Despite the loss of their starting quarterback and running back, the Kansas City Chiefs were still able to defeat the Indianapolis Colts 30-14. Kansas City’s defense got to Andrew Luck all day, finishing with six sacks. On the offensive side of the ball, the Chiefs moved it primarily through the passing game. Kansas City extended their winning streak to three games and remain tied for first in the AFC West. Here are the takeaways for week eight.
Kansas City Chiefs Week Eight Takeaways
Injuries, Injuries, Injuries
Things didn’t start out well for the Chiefs. On the first drive, KC was moving down the field until Alex Smith took a hit while running that slammed his head against the turf. It forced him to be put in concussion protocol. After returning, he took another hit to the head and was ruled out for the game. Nick Foles did do a solid job in his stead, passing for 223 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He didn’t turn the ball over and wasn’t afraid to push the ball down the field, even throwing a 34 yard touchdown to Tyreek Hill. It could be very likely we see Foles start next week against Jacksonville. It all will depend on if Alex Smith can pass the protocol by the end of the week.
The other big injury was once again a concussion to Spencer Ware. It put the Chiefs in a very precarious position since Charcandrick West was the only other running back suited up. West seemed to injure his hip late in the fourth quarter as well, forcing De’Anthony Thomas to play running back some. This week I’d expect the Chiefs to bring up running back Darrin Reaves from their practice squad to give some running back depth.
Parker Ehinger went down with a knee injury after he was rolled up on by a Colts player. The severity is unknown at the moment but Zach Fulton would be his replacement as he was today. Fulton looked good today, not letting up any sacks and did a good job getting up field to block on screen plays.
Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce Have a Day
Tyreek Hill finished this week with five receptions for 98 yards and a touchdown. The 34-yard catch down the sideline was his fourth touchdown of the year, which puts him as the Chiefs touchdown reception leader among wide receivers. Hill once again proved himself to be a dangerous kick returner as well by putting the Chiefs in good field position every time he returned a punt. Travis Kelce on the other hand, was the team’s leading receiver. He had seven receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown. After a few quiet weeks from him, it was good to see Kelce be a major contributor again.
Solid Play on the Defensive Line
The Chiefs had no troubles getting to Andrew Luck today. Dee Ford had a monster game totaling 3.5 sacks by himself. What’s helped him improve so much is his lean (when the pass rusher dips his inside shoulder to get under the lineman’s arms, preventing him from being pushed upfield and out of the play). Chris Jones also came away with his first career sack as well. The Chiefs came into the game with only eight sacks on the season but picked up six during the game this week. This defensive front continues to show improvement each week. Then when you consider Justin Houston’s looming return, we could see this unit play at the elite level we saw a couple years ago.
Red Zone Woes
While there were plenty of positives in the game, we have to address the red zone issues. The Chiefs once again had to settle for field goals multiple times while inside the Colts’ 20-yard line. The play calling tends to get more conservative the closer the team gets to the goal line. While settling doesn’t hurt you against teams like the Colts’ it’s something that could be a real problem against other playoff contenders. The Chiefs need to be able to come away with a touchdown more times than not when in the red zone.
Conclusion
This week’s win is bitter-sweet for Chiefs fans, as they took on some major injuries. Overall, however, the game plan was solid, they didn’t turn the ball over, and were able to hold one of the top quarterbacks in the league to 14 points at home. Now it’s on to face the Jacksonville Jaguars next week back in Arrowhead.
