The Indianapolis Colts (0-1-1) are looking to get back on track Sunday when they host the Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) at Lucas Oil Stadium for the first home game of the season in Week 3.
For the Chiefs, this will be business as usual. They are proving to still be one of the best teams in the NFL as Patrick Mahomes continues to ascend to new heights.
Meanwhile, the Colts are looking to get out of the mud after a rough start to the season that included a tie and a blowout loss against two teams that were supposed to be inferior.
Here are the key matchups for this Week 3 game at Lucas Oil Stadium:
Colts interior OL vs. DT Chris Jones
This is likely to be the matchup that will determine how competitive the Colts offense will be. Jones is still one of those game-breaking talents at defensive tackle, and the interior offensive line for the Colts has been far from consistent to open the season. Jones is likely to match up against right guard Danny Pinter a good bit throughout the game and if Pinter isn’t up to the challenge, it could be an ugly day for the Colts.
CB Kenny Moore II vs. WR Juju Smith-Schuster
Neither Moore or Smith-Schuster have gotten off to the start that was expected of them. Moore hasn’t looked like the same player in coverage since late in the 2021 season, and it has leaked over into this season. He’s allowing a 146.0 passer rating in coverage to open the season. Meanwhile, Smith-Schuster has just nine receptions for 89 yards on the season. If either one of these players gets the upper hand over the other, it could be a deciding factor.
DT DeForest Buckner vs. C Creed Humphrey
This should be an interesting battle. Buckner is still the engine of the defense for the Colts from the three-technique while Humphrey has turned into one of the best centers in the entire NFL. According to Pro Football Focus, Buckner is tied for the team lead with four total pressures while his 16.7% pass-rush win rate ranks 12th among all defensive tackles with at least 20 pass-rushing snaps. Humphrey has allowed three pressures on the season but is a people-mover in the run game.
Colts LBs vs Travis Kelce
This one could get ugly. Without Shaquille Leonard for the third consecutive week, the Colts linebackers will have their hands full trying to contain Kelce, who hasn’t lost a step. The connection between Mahomes and Kelce will likely produce big numbers on Sunday unless Bobby Okereke and Zaire Franklin step up in a big way. This is a matchup that could wind up getting out of hand and wrecking the game for the Colts.
