Colts Need a Response Against Chiefs After Week 1 Disaster

The Indianapolis Colts need to show that Week 1 was an outlier before the pressure starts building.

Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen watches the action on the field Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, during a game against the Baltimore Ravens at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Indianapolis Colts must play a competitive football game Sunday night against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Nobody expected this opening stretch to be easy. A run of Baltimore, Kansas City and Houston was always going to be a brutal three-game run, but after what happened in Week 1, the Colts need to show some form of competence before this thing starts spiraling.

Indianapolis did not just lose to Baltimore. The Colts were blown out 41-23 at home, allowing 506 total yards while finishing with only 251 of their own.

Derrick Henry ran for 144 yards and three touchdowns. Lamar Jackson threw for 324 yards, and Baltimore had complete control by halftime.

That makes Sunday night feel much bigger than a normal Week 2 game.

The Numbers Get Ugly Fast

Sep 13, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen looks on during the second half against the Baltimore Ravens at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

According to a RotoWire study tracking the 2016-2025 seasons, teams that started 0-1 made the playoffs just 25.6% of the time.

It gets worse for Indianapolis. Teams that lost Week 1 by 14 or more points recovered to make the playoffs only 18.8% of the time, while teams that lost their opener at home made it just 21.8%.

The Colts check all three boxes.

A win in Kansas City would move Indianapolis to 1-1, and 38.9% of teams that lost Week 1 before bouncing back in Week 2 reached the playoffs during the same 10-year window. Fall to 0-2, and that number drops to 14.3%.

No 0-2 team in that sample reached the Super Bowl.

That does not mean the season is over with a loss. Three of the last 10 Super Bowl champions started 0-1, and both teams in last season's Super Bowl did it.

But there is a major difference between losing one game and getting embarrassed at home before walking into Arrowhead.

The Pressure Is Already Here

Aug 29, 2026; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indianapolis Colts general manager Chris Ballard walks onto the field before the game against the Detroit Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Goddin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kansas City is coming off a 31-10 win over Denver, in which Kenneth Walker III ran for 173 yards and scored two total touchdowns. That is not comforting after Indianapolis just watched Henry run through its defense.

The Chiefs also held Denver to 176 total yards while recording four sacks.

This is the same Arrowhead Stadium where Indianapolis led Kansas City 20-9 entering the fourth quarter last November before losing 23-20 in overtime. The Colts have already shown they can compete there, and they need to show it again.

Because Houston comes to Lucas Oil Stadium in Week 3. An 0-2 start would turn that division matchup into a game Indianapolis almost has to win just to keep the season from getting away.

And the pressure is not limited to the standings.

Owner Carlie Irsay-Gordon said in January that the sense of urgency for Chris Ballard and Shane Steichen “has never been higher.” Ballard is in the final year of his contract and said it himself during training camp: “We need to win.”

A competitive loss in Kansas City would at least show a response, but another blowout would make Week 1 look a lot less like an outlier.

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