The Indianapolis Colts have a crucial game coming up in Week 12 against the Kansas City Chiefs. As we enter the home stretch of the season, the Colts are fighting to hold onto the No. 1 seed in the AFC, as well as the AFC South division title.
According to ESPN, the Colts have the most difficult remaining schedule in the league. A win against the Chiefs would be the perfect way to start the upcoming slate. Indianapolis may be the underdog, but multiple teams have proven that Kansas City is beatable this year.
Unfortunately, a remarkable statistic proves that defeating the Chiefs and their superstar quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, is not going to be an easy task. While Kansas City has lost its last two games, Mahomes has never lost three in a row in the same season.
Indianapolis Colts are looking to hand Patrick Mahomes his first three-game losing streak
Even when times are tough, Mahomes usually finds a way to avoid a losing streak. The Colts are going to have to defy the odds to beat him.
Indianapolis still owns an impressive 8-2 record, but we may be starting to see cracks in the Colts’ foundation. They were upset by the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 9 before needing overtime to get past the Atlanta Falcons. The bye week was perfectly scheduled to give Indianapolis much-needed time to regroup.
The Colts don't have the luxury of easing back into regular season action, though, as they head on the road to face the Chiefs — and history is certainly not on Indianapolis’ side. Although Kansas City has looked vulnerable this year, Mahomes and company have won three of the last six Super Bowls for a reason.
Among Mahomes’s countless records and accolades is a rare stat that highlights his knack for winning. Across his entire nine-year NFL career, Mahomes has never lost three consecutive regular season games. The Chiefs have had to battle plenty of adversity in the Mahomes era, and yet he has never allowed them to drop three straight.
Other NFL legends can't say the same. Even some of the best QBs in history — Tom Brady and Peyton Manning — have suffered three-game losing streaks multiple times in their careers.
Kansas City will have extra motivation in Week 12 as the 5-5 team is on the brink of postseason elimination. Mahomes has never missed the playoffs since the Chiefs drafted him, but a loss to the Colts would put him in a dire situation.
Clearly, Indianapolis is going to need a stellar game to get past a highly motivated Kansas City team. On offense, Daniel Jones has to return to his early-season form, and Jonathan Taylor must continue dominating. On the other side, the Colts’ defense needs to figure out how to pressure Mahomes, while not getting burned by his arm down the field.
Victory in Kansas City would ensure Indianapolis maintains a two-game lead over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC South race. A loss would be a nightmare start to the most important part of the Colts’ season.