Close calls used to be a Kansas City specialty. These days, one-score games are bad news for the Chiefs.
One season after they made a living by winning tight games, the Chiefs are 0-5 in such games this season. That includes three losses by three points entering Sunday’s pivotal matchup against the visiting Indianapolis Colts.
Kansas City (5-5) is in third place in the AFC West and a distant 3 1/2 games behind the first-place Broncos after falling 22-19 at Denver last Sunday. The Chiefs are also on the outside of the wild-card race with seven AFC teams possessing more wins.
It’s a major change from last season when Kansas City cleaned up in close games. The Chiefs went 11-0 in one-score games during the regular season and added another in the playoffs against the Buffalo Bills.
But quarterback Patrick Mahomes isn’t worried.
“We’ve dealt with adversity (before), and we’ve gotten better from it,” Mahomes told reporters. “This is something that we haven’t dealt with so early in the season, but at the same time, I know the guys in that locker room, and how they’re going to respond. All we can do is stick together, push ourselves to be even better, and do what we can to win this next week.”
A victory against the surprisingly good Colts (8-2) would end a two-game skid and keep Kansas City’s nose above water in the playoff chase. It also would come before a short week and road game against the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day.
The fact that the Chiefs have a .500 record 10 games into the season is mind-boggling to tight end Travis Kelce.
“It’s frustrating because it’s got to the point where we’re 5-5, we’re .500 going into the back end of the schedule here,” said Kelce, who set a franchise record last week with his 84th career touchdown. “Got seven games left, and we’ve basically got to run the table. And I haven’t been in this situation in a long, long time.”
Indianapolis holds a two-game lead in the AFC South and has already matched last season’s win total. The Colts haven’t participated in the playoffs since 2020. If the season ended today, the Colts would be the third seed in the conference behind the Broncos (9-2) and Patriots (9-2). But Indianapolis has the best record against conference opponents (6-1) and beat Denver head-to-head this season, back-pocket goods that might come into play in the chase for home-field advantage.
The Indianapolis offense has flourished under NFL rushing leader Jonathan Taylor (1,139 yards, 15 touchdowns) and quarterback Daniel Jones (15 TD passes) and has topped 30 points seven times, the latest coming in last Sunday’s 31-25 overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
Jones is expecting a major challenge against the Chiefs, the top seed in the AFC playoffs three times since 2020.
“We certainly have a lot of respect for their team, and they’ve had a ton of success the past five or six years in the NFL,” Jones said Wednesday. “But we’ve got to play our game on Sunday, and that’s what’s important.”
Of course, the Chiefs have played in five of the past six Super Bowls, winning three times.
In the eyes of Colts coach Shane Steichen, his team having three more victories than the Chiefs means nothing on game day.
“I think you can throw records out the window each and every week,” Steichen said. “Because I think everyone in this league is very good and very talented, and you’ve got to be on your ‘A’ game no matter what the records are, no matter who you’re playing.
“We know that Kansas City is a hell of a football team. They went to three straight Super Bowls. They’ve got one of the best players in the world playing quarterback for them, and they’re very talented.”
Kansas City running back Isiah Pacheco (knee) returned to practice Wednesday after missing the past two games. He was injured against the Washington Commanders on Oct. 27.
Guard Kingsley Suamataia (concussion) and receiver Xavier Worthy (ankle) were the only two Chiefs to miss practice Wednesday.
Defensive end Tyquan Lewis (groin) was the lone player on the Colts to miss practice due to an injury.
Indianapolis has won the past two meetings and 15 of the last 19, and boasts a 3-1 postseason mark during the stretch.
