3 encouraging signs from Colts huge win over the Chiefs that shows Indy is improving

The Indianapolis Colts pulled off a huge upset over the Kansas City Chiefs and Indy had several promising moments throughout the game.

It took three weeks but the Indianapolis Colts finally have a win. After a tie with the Houston Texans and a blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Indy’s first win would of course come against the elite Kansas City Chiefs. In a thriller that came down to the last play, Indianapolis was able to pull the win out 20-17.

However, the win was not pretty. The Colts had a lot of concerning moments throughout the game and the offense was still pretty unproductive for most of it. In all honesty, it looked like Indy was on its way to another loss until late in the fourth quarter. Despite the ugly moments, Indy was ultimately victorious and the team also had some promising moments.

While there’s still a lot of work to be done, there were some encouraging signs for the Colts that shows things could be turning around. Let’s take a look at three of those promising signs.

3. Colts won the special teams battle

In Week 1, special teams struggles were a big reason Indianapolis only tied with Houston. That wasn’t the case in Week 3. Indy has had one of the best special teams units over the last few years and that was on display on Sunday.

Starting with the first punt of the game, Indy was able to recover a dropped punt by the Chiefs on the four-yard line. The Colts capitalized on this costly mistake by Kansas City by scoring a touchdown three plays later.

That wasn’t the only difference though. Recently acquired kicker, Chase McLaughlin, was 2-for-2 on field goals and 2-for-2 on extra points. Conversely, Kansas City’s backup kicker, Matt Ammendola, was 1-for-2 on field goals and missed his only extra point attempt of the game. It could be argued that the game was decided with those four points.

Indy was even prepared for a fake field goal that the Chiefs attempted and the Colts shut the play right down.

If Indianapolis can continue to have stellar special teams play, the team will find itself in a lot of football games. While special teams are often overlooked, it has been a real difference maker for the Colts this season.

2. Indy’s top picks finally showed up

The Colts desperately needed to add pass-catching weapons this past offseason and Indy opted to go with rookies over acquiring veterans. Indianapolis selected wide receiver Alec Pierce with its first pick in the draft and followed that up by selecting tight end Jelani Woods with the teams’ second pick.

Through Indy’s first two games, it was looking like somewhat of a mistake that the team didn’t get any veteran insurance options as the young guys were struggling to show up. Alec Pierce had a brutal first game in Week 1 dropping a touchdown and then missing Week 2 with a concussion. Jelani Woods, on the other hand, only played 16 snaps through the first two games and didn’t record any stats.

Things started to turn around for both rookies on Sunday. Woods scored Indy’s only two touchdowns, finishing the game with two catches for 13 yards and two scores and Pierce finally registered a catch, including a massive contested grab that showed his big-play ability that Indy fell in love with. He finished the game with three catches for 61 yards.

If the Colts are going to stack more wins like the one against the Chiefs, they will need the rookie pass catchers to continue to show up.  Indy drafted these two to be difference makers and the circumstances are demanding that both Pierce and Woods grow up fast. That growth started on Sunday.

1. Colts’ defense looked really good

The Indianapolis defense had been the better unit for Indy through the first two weeks but even they were struggling. With Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in town, many assumed it would be a long day for the defense. However, Indianapolis came alive defensively and looked a lot like the defense many expected it would be.

Kansas City came in averaging 35.5 points a game and the Colts limited them to just 17 points. Indy absolutely shut down the run game and found ways to frustrate Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ passing attack. Mahomes ultimately completed 20-of-35 passes for 262 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

Two of the most encouraging signs for the Indianapolis defense are that there was a visible, and constant, pass rush and that Indy could get off the field on third down. Kansas City was only able to convert 3-of-10 third downs. A massive improvement for an Indianapolis defense that allowed Jacksonville to convert 6-of-15 and Houston to convert 5-of-15.

Although there was only one sack, thanks to Yannick Ngakoue, Indy’s defensive line often found themselves in the backfield and was able to pressure Mahomes and move him outside the pocket. Indy had five total quarterback hits on Sunday.

If the defense can continue to play at this level and gradually improve, the Colts have a really good chance at turning this season around. A great defense can take a team really far and it can also give a team time to improve its offense. That’s the challenge that Indianapolis is facing right now. If the offense can catch up to the defense, the Colts could be a quality team.

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