The Kansas City Chiefs are back on the road for the next two games of the 2022 NFL season. They’ll get things started against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium, in what will be the home opener for Indy.
This week, the Chiefs are set to be down three defensive starters from the onset of the 2022 NFL season. It’ll pose a big challenge, even against a winless Colts team. Kansas City will look for several players to step up and have some big performances during the course of the game.
Here’s a look at four players who we’ll be paying close attention to when the Chiefs face the Colts on Sunday:
LB Nick Bolton
The rushing defense has actually been a pleasant surprise for Kansas City through two weeks as they’re allowing just 3.9 yards per carry and only one rushing score on the season. No matter their performance so far, they’ll have their hands full with Colts RB Jonathan Taylor in Week 3. He earned the NFL rushing title last season, leading the league in yards, touchdowns and attempts at the position. Bolton will be the one tasked with slowing down Taylor, both on an individual level and a group level. He’ll deliver the play calls to the defense, but he’s also the team’s best run-defender. Getting Taylor on the ground before he gets a full head of steam will be key.
RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire
Edwards-Helaire is off to a hot start to the 2022 NFL season. He currently averages 7.7 yards per carry on 15 rushes, which is the third-most yards per carry behind Lions RB D’Andre Swift and Packers RB Aaron Jones. The Colts’ run defense has been one of the best units in the league through two games, allowing just 2.7 yards per rushing attempt. That’s all without standout LB Shaquille Leonard on the field too and he’s slated to be back this week. Will Edwards-Helaire be able to continue to perform well this week or is he set to meet his match in Indy?
LB Darius Harris
Darius Harris is set to get the first shot at the snaps vacated by suspended LB Willie Gay Jr., and a big part of his role on defense will be pass coverage. The Colts, of course, are one of the best teams in the NFL when it comes to utilizing RBs in the passing game. They have Nyheim Hines, who has over 220 career receptions. Even Jonathan Taylor gets involved in the passing game with 40 receptions just last season. It’ll prove to be a big challenge for Harris in his first start of the season, but one that the coaching staff seems to feel he’s ready for.
WR Skyy Moore
Moore played just two offensive snaps in his Week 2 debut at Arrowhead Stadium. It was a big surprise after a Week 1 performance that suggested he’d have a role within the offense. He still made some key contributions on special teams as a punt returner, but his role on offense was diminished with a short week to prepare. Will he see more snaps in Week 3 against a team that is allowing the third-highest completion percentage in the NFL? Eric Bieniemy seems to suggest that he’ll be getting a bigger workload moving forward.
