The Indianapolis Colts (0-1-1) are trying to get their season back on track and will host the Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) at Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 3 for their home opener.
Following a disastrous start to the season that included a putrid 24-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2, virtually no one is siding with the Colts to win this game.
Vegas has the Colts as one of the biggest underdogs of the week while the experts around the league see this as a pretty easy win for a Chiefs team that has hit the ground running.
Here’s how the Colts Wire staff sees this game shaking out:
Kevin Hickey: Chiefs 31, Colts 20
Coming off of the Disaster in Duval, the Colts will come out with a bit more urgency. It won’t matter in the end as the Chiefs are the far superior team and have been playing like a unit primed to compete for a Super Bowl appearance. The Colts have looked more like a team competing for the No. 1 overall pick in 2023.
With that said, the return of Michael Pittman Jr. will be huge for the offense and should allow for the Colts to grab some chunk plays in the passing game. Jonathan Taylor is likely to get more touches than he did in Week 2, and he finds the end zone in this one.
However, the defense isn’t equipped to handle the Chiefs offense even without Tyreek Hill. Missing Shaquille Leonard in the middle will be huge, and the Chiefs will exploit the mismatch with Travis Kelce. The lack of pass rush will ultimately doom the Colts as Patrick Mahomes connects for four touchdowns on the day.
Follow Kevin on Twitter (@KevinHickey11)
Cody Manning: Chiefs 27, Colts 24
In a typical Frank Reich fashion, the Indianapolis Colts come out and make this more of a competitive game than expected. The offense heavily features Jonathan Taylor to keep the ball out of the hands of Patrick Mahomes but it isn’t enough because the defense fails to keep the Kansas City Chiefs out of the endzone in the first half to jump out to an early lead.
Matt Ryan and the passing attack find life in the second half along with a couple forced turnovers by the defense to storm back to tie up the game. Unfortunately, Mahomes finds a way to get his team in field goal range in the final minute of the game to give KC the 27-24 win.
Follow Cody on Twitter (@CodyTalksNFL)
John Alfieri: Chiefs 42, Colts 20
As with the rest of the country, I just don’t see this one ending well. The Chiefs offense has not missed a beat through its first two games and Patrick Mahomes is as dominant as ever. Combine that with Travis Kelce’s insane ability at tight end and you have a LONG day for the Colts defense.
On the offensive side, Matt Ryan and the Indianapolis offense are coming off a shutout in Jacksonville. Hopefully, some more points will be scored on Sunday, but this roster is not equipped for a shootout with Kansas City. I expect a big day out of Jonathan Taylor and Michael Pittman Jr. as he returns from a quad injury.
The Colts will likely fall behind early and play catch-up all afternoon, only to fall short after the Chiefs break away. This is a mismatch in many key areas, and Andy Reid intends to exploit that. Hopefully, more players can get healthy as the Colts host Tennessee next weekend.
Follow John on Twitter (@alfierijohn)
Nick Melillo: Chiefs 31, Colts 24
I’ll pick the Chiefs to win a close one at Lucas Oil this week. After the debacle of the first two weeks, just a sense of urgency or fight from the Colts would go a long way. Hoping to see the offensive line bounce back and play to the level of pay invested in that position group.
The same goes for the defensive front. With three sacks thus far, the pass rush will have to get after Patrick Mahomes to give Indianapolis a fighting chance. With improved line play, should help Matt Ryan and Jonathan Taylor get this offense back on track. I expect a higher scoring contest this week, will go with a final score of Chiefs 31 Colts 24.
Follow Nick on Twitter (@CircleCity21)
Standings
1. John (1-1)
2. Cody (0-2)
3. Kevin (0-2)
4. Nick (0-1)
