In Week 12, the Indianapolis Colts faced the Kansas City Chiefs in a thrilling and intense matchup. Despite holding a strong lead for most of the game, the Colts were unable to secure the victory and ultimately suffered a tough loss to Patrick Mahomes and his team.
A few days later, head coach Shane Steichen reflected on the defeat and acknowledged that his play-calling may not have been good enough to take down a team as solid and disciplined as the Chiefs.
“You always go back and self-evaluate those situations,” HC Shane Steichen said. “I really thought that last drive in regulation when we went pass, pass, pass, I could have called some runs there. Absolutely could have eaten up some time there, but, you know, in hindsight, it just didn’t work out, and I look at myself first and foremost in those situations to get better for our guys moving forward.”
The offense wasn’t the only issue
The Colts entered the fourth quarter with a 20–9 lead, but neither the offense nor the defense managed to close out the game. Kansas City mounted a remarkable comeback, scoring 14 unanswered points to force overtime and eventually win 23–20.
Indianapolis’ defense, dominant through the first three quarters, struggled to contain Mahomes in the final minutes. Meanwhile, the offense faltered at the worst possible time. The Colts received the ball first in overtime but went three-and-out, missing a crucial opportunity to regain momentum.
From there, the defense couldn’t stop Mahomes from driving downfield to seal the victory. While Daniel Jones and the offense must improve their late-game execution, the defense also failed to deliver when it mattered most.