Patrick Mahomes Is Poised for a Huge Game Against the Colts
The Kansas City Chiefs' offense had an uncharacteristically bad start against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 2, but their fortunes could be slated to turn around for the better on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts.
First and foremost, a quick glance at the Colts' injury report indicates that Indianapolis will once again be less than 100% for its home opener. While players such as linebacker Shaquille Leonard and defensive tackles Grover Stewart and DeForest Buckner being full participants in practice on Thursday is a massive plus, Leonard still has yet to play a regular-season snap in 2022. He's one of the best at his position when healthy and settled in, but only one of those elements will ring true if he's active on Sunday.
Elsewhere, pass-rusher Yannick Ngakoue being downgraded from limited on Wednesday to not practicing on Thursday isn't ideal. He and other high-priced defensive linemen on the Colts haven't been very productive this season, which decreases the likelihood of being able to pressure Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes into making multiple mistakes (a path that may be required in order to secure a win). That's worth noting.
On top of personnel and underperformance on the field, coaching must be taken into account. The Colts are in their first season under defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, whom Mahomes has squared off against seven times in the past to the tune of 17 touchdowns and just two interceptions. That level of success has only been even greater in the recent past, too:
In the 2021 season against the Las Vegas Raiders, a defensive unit led by Bradley, Mahomes flat-out shredded the opposition. Those two games were two of his better ones of the season, and Bradley's allergy to two-high coverage was a huge factor in that. That proclivity for staying away from two-high shells has bled into Bradley's time in Indianapolis thus far as well, which is something that should be music to Mahomes's ears.
Don't get it twisted: 2022's version of the Chiefs' offense is still putting the pieces together. The team's pass protection has been less than stellar, running backs are making improper reads at times and the new-look wide receiver room is still very young in its development with Mahomes chemistry-wise. This isn't a perfect offense, yet it's still managed to be one of the NFL's very best through two games. That says a lot about how good Mahomes and head coach Andy Reid are.
Against an old enemy in Bradley, the Colts could actually end up proving to be friends of Mahomes and company on Sunday. Don't be surprised if the Chiefs' superstar quarterback flexes his muscles against a Bradley-manned defense once again. It's happened plenty of times in the past, and the 56-year-old's recent comments on facing Mahomes and his tendencies early in this campaign might signal that things are aligning for an encore in Week 3.
Jake Arthur of Horseshoe Huddle joined me on Friday's Roughing the Kicker podcast to preview Sunday's Chiefs vs. Colts matchup. For more of our analysis on the Week 3 outing, including game picks, you can listen to the full episode below.
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