lost yards. Beating Kansas City requires discipline.
Jordan Godwin