The Kansas City Chiefs will be taking on the Indianapolis Colts at home in Week 12. On the heels of their divisional loss to the Denver Broncos, the Chiefs are in dire need of a convincing win to put them back on track to make the playoffs.

Their hopes of continuing their decade-long dominance over the AFC West are over, but they can salvage this season by sneaking into the wild card and locking in once the playoffs come around. That’s the only way the Chiefs can save their 2025 season, which has been riddled with uncharacteristic mistakes.

What To Look Out For

The Colts are fresh off their bye week, while the Chiefs came out flat in their return to the field after their week of rest. The Chiefs have to hope that the Colts have lulled themselves into a false sense of security and don’t come out as sharp as they have been all season. The Chiefs need this win desperately, and they can benefit from the Colts not taking them as seriously due to their record.

However, I doubt that the Colts will look as bad as the Chiefs did post-bye week. Even if Daniel Jones reverts to his former self against the Chiefs’ defense, they have the offensive personnel to win games without him playing at his best. Jonathan Taylor’s rushing ability gives the Colts a way to pick up yardage without Jones having to play well at all, but it’ll only make things easier for him as the game goes on.

With Isiah Pacheco out for the game, the Chiefs can’t afford to let their rushing attack get going, as they’ll have no way to respond offensively. They’re going to have to rely on Patrick Mahomes’ arm, which is usually a recipe for success, but Mahomes and the Chiefs haven’t been the same in 2025. They’ve lost their clutch gene, as is shown by their 0 – 5 record in one-score games this season.

The Colts’ only two losses this season have been by a touchdown, which means if the Chiefs want to win, their offense has to avoid back-breaking mistakes and create a lead so insurmountable that it doesn’t matter what the Colts have on offense or defense. A dominant outing by Mahomes would put them firmly back in the playoff race, as well as bolster his MVP campaign, which has taken a dive after a couple of consecutive poor performances.