The Indianapolis Colts are fresh off a bye week after their international thriller against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 10. Unfortunately, Week 12 will not be a contest against a weaker opponent to ease back into the season.
No, the bye week is the turning point of the Colts' schedule. Up until now, Indianapolis has benefitted from one of the easier schedules in the league. However, from this point forward, they will be facing an uphill battle against one of the toughest remaining schedules of any NFL team, and that tough stretch starts with a trip to Arrowhead Stadium to face the Chiefs on the road.
Admittedly, this is a Kansas City Chiefs team that has fallen far short of the dominance that fans have come to expect from the NFL's most recent dynasty. Mahomes and company sit at a 5-5, already tying the most losses in a season for any Kansas City team since Mahomes took the reins from veteran Alex Smith.
Bold predictions for the Indianapolis Colts versus Kansas City Chiefs game in Week 12
Still, they have the best player in the world and one of the best coaches that the game has ever seen. It's never an easy win when facing Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid.
Prediction No. 1: The Colts will solidify this season as the worst of Mahomes' career by handing him his sixth loss on the year
The Kansas City Chiefs have known nothing but success ever since Patrick Mahomes became their starting quarterback. It's undeniable that Mahomes is one of the most gifted throwers of the football to ever play in the NFL, but one man can't do it all.
Travis Kelce is only declining further as he ages, and the WR1 for the team, Rashee Rice, has struggled since coming back from suspension. He still has yet to break 100 yards receiving in a game.
The Chiefs have star power, but the Indianapolis Colts have exactly what Kansas City is lacking. A complete team. Daniel Jones may not be Patrick Mahomes, but when he's surrounded by stars like Jonathan Taylor, Tyler Warren, Michael Pittman, and one of the best offensive lines in the league, his output can very much compete with that of Mahomes and not much help.
The official NFL website has the Chiefs' playoff odds at 46%. With a win against Indy, that could shoot up to 57%. With a loss, their odds drop all the way down to 30%. It's entirely possible that Kansas City misses the playoffs altogether this year, and the Colts could be the team to put the nail in the coffin.
Prediction No. 2: Tyler Warren proves he's next up to take Travis Kelce's place
For years now, Travis Kelce has been unanimously viewed as the gold standard at the tight end position in the NFL. Often, the competition for the best tight end of all time is boiled down to Kelce or Rob Gronkowski. However, as of late, Kelce has shown his age. The once-prolific tight end may still have some fight left in him, but it's clear he's lost a step.
That couldn't be contrasted more with the rise of rookie phenom Tyler Warren. Warren has been on his own prolific pace this season, through 11 weeks ranking third in the entire league in receiving yards for tight ends as a rookie. In second place, just 14 yards ahead of Warren, sits Travis Kelce.
In Week 12, Warren will have a monster game, passing Kelce on the receiving yards leaderboard and proving to the world that he is the next great tight end. Kelce is an all-time talent, but Tyler Warren is arriving, and he's just getting started.
Prediction No. 3: Michael Badgley's kicking woes continue
This is a very strong Indianapolis Colts team. In fact, it's such a strong squad that it could be argued that the Achilles heel of the team is its special teams. Last time we saw Michael Badgley take the field for Indianapolis, he missed an extra point and a field goal.
In a perfect world, this would be an outlier game, and Badgley would return to the kicker he's shown he can be in the past. All Colts fans are hoping for this, but it may not be the reality. If Badgley's struggles continue in what could end up being an important playoff seeding game for the AFC, the team may have no choice but to move in a different direction in the kicking department.
Prediction No. 4: Jonathan Taylor continues his MVP case
It seems absurd to say in a season that features so many dominant Jonathan Taylor games, but the running back's Week 10 performance against the Atlanta Falcons might have been his best outing of the year.
Daniel Jones struggled against a stellar Atlanta pass defense, but luckily for him, Taylor rose to put the team on his back. Taylor finished the game with 244 rushing yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winning score.
Jonathan Taylor has been unstoppable in 2025, and with freshly rested legs coming off a bye week, he should be ready to continue his dominant season against a floundering Kansas City Chiefs squad. He may not have as ridiculous a game as he was able to have against Atlanta, but Taylor will do more than enough against Kansas City to continue his much-deserved MVP case.
Ultimately, a game coming off a bye week against a 5-5 team would usually be seen as a free win for a team that's been as dominant as Indianapolis has been this year. Unfortunately, that 5-5 team is also the NFL's most recent dynasty, and a squad that features the best quarterback in the world.
It definitely won't be an easy win to pull out, but with two weeks to prepare for one opponent, Steichen and company should be ready to make a statement win and take down the Chiefs.