Colt Following: 3 Takeaways From Chiefs’ Subsequent Foe

And what’s already scary about that Week 12 matchup is the similarities between the game plan Indianapolis used to beat the Falcons and the one Buffalo deployed to beat the Chiefs last week. Here are three takeaways from the Colts’ victory over Atlanta, in Chiefs context.

Jonathan Taylor vs. Steve Spagnuolo

Now firmly in the NFL MVP conversation after 10 weeks, the Colts’ all-world running back poses an obvious migraine for the Chiefs. Taylor on Sunday rolled up 244 yards and three touchdowns on 32 carries (7.3 avg.), including the game-ending score in overtime.

Spagnuolo takes pride in his defense’s ability to stop the run, but Taylor is in another galaxy.

Until James Cook registered 114 yards on 27 carries last week, the Chiefs hadn’t given up 100 yards to a running back in 34 games. Kansas City’s streak of 27 games without allowing a 100-yard rusher (Lamar Jackson, Week 1 of 2024) was the longest active stretch in the league.

But Taylor is on pace for 1,936 yards this season. According to Doug Clawson, the prolific back is the NFL’s first player ever to reach 15 rushing touchdowns and average at least 6.0 yards per carry over the first 10 games of a season.

The Chiefs are among the league’s best tackling teams this year. They’ll need their best game to stop Taylor.

Up tight about tight ends

And if the Chiefs can somehow limit Taylor, Spagnuolo has to worry about phenomenal rookie tight end Tyler Warren, who had 99 yards on eight catches Sunday.

That’s concerning because the Bills used their tight ends to exploit a Chiefs weakness last week. The Chiefs’ linebackers, normally sound in coverage, struggled to cover, collectively allowing 141 yards on eight receptions to tight ends. Dalton Kincaid (101 yards and a touchdown on six catches) became the first player to reach 100 on Kansas City since Jerry Jeudy last season (Dec. 15 at Cleveland) – snapping a streak of 14 games.

Warren already has 617 yards and three touchdowns on 50 receptions.

Anarumo vs. Mahomes, Part 7

New Colts defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo is about as familiar with Patrick Mahomes as anyone else. Including playoffs, Nov. 23 will mark the seventh time Anarumo’s had to prepare for the quarterback.

Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator from 2019-24, Anarumo actually beat Mahomes and the Chiefs in each of those first three meetings, including the 2021 AFC championship in Kansas City. But Mahomes has taken the last three games, most recently a Week 2 victory over the Bengals at Arrowhead Stadium.

One area of concern for Kansas City is third downs. As Travis Kelce said this week, third-and-long situations doomed the Chiefs in Buffalo, so quality gains on first down will be critical. Anarumo and the Colts held Atlanta to 0-for-8 on third downs Sunday.

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