Colts Risers and Fallers in Disappointing Loss to Chiefs

The Indianapolis Colts fell dramatically to the Kansas City Chiefs, 23-20. After such a tough defeat, questions and concerns have surfaced about Shane Steichen's crew.

With this down-to-the-wire matchup in mind, it's time to dive into Indy's risers and fallers in a loss that still had plenty of silver linings.

Riser | Laiatu Latu

Colts defensive end Laiatu Latu (blue and white uniform) celebrates with a teammate after a big play. — Nov 23, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Indianapolis Colts defensive end Laiatu Latu (97) celebrates after an interception against the Kansas City Chiefs in the first quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Laiatu Latu is having a breakout season for the Colts and showed another great performance against the Chiefs at Arrowhead Stadium.

Latu came up with the most shocking play, picking off Patrick Mahomes early in the game and nearly scoring a touchdown. Daniel Jones found Michael Pittman Jr. for a score to follow.

Laiatu Latu catches his own deflection to pick off Mahomes on his 1st attempt of the game!

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— NFL (@NFL) November 23, 2025

Latu finished with a great stat line of six tackles, 1.0 sacks, a pass breakup, and a pick. Latu now has 32 tackles, 6.0 sacks, and three interceptions through 10 games in year two.

Latu is surfacing as one of the Colts' best defensive players and has thrived in Lou Anarumo's exotic scheme.

Faller | Countless Penalties

Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner (blue and white uniform) goes for a pass breakup. — Nov 23, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) cannot make a catch against Indianapolis Colts cornerback Sauce Gardner (1) in the first half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Whether offensive or defensive, the Colts stacked up a relentless amount of penalties in the close loss to the Chiefs.

The Colts accrued 11 penalties for 83 yards, with three coming on the very first drive of the game when Indianapolis was on offense. This led to a punt after a promising start that looked to potentially end in a touchdown.

The Colts shot themselves in the foot far too much, and it ended up playing a part in the defeat. If Indy wants to succeed with a brutal schedule ahead, they can't keep up this level of inefficiency.

Risers | Role Players (Drew Ogletree and Ashton Dulin)

Colts tight end Drew Ogletree (blue and white uniform) celebrates after scoring a big touchdown. — Nov 23, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Indianapolis Colts tight end Drew Ogletree (85) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs in the second quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images | Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

Indianapolis has many stars on offense, but the rotational/role players get overlooked. Against the Chiefs, two stood out in big ways.

Starting with wideout Ashton Dulin. While he only had one catch, it was for 48 yards and led Indianapolis in the metric when it was all said and done.

Next, blocking specialist, tight end Drew Ogletree, hauled in an impressive touchdown to put Indy up 14-3.

Daniel Jones stands strong in the pocket to find Drew Ogletree to extend Indy’s lead to 14-3.

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— NFL (@NFL) November 23, 2025

There were only two catches between the duo, but each made a massive impact to help Indy's offense.

It's encouraging to see these plays when they matter most from names other than Jonathan Taylor, Michael Pittman Jr., and Tyler Warren.

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Faller | Daniel Jones' Second Half

Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (blue and white uniform) throws a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs. — Nov 23, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Daniel Jones (17) throws a pass against the Kansas City Chiefs in the second half at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Jones started fantastically for the first half of the contest against the Chiefs. However, the second half of the game was a completely discouraging story.

Jones was 10/12 passing for 83 yards through the air and two touchdowns in half one. However, he fell apart in the second half (including overtime), completing a mere 9/19 passes for 98 passing yards.

Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo stepped up his game against Jones while still containing Taylor to a mere 58 rushing yards on 16 attempts. Jones didn't respond well at all.

It's not easy to hear for Colts fans, but defenses appear to be catching up to Jones, and it's a bad sign with such tough competition for the final six games of the season for Indy.

Riser | Germaine Pratt

Colts linebacker Germaine Pratt (blue and white uniform) heads off the field after a game finishes up. — Nov 9, 2025; Berlin, Germany; Indianapolis Colts linebacker Germaine Pratt (53) against the Atlanta Falcons during the NFL Berlin Game at Olympic Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Linebacker Germaine Pratt played like a man on fire against the Chiefs on Sunday, putting up an impressive 20 tackles (15 solo), two tackles for loss, and a pass breakup.

Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt put up 104 rushing yards on 30 carries and a score. However, Pratt was an animal, consistently showing up in the backfield to make stops when the defense needed them.

Pratt has had some good performances in his short time as a Colts linebacker, but this game against the Chiefs is the best he's looked.

He'll do whatever is possible to carry this momentum into Indy's Week 13 divisional battle with the Houston Texans.

Faller | Shane Steichen's Play Calling

Colts head coach Shane Steichen (blue and white uniform) makes a play call from the sideline. — Nov 23, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Indianapolis Colts head coach Shane Steichen looks on in the second half against the Kansas City Chiefs at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

The Colts' offense looked horrendous to conclude the game. Yes, Jones was inaccurate and off in the second half, and Taylor didn't get much going outside of a 27-yard run, but Steichen's play calls were curious.

There wasn't enough of Taylor, and opportunities for Jones to get easy completions didn't seem present. During one stretch in the fourth quarter, Jones threw on eight-straight plays to complete only two of the passes for 13 yards.

It's fair to say that Spagnuolo presented fronts and looks to show the Colts he wasn't going to let Taylor beat them. But to deny the best back in the NFL more touches is wild when the game is on the line.

Steichen's rhythm he established might have been the biggest reason Indy's offense fell so flat in the fourth quarter. It will be intriguing to see how he bounces back next week against a terrifying Houston defense.