November 20th, 2025

AFC South-leading Colts visit Arrowhead Stadium to face reeling Chiefs, the defending AFC champs


By Canadian Press on November 20, 2025.

Indianapolis (8-2) at Kansas City (5-5)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS

BetMGM NFL odds: Chiefs by 3 1/2

Against the spread: Colts 6-3-1, Chiefs 5-5

Series record: Colts lead 18-10

Last meeting: Colts beat Chiefs 20-17 on Sept. 25, 2022, in Indianapolis

Last week: Colts off, Chiefs lost to Broncos 22-19

Colts offense: overall (1), rush (3), pass (3), scoring (1)

Colts defense: overall (19), rush (5), pass (25), scoring (9)

Chiefs offense: overall (7), rush (16), pass (5), scoring (9)

Chiefs defense: overall (4), rush (9), pass (11), scoring (5)

Turnover differential: Colts plus-2; Chiefs plus-3

Colts player to watch

QB Daniel Jones looked unflappable through Indianapolis’ first eight games. But in the past two, he’s thrown four interceptions, lost three of his six fumbles, been sacked 12 times and produced two of his three worst single-game passer ratings. Could a bye week help him re-establish the good habits that helped move him within one win of matching his single-season career high?

Chiefs player to watch

RB Kareem Hunt has a TD run in three consecutive games, but his use is what is worth watching with RB Isiah Pacheco still sidelined by a knee injury. He was effective last week against Denver, running for 59 yards and a TD, but only got 13 carries in a game in which the Chiefs threw the ball 45 times and ran it just 14.

Key matchup

The Colts ground game against the Chiefs run defense, which has been solid all season. RB Jonathan Taylor is coming off a 244-yard, three-TD performance in an OT win over Atlanta before the bye. It was his third game with at least 150 yards rushing this season.

Key injuries

Colts DT DeForest Buckner will miss his second straight game with a neck injury and DE Tyquan Lewis (groin) did not practice Wednesday. DE Samson Ebukam (knee) did return to practice but his status is in question. CB Charvarius Ward (concussion) was designated to return along with LB Jaylon Carlies (ankle), opening a 21-day window for them. … Chiefs LG Kingsley Suamataia remained in the concussion protocol this week. WR Xavier Worthy missed some practice time after he tweaked an ankle injury while RB Isiah Pacheco (knee) returned to practice wearing a brace after missing two games.

Series notes

The Colts have won back-to-back games against Kansas City and five of the past seven in the series, though one of the losses was a divisional playoff game in January 2019. That’s also the only time Indianapolis has lost at Arrowhead Stadium since October 2004; the Colts have won the past three regular-season matchups in Kansas City.

Stats and stuff

The Colts have won five of their past six. … Indianapolis leads the NFL in point differential (plus-118) and victories by 20 or more points (four) this season. Its points-per-drive average (3.17) is the third highest through 11 games since 2000. … Jones has thrown a TD pass and run for a TD in the same game four times this season, tying Anthony Richardson’s single-season franchise record. … Taylor needs two TD runs to pass Hall of Famer Lenny Moore (16) for the second-highest single-season total in Colts history. Taylor has scored three total TDs in a game five times this season and needs one more to tie LaDainian Tomlinson’s NFL single-season record. … Tyler Warren needs 19 yards receiving to pass Ken Dilger (635) for the second most by a Colts rookie TE and 110 to break Hall of Famer John Mackey’s franchise mark (726) for rookie TEs. … The Colts defense is tied for third in the league this season with 10 interceptions, all coming before the acquisition of Pro Bowl CB Sauce Gardner. They have not had an interception in the past two games. … Indianapolis’ 17 strip-sacks also are tied for the third most since 2023. … The Colts and Chiefs have the fewest punts in the league this season, Indianapolis with 19 and Kansas City with 26. … The Chiefs were last 5-5 in 2015, when they went on an 11-game win streak before losing in the divisional round of the playoffs. … Kansas City has allowed nine TD passes, tied for the fewest in the NFL. … TE Travis Kelce has 84 TDs, most in Chiefs history. He broke a tie last week with Priest Holmes. … Kelce has caught a pass in 184 straight games, the longest streak in Chiefs history and longest active in the NFL. … Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes needs 312 yards passing to break Peyton Manning’s record of 41,082 yards as the most over a player’s first nine seasons. … Mahomes can join Steve Beuerlein (1999 with Carolina), Drew Brees (2015 with New Orleans) and Aaron Rodgers (2011 with Green Bay) as the only players with at least 250 yards passing and three TD passes in five consecutive home games within a single season. … Mahomes and Patriots QB Drake Maye are the only players with at least eight games of 250 yards passing this season.

Fantasy tip

The Colts defense has been good against the run but susceptible to the pass, and Kansas City has playmakers to take advantage of it. The question is whether the Chiefs will? They have been inconsistent in the passing game all season, and the fact that they have so many options makes it hard to discern who will pile up the points. Rashee Rice and Travis Kelce are the only two must-starts, though Xavier Worthy is worthy of starting in deeper leagues because of his potential upside.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

The Associated Press




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