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The Kansas City Chiefs (12-4) (7-1 @ Home)
vs.
Indianaplolis Colts (11-6) (5-4 Away)
Saturday, January 12, 3:35PM CT
at
Arrowhead Stadium
Kansas City, Missouri
[IMG]https://imgs-akamai.mnstatic.com/35/f3/35f354d68053724abdda9842d3ec42f8.jpg?output-quality=75&output-format=progressive-jpeg&interpolation=lanczos-none&downsize=%2A%3A300px[/IMG]Television coverage:
Radio Coverage:
Kansas City
Lawrence/Topeka:
Manhattan, KS:
St. Louis
(Links will be updated at least one hour before kickoff)
Watch Online:
VIPBoxTV
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Stats & Stuff
Weather forecast:
30 degrees Fahrenheit. Light Snow. 10 mph NNE winds.Line: Chiefs -5.5, Over/Under: 57!
Trends:
Chiefs:
Kansas City is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games
Kansas City is 16-5 SU in its last 21 games
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Kansas City’s last 6 games
Kansas City is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games at home
Kansas City is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 10 of Kansas City’s last 13 games at home
Kansas City is 4-12 ATS in its last 16 games when playing Indianapolis
Kansas City is 3-13 SU in its last 16 games when playing Indianapolis
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Kansas City’s last 8 games when playing Indianapolis
Kansas City is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games when playing at home against Indianapolis
Kansas City is 1-7 SU in its last 8 games when playing at home against IndianapolisColts:
Indianapolis is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Indianapolis is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Indianapolis’s last 8 games
Indianapolis is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Indianapolis is 6-12 SU in its last 18 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Indianapolis’s last 13 games on the road
Indianapolis is 12-4 ATS in its last 16 games when playing Kansas City
Indianapolis is 13-3 SU in its last 16 games when playing Kansas City
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Indianapolis’s last 8 games when playing Kansas City
Indianapolis is 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Kansas City
Indianapolis is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games when playing on the road against Kansas CityAgainst the Spread:
[IMG]http://chiefscrowd.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1140&stc=1[/IMG]Last 10 Games Head-2-Head:
[IMG]http://chiefscrowd.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=1141&stc=1[/IMG]OddsShark Super Computer Prediction:
Chiefs 28.2
Colts 25.9Notable Quotables:
Chiefs:“When you’re growing up, you want to go and play games like this… [Y]ou want to win on the biggest stage. For me, it’s all about going out there, being myself, leaning on my teammates and winning a football game.”
–Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes
“You have to bring your best. That’s what the playoffs are all about. This is the best in the National Football League – which is the best in the world – and you have an opportunity to do that. That’s an exciting thing, but you better bring your best every play.”
–Chiefs Head Coach Andy Reid
Colts:
“ We have to focus on our fundamentals, on what we do and how we do it. That’s the most important thing when you play a team of this caliber.”
–Colts Defensive Coordinator Matt Eberflus
Chiefs vs. Colts: Game Preview
From Chiefs.comFriday, Jan 11, 2019 12:00 PM
[TABLE=”width: 250″]
[TR]
[TD]
[/TD]
[TD]Matt McMullen
Chiefs Reporter
Chiefs.com
@KCChiefs_Matt
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]Sixteen games and an unforgettable season later, here we are.
It’s been an exciting journey to this point for the Kansas City Chiefs, from Tyreek Hill’s season-opening punt return for a score to Patrick Mahomes’ 50th touchdown pass of the year, and now it’s finally time for some postseason football.
There were plenty of thrills – and a slew of broken records – along the way, but as the playoffs return to Kansas City on Saturday afternoon, the slate is wiped clean. The objective is simple: win three games – two of them being at Arrowhead Stadium – and bring home a title.
And, fittingly, it’s an old postseason nemesis in the Indianapolis Colts that stand as the first obstacle in the way of that quest.
It was an interesting season for the Colts, who struggled to a 1-5 start before winning nine of their final 10 games. That stretch began with a Week 7 victory over Buffalo, and from that point on, Indianapolis posted the top scoring defense (16.4) and the fifth-best scoring offense (28.1) in the league.
