Preview

Colts vs Chiefs

When the Chiefs and Colts played two weeks ago in Kansas City, there was very little on the line. Kansas City was likely locked into the No. 5 seed in the AFC while the Colts had already clinched the AFC South. The stakes will be higher when the teams meet again on Saturday in Indianapolis.

On paper, the two teams appear to be evenly matched, especially when looking beyond traditional counting stats. Indianapolis' offense averaged 5.3 yards per play this season, while K.C.'s averaged 5.2. The Chiefs held a slight defensive advantage during the regular season, allowing 5.5 YPP compared to 5.6 YPP by the Colts. Kansas City held scoring advantages, thanks largely to better red zone offense and defense.

Jamaal Charles' effectiveness may be the deciding factor. He touched the ball on 42 percent of Kansas City's offensive plays. He racked up 144 yards from scrimmage on 18 touches the last time these two teams met, but the Colts still came away with a 23-7 victory.

It's win, or go home, in the rematch. The winner moves on to face either New England or Denver.

Mark Sandritter

The Colts will win because

They are a matchup problem for the Chiefs, but it all comes down to how healthy cornerbacks Vontae Davis and Greg Toler are. Both are dealing with groin injuries. Davis, in particular, is key. In their last meeting with the Chiefs in Week 16, the Colts defensive backs did a good job smothering K.C.’s wideouts. Alex Smith played a terrible game (153 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT) and the Chiefs offense was shut down throughout much of the afternoon. Offensively, the Colts were able to neutralize the Chiefs' pass rush by spreading them out, using three-receiver sets. Indy ran from these formations, including Donald Brown’s 51-yard TD run in the third quarter that broke the game open.

The Chiefs will win because

They do the little things right. They win the turnover battle. They don’t make (many) silly mistakes. The Chiefs are the ultimate example of creating their own success by not screwing it up. That’s their calling card — they’re a smart team that won’t beat themselves. The last time around the Chiefs turned it over multiple times and beat themselves. Don’t count on that happening twice.

Number of interest

124

That’s the number of first quarter points scored by the Chiefs this season, the second-best mark in their franchise history. The Colts have been known to start slow this season. The way the Chiefs start this game will determine how well they do.

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