Chiefs 33, Colts 30 in overtime: Indianapolis played for the tie and Mahomes made them pay
The Colts had the ball in overtime, a fresh set of downs after a review went their way, and a chance to win the game outright. They took a delay of game and kicked. Kansas City needed 3:11 and one throw to a running back to end it. Second year in a row, same opponent, same ending.
The overtime, in order
Harrison Butker put Kansas City up 30-27 with a 31-yard field goal. The Colts answered with a drive that included a deep ball from Daniel Jones to Laquon Treadwell, a catch that turned into a fumble on the field and a Chiefs recovery. Replay overturned it: Treadwell was down by contact, the Colts kept the ball, and they had a shot at the go-ahead touchdown. Three plays later they faced fourth-and-8, took a delay of game rather than run the play they had called, and Spencer Shrader kicked a 38-yarder to tie it at 30.
That left Kansas City 3:11. Walker carried three straight times to midfield. When the Colts stacked the box to stop him, Mahomes dumped it over the top to Walker for 22 yards, and Butker hit from 40 as the clock ran out. Shane Steichen said afterward he had a play called on fourth down but did not like the look. Mahomes said it was not always pretty, which is one way to describe 523 yards and a walk-off.
Playing for the tie is a decision, and it was the wrong one
Fourth-and-8 in overtime, on the road, against Mahomes, with the ball. Every option is bad. But there is a difference between a bad option that keeps the game in your hands and a bad option that hands it to the best closer in the sport. Kicking there was not conservative, it was a bet that Kansas City's offense, which had already put up 523 yards, would stall on its next drive. It did not stall last year in the same building, and it did not stall Sunday. The Colts lost the game on that sideline, not on Butker's kick.
What the box score says about both teams
Kansas City ran for 152 yards as a team and Walker had 117 of it on 24 carries. Kelce, who has been written off more than once, caught nine balls for 101 and a touchdown. Mahomes threw 47 times, and the three scoring throws went to Kelce, Xavier Worthy and Jalen Royals. The Chiefs did not turn it over once. They also took eight penalties for 86 yards and still won, which is the part that should worry the rest of the AFC: this was not a clean game from them and it did not matter.
Indianapolis got 92 yards and two scores from Jonathan Taylor, including a 24-yard run late in the first half that put them up 20-17 and a 5-yard run with 5:37 left in regulation that tied it at 27. Jones was efficient, 22 of 31 for 210 with a touchdown to Tyler Warren and one interception. The defense held Kansas City to field goals on the last three drives that mattered. It was a road game the Colts could have stolen, and 0-2 is going to feel worse than the score line.
Where we land
Two games, two wins, one of them on the road in Kansas City's own way: not dominant, just never out of it. The Colts are the more interesting team out of this. They went to Arrowhead and had the ball with a chance to win in overtime, and their coach chose not to try. Teams remember decisions like that in December, one way or the other.
Box score, stat leaders and drive details per ESPN's game data and recap for Colts at Chiefs, Sept. 20, 2026. Opinion is the taproom's.