It mirrors in many ways what the Chiefs did in 2015, as Kansas City won 10 consecutive games following a 1-5 start to that campaign. And, just like the Chiefs that year, the Colts continued their run of success with a victory over the Houston Texans on the road last weekend behind two touchdown passes from quarterback Andrew Luck.
It was a continuation of a stellar season for Luck, who will likely be named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year following the season after throwing 39 touchdown passes in 2018 – the second-most in the league to only Mahomes.
The veteran passer missed all of last year due to injury, but he’s back and performing at as high a level as ever.
“It’s great to have him back in the game and going. He’s had a great year and you have to stay persistent with him. You have to bring your best against him and do the best you possibly can on every play,” said Head Coach Andy Reid. “He’s going to get you every once in a while, but you have to make sure that you get him more than he gets you.”
Luck’s success this year was due in part to arguably the top offensive line in the league, which yielded an NFL-low 18 sacks on the season. That sets up a fascinating matchup on Saturday, as no other team got after the opposing quarterback more often than Kansas City’s pass-rush.
“They’re very good – one of the best that we’ll face all year – but we’ll be ready,” said linebacker Dee Ford, who tallied 13.0 sacks this season. “We’re up for that challenge. Everybody is good at this point in the year, so that’s what we expect.”
A contributing factor to Indianapolis’ low sack totals has also been Luck’s ability to get rid of the ball in a hurry. In fact, when Luck throws the ball within 2.5 seconds, he’s tossed 26 touchdowns to just two picks on the year. Conversely, when Luck holds onto the ball beyond that threshold, he’s thrown just 13 scores with 13 interceptions.
Additionally, that quick release helped the Colts tally the best third-down conversion rate in the NFL this season at 48.6 percent.
It all makes for an intriguing test on Saturday that will require a total defensive effort.
“It’s like anything – we’ll have our chances and we have to take advantage of them,” said Defensive Coordinator Bob Sutton. “To really make it work, you have to be in sync totally. You have to have good coverage to maybe get that one little extra click [of time].”
In order to do that, the Chiefs will need to keep an eye on pass-catchers T.Y. Hilton and Eric Ebron, who combined for 44 percent of the Colts’ receiving yardage on the year. Ebron, a former first-round pick of the Detroit Lions, put together a career-season with 13 touchdowns in 2018 while Hilton has long been one of the very best deep threats in the league.
“[Hilton] can run every route. He has speed and can make plays after the catch, too,” said cornerback Kendall Fuller. “He has it all.”
Tailback Marlon Mack has also been a reliable weapon for Indianapolis all year long, tallying 1,011 total yards from scrimmage. The 22-year-old Mack had 148 yards and a touchdown on the ground in last week’s win over Houston, putting together the best statistical performance of his career.
In fact, in three of the Colts’ last four games – victories over Houston, Tennessee and Dallas – Indianapolis has ran the ball at least 35 times. Mack and the rushing attack will certainly be something to watch on Saturday.
The Chiefs, meanwhile, come into this weekend’s matchup intent on running their high-powered offense – the third-most prolific in NFL history – just as they have all year long. Kansas City became the only team in league history to tally at least 26 points in all 16 games of a regular season this past year, and they’re not looking to slow down any time soon.
“It’s single elimination. [There’s] an intensity [there] and you have to go into it knowing that you have to put your best foot forward. We know that,” Mahomes said. “At the same time, we’re going to be ourselves, do what we’ve done all season long and try to execute at a high level.”
That means distributing the ball to pass-catchers Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, who became the first pair of teammates in league history to each record 1,300+ receiving yards and 10+ touchdowns in a single year this season.
Kelce, in particular, thrived against predominantly zone-coverage teams such as the Colts this year with a team-leading 46 catches for 629 yards and four touchdowns, according to Pro Football Focus.
He has another opportunity to do some damage on Saturday as the Chiefs take the field intent on making their presence felt.
“We’re excited,” Kelce said. “We’re going to go out there, be ourselves and show the world what we can do.”
