Colts Defense Outduels Mahomes, Ryan Delivers in Win vs. Chiefs
They heard the headlines all week long.
After tying the Houston Texans in Week 1 and dropping to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 2, everything was called into question with the Indianapolis Colts.
Why couldn’t this Colts defense, who added former Pro Bowlers in multiple spots, handle the lowly Texans and Jaguars? Was the trade for Matt Ryan a mistake? What was wrong with the highly-paid offensive line? Were Chris Ballard and Frank Reich on the hot seat?
The questions, harsh as they have been, were warranted after the slow 0-1-1 start. And on top of everything, the mighty Kansas City Chiefs were coming to town looking to stay undefeated.
So, in typical Colts fashion, they played their best ball against the best teams, grabbing a 20-17 victory over one of the Super Bowl favorites in Lucas Oil Stadium.
“Great team win,” Reich said after the game. “What we were talking about in (the locker room) a minute ago was just the ultimate team win in all three phases. We've said kind of coming into this year, that's the kind of team we feel like we have, that we can be good in all three phases. That's what it takes to beat a team like the Kansas City Chiefs, and that's what we got today.”
All three phases had a major impact in the win over the Chiefs. It was a total team effort for the Colts to finally get their first win of the season.
Special teams got things started for the Colts. After a three-and-out to start the game by the Colts offense, Matt Haack punted the ball deep in Chiefs territory where it was muffed by returner Skyy Moore. The Colts recovered the muffed punt, setting up the first touchdown of the day from Ryan to rookie Jelani Woods.
Special teams did not stop there. Kick and punt coverage was solid all day for the Colts, not allowing a Chiefs’ return man to get free. When the Chiefs tried to catch the Colts off guard with a fake field goal in the fourth quarter, Indy was not fooled and did not allow the conversion.
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While special teams got things started, the defense carried the Colts on Sunday. With Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce leading the way, the Chiefs offense can quickly turn a football game into a track meet. The Colts’ defensive unit made things tough for the former MVP all day long.
“I feel like we did a great job of just creating pressure with the four guys up front the majority of the game, causing (Mahomes) to get out of the pocket.” DeForest Buckner said. “The guys on the back end did a great job of plastering, forcing him to throw some really big throws and ended up incompleting some big drives. For the most part, the entire defense as a whole, did good today.”
One of the keys for the Colts heading into the matchup was to pressure Mahomes and make him uncomfortable. While the Colts only sacked Mahomes once on the day, they created more pressure than they have the entire season.
Yannick Ngakoue captured the lone sack, his first as a Colt, and forced Mahomes off his spot with numerous pressures. Kwity Paye and Buckner contributed as well, making Mahomes scramble around as he tried to make plays. The fact that the Colts were able to manufacture the pressure by only rushing their front four for the majority of the game allowed the rest of the defense to focus on coverage down the field.
“I don't think I've ever seen anyone rush Mahomes that well,” Reich said. “Even though it might have only been one sack, but we had him on the run. We had him in the well. He didn’t escape and make a bunch of big plays. Real credit to our D-line and our defense and what we did there.”
The Colts held the Chiefs to 17 points, including just three in the second half, their fewest since last November. Led by Grover Stewart in the middle, the defense continued to stuff the run as the Chiefs only had 58 yards on 23 carries (2.5 ypc.) Mahomes was 20-of-35 for 262 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
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But the group that would ultimately need to come through to win the game was the offense. The unit that has faced the most scrutiny early in the season would be relied upon to put the game away and give the Colts their first win of the year.
After the first touchdown from Ryan to Woods, we saw much of what the Colts had shown through the first two games. The offensive line had trouble picking up the blitzes by Steve Spagnuolo and the Chiefs defense. Ryan saw pressure throughout the afternoon as the Chiefs came away with five sacks.
The fumbling issues continued for Ryan, as he was stripped twice on the afternoon. Each time Ryan fumbled, the Chiefs responded with a touchdown on the ensuing drive. Ryan now has seven fumbles in three games, an alarming statistic.
As the fourth quarter continued, the Colts’ defense routinely returned the ball back to the offense. Ryan remained on his teammates, encouraging them that the game was there for the taking. It is one of the many reasons the Colts brought in the veteran quarterback.
“I've been around a lot of great ones, but as far as guys that are on to the next play, Matt is as good – he's certainly as good as anybody I've been around.” Reich admitted. “There are some other guys, you know, the Peyton Mannings of the world, but Matt Ryan is unflappable.”
With 8:38 left in the fourth quarter and down 17-13, Ryan and the Colts offense took the field. Getting help from Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman Jr., and Alec Pierce, Ryan marched the Colts methodically down the field. An untimely unsportsmanlike conduct penalty by Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones gave the Colts 15 free yards and a first down after a sack.
The Colts had to balance getting in position for the touchdown while also leaving the least amount of time possible for Mahomes and the Chiefs offense to respond. The Colts reached the red zone as they hit the two-minute warning, and with 24 seconds remaining, Matty Ice was welcomed to Indianapolis. Ryan connected with Woods for another touchdown and gave the Colts the lead for good.
“I think it’s huge,” Ryan said after earning his 43rd career fourth-quarter comeback win. “For young players to step up when you need it, at the end of games, and to make the plays that Alec made on converting a first down for us to get into that low red area and then Jelani coming up.”
He continued, “I have a lot of belief in those guys. I really think they're going to be good players in this league. They've shown it on the practice field. Maybe haven't seen it as much in the games to start this year, but I really think there's going to be a lot of improvement from them, but they stepped up, and the one thing, you just don't know until you're in those situations if guys have no flinch, and they just keep battling. Both those guys showed that today.”
Pierce and Woods were the Colts’ first two draft picks in the 2022 NFL Draft. They each possess incredible athletic traits but have gotten off to slow starts to begin the year. Both caught their first career receptions on Sunday, with both of Woods’s catches going for scores. Seeing Pierce and Woods come up big in the clutch is a great sign for their development.
“It feels good,” Woods said, smiling. “Just when my number is called, I try to make a play.”
So, after a wild day in Indianapolis, where do the Colts stand? The offense still was not at its best, as protection issues continued and explosive plays were hard to find. The defense saw a big step in the right direction, with Shaquille Leonard’s return expected to come any week now. Bubba Ventrone’s special teams unit continues to be a strength.
But what it shows is that the Colts’ season is not over yet. As the Colts have proven, any team can win on any given Sunday in the NFL. The NFL season is a long one, and it is how the team improves throughout the season that will make the difference.
“We still have a lot of improving to do,” Ryan explained. “And what I've found throughout my career is you usually continue to get better as the year goes on, and you clean things up, but you've got to find ways to win along the way as you're improving. That's what I'm proud of today.”
It was not a perfect victory for the Colts, but a victory nonetheless. The type of victory that gives a team confidence moving forward and some momentum as they try to get their season back on track.
Want more Colts content? Check out the final episode of A Colts Podcast below as Brandon Moses and Andrew Moore preview the Colts' matchup with the Chiefs and the rest of Week 3!
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