History tells usthat this Week 2 game for the Indianapolis Colts is about as close to a must-win game this early in the season as a team will have.
So in order to avoid that dreaded 0-2 start, here are three keys to victory for the Colts against the Chiefs on Sunday Night Football.
Can Jonathan Taylor get going?
The Chiefs were able to contain the Denver run game last week, holding the Broncos to 61 total rushing yards. In part, the Broncos' run game was hindered because they were down by multiple scores in the second half.
For the Colts to be at their best, that means leaning on Jonathan Taylor. To do that, the defense has to perform better, and running lanes early on in the game have to be available to take advantage of. For what it's worth, last year when these teams met,
the Chiefs were able to bottle up Taylor.
Give Daniel Jones time
The Chiefs were able to pressure Bo Nix quickly and often last week. According to NBC Sports, Nix was pressured at the fourth-highest rate in Week 1, and he had the third-highest quick pressure rate as well.
Pressure, meanwhile, has often been the formula for slowing Jones over his career. Last week specifically, he averaged less than a yard per pass attempt when under duress and completed 27.3% of those passes. If the Colts offense is going to find steady success, then Jones will need time.
Limit explosive plays
Both on the ground and through the air last week, the Ravens' offense generated several explosive plays. Lamar Jackson averaged a whopping 13.0 yards per pass attempt, while Derrick Henry averaged 6.0 yards per rush. As we know, explosive plays will often lead to points.
This article originally appeared on Colts Wire: 3 keys to victory for Colts in Week 2 Sunday Night matchup vs. Chiefs