It won’t be easy, as the Colts’ defense – led by All-Pro rookie linebacker Darius Leonard – has yielded the sixth-fewest yards per game since Week 7, but there’s no denying that there’s simply something special about this edition of the Chiefs.
And this moment – and the opportunity that comes with it – is what they’ve been preparing for all season long.
“I’m excited just to be here and to get the opportunity to go out there and win games like this. When you’re growing up, you want to go and play games like this,” Mahomes said. “When you get older, you want to be a professional athlete and you want to win on the biggest stage. For me, it’s all about going out there, being myself, leaning on my teammates and winning a football game.”
Mahomes and the Chiefs will look to do just that with an opportunity to play in the AFC Championship Game on the line.
2018 Colts Preview: Colts/Chiefs, Divisional Round
Jake Arthur
Colts.com ContributerFriday, Jan 11, 2019 12:45 PM
INDIANAPOLIS — The sixth-seeded Indianapolis Colts (11-6) take on the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs (12-4) this Saturday in the Divisional Round of the 2018-19 NFL Playoffs. Where these teams rank in the standings is just “gray matter,” however, leading many to believe the Colts can pull off the upset. Here is everything you need to know leading into this matchup.
STORYLINES/THINGS TO WATCH
Will Weather Be A Factor? — There is snow in the forecast before and during gametime. At the very least, it will be cold, but the teams have prepared by practicing outside this week. If there is any precipitation, it may help throw Kansas City’s potent passing attack off course. In that event, the better ground game may prevail.
Establish The Run — Regardless of weather, it would be good for the Colts to establish the run against the Chiefs’ 27th-ranked run defense. The Colts offense also has an advantage in the red zone, as it ranks fifth while the Chiefs’ defense ranks 31st in that area. If the Colts can move the ball down the field with running back Marlon Mack and the run game and then get touchdowns instead of field goals in the red zone, then they will be keeping the ball away from MVP candidate Patrick Mahomes while forcing Kansas City to put sixes on the board in rebuttal. Colts head coach Frank Reich discussed this approach earlier this week: “Yeah, that’s it. If it’s running it for 200 (yards) or throwing it for 400 (yards), I am always going to say the same thing. We are trying to score every time we touch the ball and we are going to game plan and call the game in a way to score points. We are really not trying to think so much about, ‘Well let’s hold the ball and keep it from them.’ We want to run it, there’s no secret about that. That does keep them off the field, that would be great but at the end of the day the primary goal is score points.”
Shootout At Arrowhead? — If the run game doesn’t dictate things then there’s a good chance this game could be a shootout between two of the league’s most exciting quarterbacks. The Chiefs are the only team in NFL history to score at least 26 points each game in a 16-game season, and the Colts can score points as well, ranking fifth (27.1 PPG) during the regular season. For the viewer, a Luck vs. Mahomes shootout could be quite the entertaining sight. Regarding what impresses him about Mahomes, Luck said: “Yeah, he’s fun to watch. He certainly creates some amazing plays, but he also makes the routine and the simple plays. So I think his ability to really make every throw, to do the simple things well, to do the amazing things well – it’s fun to watch. Certainly it has been fun to watch on TV and hopefully I don’t see too much of it when we’re playing him, but he’s fun to watch certainly.”
INTRIGUING MATCHUPS
Colts OG Quenton Nelson vs. Chiefs DL Chris Jones — This is an awesome matchup between All-Pros. Every week, Nelson pops up on highlight reels for his mauling blocks while Jones was third in the NFL in sacks (15.5) this season. More impressively, Jones recorded a sack in an NFL-record 11 consecutive games between Weeks 5-16.
Colts OTs Anthony Castonzo/Braden Smith vs. Chiefs OLBs Justin Houston/Dee Ford — We already know how good Jones has been, but the Chiefs also bring pressure off the edge with Houston and Ford, who had 22.0 sacks between them. With the duty of blocking the pair, Castonzo and Smith have allowed just four sacks combined. Houston and Ford have had periods of dominance during their career, so this one is a big matchup to watch.
