The Kansas City Chiefs host their second home game of the season against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday night. Kansas City will try to keep its perfect record alive through the first five weeks to start the season. There is plenty to keep an eye out for during the game including a homecoming, a potential addition to the secondary, and more.
Here are five things to watch for in during Sunday night’s game:
How many snaps will Morris Claiborne get?
After four weeks, the Chiefs have returned cornerback Mo Claiborne who just finished serving a suspension. An addition to the secondary could be just what the Chiefs need. They’re currently allowing around 260 yards passing a game. That would rank 14th in the NFL for defending the pass, which is an improvement from last season, but still not where they want to be.
The addition of Claiborne could help Kansas City, however, it’s hard to expect much during his first week back. It would be unrealistic for him to get a significant amount of snaps and even snaps as a start without an injury forcing him into action. Due to the suspension, Claiborne was not allowed to practice. Andy Reid said that Claiborne moved around well this week in practice, but it still may take a few weeks for him to catch up.
It will be interesting to see how much playing time he gets against the Colts if any. I don’t see Steve Spagnuolo putting him in situations that he’s not prepared for, ideally, he’s in on plays where he can just react to the play. This will allow him to get used to contact football and the speed of the game. Hopefully, it will be the start of better play in the secondary.
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Will Frank Clark make more of an impact?
Clark has been a bit of a disappointment to Chiefs fans so far this season. Clark was traded to Kansas City this offseason from Seattle. He subsequently was signed to a contract extension making him the second-highest-paid defensive end in the NFL, but his stats so far this season aren’t what the Chiefs paid for.
Clark has only recorded one sack so far this season. It has left fans uneasy and the poor play isn’t only getting to them, but also to Clark. Clark tweeted after the game against the Lions about his frustrations and about how he needs to be better. He has talked with the media and explained his mindset. He knows what he expects from himself.
This week it will be a big test for Clark as the Colts have one of the better offensive lines in the NFL. He’ll play against second-year RT Braden Smith for the majority of the game. If he can make big impact during Sunday’s game it will be reassuring for both Clark and concerned fans.
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How will the running back rotation work with the return of Damien Williams?
The last two weeks the Chiefs have been without their starting running back Damien Williams due to a knee injury he suffered against the Raiders. Williams was a full participant during practice this week, so it’s probable that we see Williams against the Colts. He’s listed as questionable heading into the game, but make no mistake, he’ll be active for this game short of a major setback.
The Chiefs have done a good job replacing him with the performance of LeSean McCoy and Darrell Williams making the running back room crowded. Both McCoy and Darrell have combined for four touchdowns in the absence of Damien, so it will be interesting to see how Andy Reid uses the running back group going forward.
It’s important to recall that Damien had one of the best games of his career against the Colts during the AFC divisional round in 2018. I believe Williams and McCoy will get the most playing time because they are each the most talented and veteran players of the group, but that doesn’t mean it the last time we see Darrell. The Chiefs are quite lucky to have three running backs that can cause problems for opposing defenses
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Justin Houston homecoming
The franchise single-season sack leader, Justin Houston, will be returning to Arrowhead Stadium for the first time since being released ahead of the 2019 season. Houston, now with Indianapolis, will be looking to help slow down Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs’ offense. This season Houston has only recorded one sack for the Colts, so it’s safe to say he isn’t the same player he was when he recorded 22 sacks for Kansas City in 2014.
It will be interesting to see how the matchup between the Mitchell Schwartz and Houston goes. Both players have countless reps against each other over the past several years. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Houston come away with a sack and a couple of pressures, but I expect Schwartz to win a couple of rounds himself.
Houston will want to show the Chiefs’ front office that they made a mistake letting him walk, so hopefully, he won’t be too disruptive as Chiefs try to keep their perfect record alive.
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Bounce back game for the offense
The Chiefs offense still put up 27 points against the Lions last week, but it was in a way that fans aren’t used to since Mahomes became the starter. The offense seemed just a little off with multiple fumbles and Mahomes not scoring a touchdown for the first time in his career since his first NFL start in 2017 against the Broncos.
The biggest problem against the Lions aside of the fumbles was the Chiefs’ inability to connect on the deep passes, which is a big part of the offense. Hopefully, the offense finds their footing and connects on a couple of deep throws to give us the explosive and entertaining offense we are used to seeing. It will also help that the Colts will be without starting safeties Malik Hooker and Clayton Geathers. If Patrick Mahomes is accurate, he should be able to take advantage of the Colts defense in the deep passing game.
It should also be mentioned that Sammy Watkins was listed as questionable to play against the Colts this weekend. Watkins hasn’t had a big game since Week 1 against the Jaguars, but he still poses a threat to defenses. If Watkins is unable to go, the Chiefs could be in trouble as they are still without Tyreek Hill. I have enough faith that Mahomes and Reid can manufacture enough offensively to win this game even if Watkins can’t play.
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