TL;DR
- Kansas City Chiefs face the Indianapolis Colts in a critical Week 12 must-win game for playoff hopes.
- The Chiefs' defense, fourth in points allowed, faces the NFL's top-scoring Colts offense.
- Chiefs' defense has not allowed over 30 points, facing a Colts offense with recent turnover issues.
- Analysts predict a Chiefs victory, highlighting the defensive chess match at Arrowhead Stadium.
The Kansas City Chiefs know that their Week 12 matchup against the 8-2 Indianapolis Colts is for all the marbles.
Considering the division's status with the Broncos dominating, and the Chiefs' significant deficit in the race for the seventh seed, Andy Reid's squad now has absolutely no room for mistakes if they aim to barely make it into the postseason.
That means winning out, essentially, and starting with the Colts on Sunday.
Four out of five NFL.com writers predict the Chiefs will advance, with Gennaro Filice believing the outcome hinges on the Chiefs' defense versus the Colts' offense.
"Having made five of the past six Super Bowls -- collecting three Lombardi Trophies in the process -- Kansas City finds itself in completely unfamiliar territory: outside of the current playoff field," Filice writes. "The chess match between Shane Steichen and Steve Spagnuolo takes center stage at Arrowhead, and I like the four-time Super Bowl champion to rally his defense in a must-win game."
More: Analyst has 'season-saving' belief in Chiefs' Week 12 showing vs. Colts
Colts face Chiefs' defense in a key matchup.
Spagnuolo's defense currently ranks fourth in points allowed, just 18.1 per game, and for the Colts, with Daniel Jones and Co., they are averaging 32.1 points a game, the NFL's best.
We're quite sure the Chiefs' defense won't give up 32 points this Sunday. The reason? Even though the team as a whole has been as unpredictable as usual, the defense has yet to surrender more than 30 points in any single game.
Spagnuolo's familiarity with Arrowhead allows him to leverage crowd noise for his team's advantage, and Jones should anticipate numerous unconventional defensive schemes, which could prove challenging for an offense that has committed eight turnovers over the last two weeks.
It is a must-win game for Kansas City, and at home, you would be a fool to bet against them.
More Chiefs news:
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- Chiefs fans will love Andy Reid's comments about 5-5 record entering Week 12
- Andy Reid on Chiefs' playoff picture: What Chiefs need to focus on at 5-5