Colts WR T.Y. Hilton vs. Chiefs CB Kendall Fuller — Fuller is one of the league’s bright young corners, and like Kenny Moore II for the Colts, he travels from the slot to the boundary. When outside, Fuller primarily plays the offense’s right side, where Hilton lines up most often. With Hilton’s ankle feeling better all the time, Fuller will really have his hands full.
Colts DE Jabaal Sheard vs. Chiefs RT Mitchell Schwartz — Schwartz is arguably the league’s best right tackle, and he is really fundamentally sound. Sheard is a crafty veteran himself at defensive end. Although his pass-rushing stats aren’t eye-popping, he often affects the edge in the run game and helps close the pocket in the passing game.
Colts LB Darius Leonard vs. Chiefs TE Travis Kelce — One of Leonard’s strengths is his ability to guard a variety of different people in the passing game, which includes wide receivers. Although the Colts play mostly zone coverage, Leonard will likely be tasked with keeping Kelce from racking up many yards after the catch. This week, Colts defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus discussed the effect of facing an elite tight end like Kelce: “Yeah, I think it’s a big issue when you start dealing with different skillsets. When teams have a good receiver and a good tight end and they can put them on opposite sides of the ball or on the same side – mostly opposite – that creates problems for the defense. It just does – the matchups. That’s why it’s great to have – we have a great tight end. We have several great tight ends. We are able to use our tight ends and man that makes it hard for defenses. We have two or three good receivers – that makes it hard. So when we face those guys it’s a difficult task.”
Colts CB Kenny Moore II vs. Chiefs WR Tyreek Hill — Hill plays a great deal between the slot and outside, which means Moore II is likely to be the Colts corner that matches up with him most. Hill’s most noticeable qualities are his speed and quickness, so the Colts’ budding star corner may have his tallest task of the season.
NOTES AND QUOTES
This week, the Colts made the following moves: Elevated safety Rolan Milligan to the active roster from the practice squad. Placed safety Mike Mitchell (calf) on Injured Reserve. Signed defensive end Anthony Winbush to the practice squad.
Reich on what makes the Chiefs’ offense so challenging: “I just think that they do a great job of being very multiple and very diverse. They keep offenses guessing. I think Coach (Andy) Reid, that’s been is M.O. for a long time. He’s very good at being creative and using the weapons that he has. They do have great weapons and he knows how to use them and spread the ball around. Then having a quarterback like that who is a playmaker, he’s had a tremendous year.”
Reich on former Colts head coach Tony Dungy visiting this week and speaking to the team: “He did. He just said a few words to us afterwards. It was great to have him out there. For me personally, obviously, him being the coach that gave me my first job. His words to the team were just proud of you guys, just have enjoyed watching you, have enjoyed watching you get better the whole year and just keep it going.”
Eberflus on whether Mahomes is the priority to stop for Kansas City: “Yeah, I think it’s us oriented. I really do. I think when you play a squad like this that the focus goes more to you then it ever should. I know that might sound backwards, but it’s not to me and our staff. We have to focus on our fundamentals, on what we do and how we do it. That’s the most important thing when you play a team of this caliber.”
Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni on the challenge of playing in a hostile environment like Arrowhead Stadium: “I think we just have to prep for the noise and prep for the hostile environment. It’s nice when you are on the home sideline that’s for sure because you don’t have to worry about that noise. Yeah, we definitely just have to prepare our snap counts to handle the noise, prepare our guys to go when the ball is snapped, prepare us for not having to hear that tomahawk chop song all game – we will try to quiet that down early. Just prepare for the noise and the communication that it requires. We always focus on our communication and always being on the same page. It’s obviously more challenging when it’s loud. So we’ll definitely rep that this week with, you can’t really simulate it because it’s so loud there but we’ll do the best that we can and really work our communication while we are doing it.”
Leonard on if the Colts change their approach due to the quality of opponent the Chiefs are: “No, you just go in with the same mindset. Everything is gray matter on the opposite side of the ball. As long as we go in and just play our keys and hustle to the ball, I think we will be fine.”
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