So, I was definitely full of optimism and a “glass half full” approach last weekend ahead of the regular season opener against the Baltimore Ravens. Everything that went wrong on the field, essentially did for Indianapolis, and hardly any of my bold predictions came true. Following that disaster, we’ll be a lot more conservative here:
1. Daniel Jones Can’t Shake Early Rust
As expected, Colts starting quarterback Daniel Jones wasn’t particularly sharp last weekend, as he returned from a season-ending torn Achilles that he suffered in Week
14 of the 2025 campaign—and was held out of all of this year’s preseason. Jones completed 19 of 31 pass attempts for 166 total passing yards, a passing touchdown, and an interception during Week 1’s blowout home loss against the Baltimore Ravens. Jones is still looking to regain some of his prior explosion and athleticism, but it’ll be tough sledding against this veteran Steven Spagnuolo coached Chiefs defense, after allowing just 131 total passing yards last week to the Denver Broncos. Jones doesn’t lay a dud, but he’s not the difference maker at starting quarterback needed to match Patrick Mahomes either.
2. Chiefs RB Kenneth Walker Runs Wild
After the Colts run defense surrendered 144 total rushing yards (*4th most last week) and 3 rushing touchdowns to future Hall of Famer Derrick Henry and the Ravens last weekend, it doesn’t get any easier again. New Chiefs’ running back Kenneth Walker is one of the hottest running backs in football after Week 1, following gashing the Broncos run defense for 173 total rushing yards (*3rd most last week) and a rushing touchdown. I expect the Colts defense to play with more pride on the road this weekend, and having a linebacker wear the green dot will only help their communication issues, but I don’t have a great feeling about this one with their unit still reeling.
3. Colts Hang in There to Make It At Least Competitive
If there’s a silver lining, it’s that the Colts have historically played Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs very well to-date in the NFL superstar quarterback’s future Hall of Fame career. Mahomes is 1-2 against the Colts lifetime, and Indianapolis narrowly fell 23-20 to Kansas City in overtime last year during Week 12. Even after the disastrous showing last weekend by the Colts, I still expect this to be a pretty competitive close football game.
4. Jonathan Taylor Carries Colts Offensively
With starting quarterback Daniel Jones still working his way back to his prior form, the Colts expectedly lean heavily on star workhorse Jonathan Taylor and their ground game to carry their offense during this early stretch in a notoriously tough road environment. What happens when the immovable object meets the unstoppable force? We’ll find out, as Taylor ran for 98 total rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns last weekend, while the Chiefs run defense limited the Broncos offensively to just 61 total rushing yards collectively in Week 1. Kansas City bottled up Taylor to just 58 total rushing yards on 16 total carries (3.6 ypc. avg.) the last time these two teams met in Week 12 of last year, but it’ll be Taylor with the ‘masterpiece’ this go around, eclipsing 100 total rushing yards with at least one rushing touchdown score—much to the dismay of the Arrowhead faithful.
5. Colts Play with More Pride But Fall Short on Primetime, Causing Early Season Crisis Mode
After that Week 1 embarrassment, I expect to see a much more spirited effort from the Colts in all three facets of the game on primetime for Sunday Night Football, but in the end, Kansas City proves to be too much, too early in the season at home on SNF, as Indianapolis falls 31-20. It leaves the Colts at 0-2 to begin the 2026 campaign and firmly in crisis mode, ahead of hosting a Week 3 matchup against their AFC South rival Houston Texans. You’re never as good or as bad as you’ve last played in the NFL, but the Colts will need to turn this around quickly.
