Considering the Colts: Indy scores huge win heading into bye

What. A. Win.

Beating the reigning MVP at his own stadium is something the Colts should be proud of--but they aren’t satisfied yet. The Colts expected to win this game despite no one really giving them a chance. I mean, why would anyone give them a chance to go on the road to one of the best teams in the NFL and win after losing to Oakland at Lucas Oil just one week earlier? 

Indianapolis took this game because they won the battle up front on both sides of the ball. The offensive and defensive lines needed a bounce-back game following last week, so the response from the lines couldn’t have been any better.

After mustering just one sack in two weeks, the Indy pass rush reemerged by sacking Patrick Mahomes four times. Mahomes was making his mark on the game early, running around and completing his crazy passes until his ankle was stepped on by one of his offensive linemen. Mahomes’s mobility was limited and the Colts defensive line took advantage. 

The Colts were missing linebacker Darius Leonard again last week and were missing two safeties, Malik Hooker and Clayton Geathers, leaving rookie safety Khari Willis to pick up the slack. Mahomes got his yards, but the same can’t be said for the Chiefs running game that only gained 36 yards and ultimately ended with Kansas City scoring just 13 points.

The Colts offensive line dared the 30th-ranked Chiefs defense to stop them from running the ball. To put it simply, the Chiefs didn’t stop them. Marlon Mack rushed 29 times and gained 132 of the collective 180 rushing yards. Mack ran the ball as many times as Jacoby Brissett threw the ball. The Colts were able to sustain long drives due to the successful running game and put up enough points to steal a win in Kansas City.

Let’s think about that for a second: how often do you see a running back carry as many times as the quarterback throws the ball in an NFL game, especially for a team like the Colts? The answer is never, but this shows how strong the offensive line that general manager Chris Ballard has built is.

 Now, the Colts head into the bye week with momentum and a 3-2 record. Following the bye, Houston, who visits Kansas City this week, is the next opponent. The Texans have been playing like a playoff team so far this year. Having this week off will allow the Colts to prepare for this big divisional game and hopefully seize control of the AFC South.