Here's inside information from the Indianapolis Colts' expert, Roundtable's Jake Arthur, who answered five burning questions ahead of Week 2's matchup.
The Kansas City Chiefs look to keep their momentum going in Week 2 against the Indianapolis Colts after a statement win against the Denver Broncos in Week 1.
Newly acquired running back Kenneth Walker III showed exactly why he was the Super Bowl LX MVP on Monday Night Football and Patrick Mahomes proved that he can come back from an ACL and LCL tear to lead his Chiefs to a win.
Now, Kansas City hosts the Colts for a Sunday night primetime matchup at Arrowhead Stadium.
Ahead of the game, ChiefsRoundtable asked ColtsRoundtable five burning questions to get a good idea of what to expect in Week 2.
Below are the questions submit to Jake Arthur about the Colts:
Last week, the Colts allowed 202 rushing yards against the Ravens, the third-worst among NFL teams. Kansas City’s Kenneth Walker rushed for 173 yards. Will the Colts be able to stop him in their Week 2 matchup?
"I think Walker will have a good game, but not to the degree of Week 1," Arthur said. "The Colts' biggest defensive issues last week stemmed from communication and alignment issues, with free safety Cam Bynum as the green dot rather than a linebacker. This put more on Bynum's plate and kept him from his normal pre-snap process. Players and coaches alike said they weren't lined up correctly and had poor communication on several big plays surrendered, and Lamar Jackson could tell from the first snap. They've since made MIKE Akeem Davis-Gaither the green-dot, which they hope will improve communication and help Bynum communicate with players in the secondary before the snap. However, at the end of the day, personnel are personnel, and you have to win your matchups. The Colts didn't do a good enough job of that against Derrick Henry. They can't allow themselves to be bullied against KC or they'll suffer the same fate."
On the topic of the run game, Colts’ Jonathan Taylor racked up 98 rushing yards and two touchdowns in Week 1. Can he replicate that success against the Chiefs’ defense, which only allowed 61 rushing yards in Week 1?
"Taylor should be able to have similar success, because he actually did well against Baltimore despite being down multiple scores throughout the game. The Colts also started five drives inside their own 20-yard line, so playing from behind while almost always starting drives deep in their own territory made it hard to establish a rhythm. The Colts have very good linemen and tight ends at creating run lanes, so that should translate to most matchups."
Who or what will be the difference maker for the Colts in this game?
"The catalyst for the Colts losing control of the game last week was penalties and turnovers. They had three penalties on kickoff and punt returns, which gave them terrible field position. They also turned the ball over twice in the first half, which gave the Ravens 14 bonus points because they scored on both new possessions. If the Colts just do a better job of playing clean football like they did early last year, this will be a competitive game from start to finish."
Despite the loss, what aspect of Indianapolis’ performance last week did you think went well and needs to be replicated against Kansas City?
"Offensively, the run game was really productive despite being at a disadvantage throughout. I think if they're leading or within a score for most of the game, Taylor can have his way. Defensively, the Colts' coverage on the outside was mostly good. Outside of a 53-yard catch allowed by Charvarius Ward Sr. in the fourth quarter, Sauce Gardner and Ward combined to allow just two catches on six targets for 16 yards."
The Colts are No. 26 on the NFL’s most recent power rankings. Looking into your crystal ball, will they be higher, lower, or stay the same after Sunday’s matchup vs. the Chiefs?
"They'll likely stay the same, perhaps move up a spot or two, because I have them losing a close one. I don't think anyone was surprised by them losing to Baltimore, but it's how they lost. It can't get much worse than that. With Daniel Jones and Alec Pierce another week removed from rust and surgery recovery, I think the passing game will look a little better, and just not being lined up incorrectly on defense will give them a decent floor. Despite a projected loss to the Chiefs, I think people will at least leave that game feeling better about the Colts than they did the week before."
