KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs currently find themselves in an uncomfortable position, sitting in third place in the AFC West with a 5-5 record. To make matters worse, one of the NFL’s best teams this season, the Indianapolis Colts, is coming to Kansas City fresh off a bye week.
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FOX4’s Loren Halifax and Scott Kilbury spoke with WXIN sports reporter and Indianapolis Colts expert Chris Widlic on Thursday’s edition of Afternoon Drive about what fans can expect out of Sunday’s matchup.
Jonathan Taylor drives Colts’ offense
The factor or issue (if you’re on the Chiefs’ side of things) that stands out the most when considering Sunday’s game is the NFL’s leading rusher and scoring threat – Colts running back Jonathan Taylor.
Entering Week 12, Taylor leads all NFL rushers with 1139 yards and 15 touchdowns. With the Colts coming off a bye week after their international win in Berlin vs. the Atlanta Falcons, the Chiefs will have their hands full with a well-rested Taylor.
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While Taylor might be the focal point for Chiefs Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, the Colts’ offense as a unit is what makes Taylor so dangerous. The Colts’ new quarterback, Daniel Jones, is in the midst of a career year as well.
“When you can pass the ball, and Daniel Jones has been able to do that, that opens things up for the run game,” Widlic said when asked what the difference-maker for the 2025 Colts offense has been.
“Jonathan Taylor is probably the best running back in the NFL right now. He leads the league in rushing, he leads the league in scoring. He can do no wrong, and he gets better as the game goes on. So this is an offense to be feared.”
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The Chiefs have been inconsistent in all three facets of the game in 2025, and their defense against the run has been much of the same. The Chiefs’ defense gives up just over four yards per carry, which isn’t horrible, but could prove to be quite the issue if both Jones and Taylor are on their game.
With all that being said, Kansas City will need to clean up those inconsistencies and form an effective game plan to slow down Taylor and the electric Colts offense if they have any hope of getting back above .500 on Sunday.
Colts defense vs. stagnant Chiefs attack
With eight wins through their first 10 games, it’s been clear the Colts aren’t just an offensive juggernaut. Piling onto a growing list of concerns for Chiefs Kingdom is the Colts’ defense, which recently received a massive upgrade in the form of a trade for defensive back Sauce Gardner.
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According to Wildic, the trade was an “all-in” move, as the Colts dealt some key assets for the former New York Jets star cornerback.
“With the addition of Sauce Gardner, who they traded for from the Jets, they gave away two first-round picks for him, the Colts are all in,” he said.
“Their defensive backfield is their strength. So their pass-rush isn’t great, but they get a lot of coverage sacks because their defensive backfield is so good– that’s what they’re hoping for Sunday.”
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It should also be noted that former Chiefs cornerback Charvarius Ward is now a member of the Colts. Ward is currently coming off a concussion, but will likely play on Sunday. Regardless, having a player with a deep understanding of the Chiefs’ offense could prove to be a vital part of Sunday’s game for Indianapolis, and the Chiefs cannot be unaware of that aspect.
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“He would love to go up against Patrick Mahomes and those Chiefs receivers. He knows that offense pretty well,” Wildic said.
Predictions
Nevertheless, the Chiefs are still favorites to win on Sunday. While the Colts have been one of the best teams in the NFL in 2025, Wildic said that a loss for his team certainly isn’t out of the question.
“This is a really tough one because, again, the Chiefs are so good at home; they’ve been through this so many times. I know they’ve lost all their one-score games this year, after they won them all for the last two, three years before that. I think the Chiefs need this game more than the Colts, so I’m going to lean towards Kansas City winning this one,” he predicted.
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Wildic isn’t wrong by any means– the Chiefs now find themselves in a must-win situation nearly, if not every, week from here on out.
Currently, the Chiefs have a 52% chance of making the postseason, according to NFL.com. Those odds will change drastically on Sunday, regardless of the outcome. If KC wins, those chances jump up to 63%. However, if they lose, they’ll be looking at just a 35% chance of playing playoff football.
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To put Wildic’s statement into perspective, the Colts are currently all but in to postseason football with a 90% chance of making the playoffs. If they win, that jumps to 97%; a loss, on the other hand, would take them down to 85%.
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The Chiefs and Colts will face off on Sunday, Nov. 23 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Kickoff is set for noon.
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