Game recap: Kansas City Chiefs lose 20-17 to Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium

Special-teams problems, an untimely penalty and a sluggish offensive doomed the Chiefs in a 20-17 loss Sunday to the Colts in Indianapolis.

The Colts drove 76 yards in 16 plays for a game-winning touchdown that won the game. Indy was aided by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Chris Jones that prolonged the drive.

Colts quarterback Matt Ryan threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Jelani Woods with 24 seconds to play and won it.

Full game highlights can be found here.

Special-team woes

Special teams were in the spotlight in Sunday’s Chiefs-Colts game in Indianapolis, but not in a good way.

In the fourth quarter, the Chiefs ran a disastrous fake punt and it failed miserably. The Chiefs defense then stopped the Colts and KC drove into field-goal range.

But Matt Ammendola missed a 34-yard field-goal attempt, keeping the score at 17-13.

Here is the fake field goal.

Bolton sack

Each team had a long drive in the third quarter that resulted in a field goal.

The Chiefs moved 62 yards in 15 plays and Ammendola made a 26-yard field goal as Kansas City took a 17-10 lead.

Indianapolis then drove 42 yards in 10 plays, and Chase McLaughlin’s 51-yard field goal cut the lead to 17-13.

Chiefs linebacker Nick Bolton’s sack on a third-and-6 play ended the Colts drive.

It was 17-13 heading to the fourth quarter.

Defense helps the offense

The Chiefs defense made a couple of big plays in the first half, giving the offense a boost.

Indianapolis kicked a field goal and took a 10-6 lead early in the second quarter, then forced the Chiefs to punt. Tommy Townsend pinned the Colts at the 1-yard line, but Indianapolis moved the ball to their 32-yard line.

That’s when Carlos Dunlap’s strip sack of Colts quarterback Matt Ryan was recovered by the Chiefs’ L’Jarius Sneed and returned to the Colts 21-yard line.

Five plays later, Clyde Edwards-Helaire scored on a 1-yard run and KC got a 2-point conversion for a 14-10 lead.

An ugly start for KC

The Colts have had trouble scoring this season, but they were gifted a 4-yard drive early in the first quarter.

Indy was forced to punt after a three-and-out to begin the game, but Chiefs rookie Skyy Moore muffed the punt, giving the Colts the ball at the KC 4-yard line.

Three plays later, Ryan completed a 1-yard touchdown pass to Jelani Woods, and the Colts jumped to a 7-0 lead.

Later in the opening quarter, the Colts had the ball on the Chiefs’ 49-yard line and went for it on fourth-and-1. In the shotgun, Ryan was immediately pressured by Sneed, who forced a fumble and KC took over at the Colts 35-yard line.

The Chiefs scored a touchdown as tight end Travis Kelce caught a 29-yard pass from Patrick Mahomes to get the ball to the 3. Kelce then hauled in a 3-yard scoring pass but the Chiefs missed the extra point and the Colts led 7-6 with less than a minute to play in the first quarter.

NFL’s Next Gen Stats illustrates Chiefs CB L’Jarius Sneed’s big strip-sack of Matt Ryan

Referee assignment

The referee who worked the Chiefs’ 42-21 win over Pittsburgh in last season’s Wild Card Game will be working Kansas City’s game against the Colts in Indianapolis.

That playoff game was one of three times referee Shawn Smith was assigned to Chiefs games during the 2021 season. Smith also worked KC’s wins over the Packers and at the Chargers.

Football Zebras reported Smith had been assigned to Sunday’s Chiefs-Colts game.

This is Smith’s fifth season as a referee and his eighth as an official in the NFL.

No surprises on Chiefs’ injury list

The Chiefs’ group of players not playing Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium doesn’t carry any surprises.

The Chiefs list kicker Harrison Butker (left ankle sprain), defensive end Mike Danna (calf), running back Ronald Jones, quarterback Shane Buechele, rookie offensive lineman Darian Kinnard, defensive end Joshua Kaindoh and rookie defensive end Benton Whitley as inactive.

How to watch Chiefs vs. Colts

Kickoff: Noon Central time Sunday

Where: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis

TV: CBS (Ch. 5) in Kansas City

Radio: WDAF (106.5 FM) in Kansas City

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